Ebook: Relaxin 2000: Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Relaxin & Related Peptides 22–27 October 2000, Broome, Australia

The first international forum on relaxin was a workshop held in Hawaii in 1980. This was followed by the Kroc Foundation conference in Santa Ynes, California in 1981 and then the First International Congress on the Hormone Relaxin in Florence in 1982. After a hiatus of several years, the Second International Congress on the Hormone Relaxin was held in Adelaide in 1994. Since that time, the enormous advances in molecular biology and protein chemistry have led to a stellar growth in relaxin research. Novel sites of action of the hormone have been elucidated, numerous new mammalian primary structures determined, more detailed mechanisms of action postulated, the control of relaxin secretion better understood, non-pregnant roles of the hormone identified, and, importantly, relaxin-related peptides (particularly INSL 3 and 5) identified and possible synergistic actions with relaxin proposed. A raft of novel clinical applications of relaxin has also been explored. Together, these exciting developments made the time ripe for a third international conference. We were therefore delighted to welcome many colleagues, old and new, at Relaxin 2000, the first international forum on relaxin and related peptides in the new Millennium. This conference, which we hope will now be held every four to five years, was held at the Cable Beach Inter-Continental Resort at the delightful old pearling town of Broome in the far north-west of Australia from 22-27 October, 2000.

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This publication contains the proceedings of "Relaxin 2000: The Third International Conference on the Hormone Relaxin & Related Peptides", held on October 22-27, 2000, at the Cable Beach Resort, Broome, Australia. Delegates from academia and industry who attended this meeting, the latest in an irregular series, participated in an exciting scientific program that covered all aspects of current relaxin research, the growth of which in recent years has been stellar. Seminal topics presented at the conference and in this book include: clinical roles for relaxin, elucidation of novel sites of action of the hormone, relaxin-induced signal transduction, identification of non-pregnant roles of the hormone, and of novel relaxin-related peptides (particularly insl 3 and 5) and their possible synergistic actions with relaxin.

Audience: This book will be of considerable interest to both endocrinologists and protein researchers, including those engaged in studies in members of the insulin super-family.

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This publication contains the proceedings of "Relaxin 2000: The Third International Conference on the Hormone Relaxin & Related Peptides", held on October 22-27, 2000, at the Cable Beach Resort, Broome, Australia. Delegates from academia and industry who attended this meeting, the latest in an irregular series, participated in an exciting scientific program that covered all aspects of current relaxin research, the growth of which in recent years has been stellar. Seminal topics presented at the conference and in this book include: clinical roles for relaxin, elucidation of novel sites of action of the hormone, relaxin-induced signal transduction, identification of non-pregnant roles of the hormone, and of novel relaxin-related peptides (particularly insl 3 and 5) and their possible synergistic actions with relaxin.

