Roles and regulation of the matrix metalloproteinase system in parturition

Abstract

Significant tissue destruction, repair, and remodeling are involved in parturition, which involves fetal membrane rupture, cervical ripening, and uterine contraction and its subsequent involution. Extracellular matrix degradation and remodeling by proteolytic enzymes, such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), are required for the final steps of parturition. MMPs participate in these physiological degradation and remodeling events through their proteolytic activities on specific substrates, and are balanced by the action of their inhibitors. Disruption to this balance can result in pathological stress that ends with preterm or post-term births, or preeclampsia. In this review, we examine the roles and regulation of the MMP system in physiological and pathological labor, and propose a model that illustrates the mechanisms by which the MMP system contributes to these processes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved