• H Li, M Diao, J Ni, P Li, Q Zhu, Y L Wan, Y S Ma, and X M Lin.
• Department of Anesthesiology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
• Int J Obstet Anesth. 2016 Dec 1; 28: 28-33.

BackgroundSerotonin (5-HT) is known to play an important role in regulating uterine contractions. However, the specific receptors involved have not been well characterized. We evaluated whether 5-HT3 receptors exist in human myometrium, and their effects on myometrial contractility when stimulated by a 5-HT3 agonist.MethodsFour tissue samples taken from patients undergoing hysterectomy (n=2) and elective cesarean delivery (n=2) were used to detect expression of 5-HT3 receptors on the myometrium using western blotting. For isometric tension measurement, another 12 myometrial strips obtained from patients undergoing elective cesarean delivery were randomly divided into a control group (Group CON) and an RS56812 group (Group RG). In increasing doses from 10(-7)M to 10(-4)M, RS56812, a 5-HT3 receptor agonist, was used to investigate the contractile effects after bonding to the 5-HT3 receptor, following which the effects of granisetron were assessed. Amplitude, interval and duration of myometrial contractions were recorded.ResultsProteins with a molecular mass of 55kDa, consistent with 5-HT3 receptors, were detected both on non-pregnant and late-pregnant human uteri. RS56812 increased the contractile amplitude at concentrations of 10(-6)M, 10(-5)M and 10(-4)M, achieving maximum effect at 10(-5)M. A prolonged contractile interval was detected at the concentration of 10(-4)M. However, RS56812 showed no significant effect on contraction duration. Granisetron did not reverse the contractile effects induced by RS56812.Conclusion5-HT3 receptors are expressed on non-pregnant and pregnant uteri. RS56812 enhanced myometrial contractions, but this was not affected by granisetron, the mechanism of which requires further investigation.Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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