Changes in cAMP effector predominance are associated with increased oxytocin receptor expression in twin but not infection-associated or idiopathic preterm labour.

We previously reported that at term pregnancy, a decline in myometrial protein kinase A (PKA) activity leads to an exchange protein activated by cyclic AMP (Epac1)-dependent increase in oxytocin receptor (OTR) expression, promoting the onset of labour. Here, we studied the changes in the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) effector system present in different phenotypes of preterm labour (PTL). Myometrial biopsies obtained from women with phenotypically distinct forms of PTL and the levels of PKA and OTR were examined. Although we found similar changes in the cAMP effector pathway in all forms of PTL, only in the case of twin PTL (T-PTL) was myometrial OTR levels increased in association with these results. Although there were several changes in the mRNA levels of components of the cAMP synthetic pathway, the total myometrial cAMP levels did not change with the onset of any subtype of PTL. With regards to the expression of cAMP-responsive genes, we found that the mRNA levels of 4 of the 5 cAMP-down-regulated genes were increased in T-PTL, similar to our findings in term labour. These data signify that although changes in the cAMP effector system were common to all forms of PTL, only in T-PTL were OTR levels increased. Similarly, the mRNA levels of cAMP-repressed genes were only increased in T-PTL supporting the concept that the decline in PKA levels influences myometrial function driving the onset of T-PTL.