Audience: This book will be of considerable interest to both endocrinologists and protein researchers, including those engaged in studies in members of the insulin super-family.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xxii
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Hooked on relaxin: A career-long love affair with a fickle and elusive hormone....Pages 3-24
Front Matter....Pages 25-25
Effects of relaxin on the cervix and the vagina in the rat....Pages 27-34
Relaxin retards apoptosis in the cervix and the vagina during pregnancy in rats....Pages 35-40
Synthesis and function of relaxin in human endometrium....Pages 41-45
Analysis of relaxin deficient mice....Pages 47-51
Front Matter....Pages 53-58
Relaxin induces specific alterations in gene expression in the human endometrium....Pages 59-62
Relaxin is an important factor for uterine differentiation and implantation in the marmoset monkey....Pages 63-63
Relaxin and porcine uterine growth and remodeling....Pages 65-72
Relaxin and placental dysfunction in the horse....Pages 73-82
Intersection of the relaxin and estrogen signalling pathways in the uterus....Pages 83-89
Comparative aspects of relaxin and relaxin-like factor (Insulin 3) in the placental trophoblast....Pages 91-99
Secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-2, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 and human chorionic gonadotropin by cytotrophoblastic cells: Is there a regulation by relaxin?....Pages 101-108
Molecular remodelling of members of the relaxin family during primate evolution....Pages 109-113
Relaxin in the hamster....Pages 115-120
Front Matter....Pages 121-125
Relaxin: a luteotrophic factor in the marmoset corpus luteum....Pages 127-128
Isolation and bioactivity of relaxin from the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii)....Pages 129-136
Possible role of the IGF family for the bovine ovarian function....Pages 137-137
Front Matter....Pages 139-144
Identification of consensus sequences in the rat relaxin promoter which bind nuclear proteins....Pages 145-146
Front Matter....Pages 147-148
Effects of relaxin on experimentally-induced myocardial infarction. Is this hormone a natural shield against cardiovascular ischemic disease?....Pages 137-137
Systemic relaxin administration stimulates angiogenic cytokine expression and vessel formation in a rat myocardial infarct model....Pages 149-150
Is relaxin the “elusive” vasodilator of pregnancy?....Pages 151-151
Reproductive hormones and blood pressure during pregnancy....Pages 153-157
The effect of relaxin on vascular function in rat aorta....Pages 159-167
Cardiovascular phenotypes of relaxin knockout mice: Importance of gender....Pages 169-176
Front Matter....Pages 177-182
Relaxin action on and in the brain....Pages 183-184
Neurons and neural pathways mediating the actions of circulating relaxin on the brain....Pages 185-188
Identification of relaxin and relaxin responsive cells in the rat brain....Pages 189-189
Effect of Relaxin on the Expression of Angiotensin II Receptors in the Subfornical Organ of Rats during Pregnancy....Pages 191-199
Relaxin and relaxin receptors in brain....Pages 201-208
Front Matter....Pages 209-214
Relaxin knockout mice demonstrate delayed growth and have underdeveloped male reproductive tracts....Pages 215-216
Relaxin expression and binding in the rat prostate....Pages 217-218
Front Matter....Pages 219-219
Chemical synthesis of relaxin analogues: Current status and future developments....Pages 221-223
A new synthesis of human 2 relaxin using selective bridging....Pages 225-228
Design, synthesis and biological activity of template-assembled peptidic mimetics of rat relaxin....Pages 229-229
Chemical synthesis and relaxin activity of analogues of ovine Insulin 3 containing specific B-chain residue replacements....Pages 231-236
Chemical synthesis and biological activity of ovine Insulin 3, a relaxin structural homologue....Pages 237-238
Front Matter....Pages 239-240
Solid phase syntheses of rat prorelaxin C-peptides (1–73) and (76–101)....Pages 241-242
Chemical synthesis and relaxin activity of rat Insulin 3....Pages 243-246
Front Matter....Pages 247-248
Structure-activity relationships of relaxin and relaxin-like factor/insulin 3....Pages 229-229
Relaxin bioassays....Pages 249-250
Bioassays for relaxin and relaxin-related peptides....Pages 251-252
A highly sensitive homologous human relaxin ELISA....Pages 253-253
Front Matter....Pages 255-260
Relaxin and scaffolding proteins in signalling crosstalk....Pages 261-270
Mechanism of action of relaxin in human cervix....Pages 271-272
Myometrial relaxant action of relaxin....Pages 273-275
The use of biosensor technology to search for orphan biomolecules: towards the relaxin receptor....Pages 277-277
Relaxin signal transduction couples tyrosine phosphorylation to cAMP upregulation....Pages 279-283
Relaxin activating effect on the adenylyl cyclase and glycogen synthase in muscles of mammals and molluscs....Pages 285-289
The regulatory role of protein kinase C in insulin signal transduction via adenylyl cyclase signalling system....Pages 291-299
Front Matter....Pages 301-308
The Relaxin-Like Factor: from gene to physiology....Pages 309-315
Testicular descent in rats: a role for relaxin?....Pages 317-319
The Relaxin-Like Factor (Insulin 3) is highly expressed in the ruminant ovary: A putative ruminant relaxin?....Pages 321-323
Characterization of the rat Relaxin Like Factor/JAK3 gene region....Pages 325-325
Relaxin-Like Factor is differentially expressed in the normal and neoplastic human mammary gland....Pages 327-335
Relaxin-Like Factor in the human thyroid....Pages 337-345
Front Matter....Pages 347-348
The genomics of Insulin 5....Pages 349-356
Front Matter....Pages 357-358
Relaxin clinical trials in systemic sclerosis....Pages 359-360
Relaxin decreases renal interstitial fibrosis: A novel treatment to slow the progression of kidney disease?....Pages 361-362
Relaxin modulates fibrillin-2, but not fibrillin-1, gene expression by human dermal fibroblasts....Pages 325-325
Effect of relaxin on normal and impaired wound healing in rodents....Pages 363-369
The formation of amyloid fibrils by relaxin....Pages 371-371
Front Matter....Pages 373-381
Pelvic girdle relaxation, developmental dysplasia of the hip and the hormone relaxin — are they loosely connected?....Pages 383-388
Back pain in IVF-induced and spontaneous pregnancies....Pages 389-392
Immunohistochemical detection of relaxin binding to ligaments of the thumb and knee....Pages 393-397
Preterm delivery predicted by serum relaxin....Pages 399-404
High serum concentrations of relaxin correlate with dissemination of breast cancer....Pages 405-405
Relationship of serum relaxin levels to knee joint laxity in female athletes....Pages 407-413
Relaxin in the new Millennium — a round table discussion....Pages 415-420
Back Matter....Pages 421-424
....Pages 425-428