Cervix and myometrium: role in preterm and normal term birth in mare

Abstract

Myometrial activation and cervical remodeling during term and preterm labor involve complex molecular mechanisms. Progress in elucidating these mechanisms has been slow and based on classical molecular techniques such as realtime quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Recently, using ribonucleic acid sequencing, we have elucidated key regulators and molecular mechanisms triggering these events. Objective is to summarize changes in myometrial and cervical transcriptome during placentitis and normal prepartum period in comparison to normal pregnancy.