Molecular Mechanism in Fetal Lungs Initiates Labor
DALLAS, June 22 (UPI) — Two proteins in a fetus’ lungs are responsible for initiating the labor process, said researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern, a discovery they said could help to prevent premature births.
One out of every nine babies is born preterm, making the discovery of what starts labor a potentially significant one, as early birth can lead to long-term conditions such as cerebral palsy, chronic lung disease and impaired vision.
“Our study provides compelling evidence that the fetus regulates the timing of its birth, and that this control occurs after these two gene regulatory proteins – SRC-1 and SRC-2 – increase the production of surfactant components, surfactant protein A and platelet activating factor,” Dr. Carole Mendelson, professor of biochemistry, and obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Southwestern, said in a press release. “By understanding the factors and pathways that initiate normal-term labor at 40 weeks, we can gain more insight into how to prevent preterm labor.”
The two components activated by the regulatory proteins in the fetus’ lungs are secreted into the amniotic fluid, which leads to an inflammatory response in the mother’s uterus that starts labor. In tests with mice, increasing or decreasing the proteins affected the timing of labor, indicating that they are directly involved with starting the process.
The study is published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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