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Commonly known as “breaking of the mother’s waters”, the rupture of fetal membranes is typically one of the final steps that occurs before human labor begins. Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are heavily involved in restructuring and degrading the extracellular matrix for this process. The specific expression of MMP-9 may denote the onset of labor. Flores-Pliego et al. focused their studies on understanding how placental leukocytes affect MMP levels and activation, which can lead to child birth. BioLegend offers several reagents for MMP study, including the brand new LEGEND MAX™ MMP-3 ELISA Kit. |
Adapted from Flores-Pliego, A. et al. 2015. PLoS One. 10:e0145366. Pubmed |
It has been noted that a variety of leukocytes arrive in the gestational tissues during the third trimester of pregnancy. These placental leukocytes are known to produce MMP-9 in addition to several other cytokines. Flores-Pliego et al. observed that these isolated cells steadily produced MMP-9 in vitro. They also found that MMP-3, specifically, was upregulated and could induce MMP-9 activation. These elevated MMP levels can then aid in the degradation of fetal membrane components like collagen and proteoglycans, readying the body to give birth. |
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