Oxytocin, its antagonist Atosiban, and preterm labor: a role for placental nitric oxide

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the present study was to understand the role played by Atosiban, an oxytocin receptor antagonist, on trophoblastic human cells, and the molecular bases of its efficacy and safety in the treatment of preterm labor. NO, peroxinitrite production and NOS expression have been evaluated on placenta obtained from term and preterm labors.

Patients and methods: We studied trophoblast cells isolated from selected placental tissue from 20 controls and 20 preterm patients after cesarean sections. Each sample was studied at basal state and after 2 hours incubation with oxytocin and Atosiban.

Results: Significant variations of NO levels, peroxynitrite production and iNOS and eNOS expression both in the preterm, term samples and in each of the considered groups were observed. In the control group Atosiban re-established NO levels that were reduced after incubation with oxytocin, while in preterm samples NO levels were not only re-established but, after incubation with Atosiban, significantly increased compared to basal levels.

Conclusions: This confirms the beneficial role of Atosiban in prolonging the pregnancy of spontaneous labor at very early gestational periods.

In conclusion, Atosiban might be an effective drug to prevent preterm labor, in the therapeutic approach to this pathology.

• Atosiban
• eNOS
• iNOS
• nitric oxide
• oxytocin
• peroxynitrite
• trophoblasts

Declaration of interest

The authors of this research article do not have any financial arrangement with the company whose product figures prominently in the submitted manuscript nor with companies making similar products at the time of submission. No funding or support was received for this research.

Contribution to authorship

Nanetti Laura: substantial contributions to conception and design, to the performance of laboratory experiments, to the data interpretation and to drafting the article.

Raffaelli Francesca: substantial contributions to the performance of laboratory experiments, to the data interpretation.

Giulietti Alessia: substantial contributions to the performance of laboratory experiments.

Sforza Giulia: recruiting sample and substantial contributions to the performance of laboratory experiments.

Giannubilo Stefano Raffaele: recruiting sample, carried out the sampling and collected the informed consent.

Ciavattini Andrea: substantial contributions to conception and design, final approval of the version to be published.

Tranquilli Andrea Luigi: substantial contributions to conception and design, final approval of the version to be published.

Mazzanti Laura: substantial contributions to conception and design, final approval of the version to be published.

Vignini Arianna: substantial contributions to the performance of laboratory experiments, to conception and design, final approval of the version to be published.

Details of ethics approval

The study was performed in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki as revised in 2001, and the study was approved by the Bioethical Committee of the Marche Polytechnic University. Patients gave their written informed consent prior to the participation of the study.