Calcium Channels, Rho-Kinase, Protein Kinase-C, and Phospholipase-C Pathways Mediate Mercury Chloride-Induced Myometrial Contractions in Rats

• Published in: Biological trace element research 2019-02, Vol.187 (2), p.418-424
• Main Authors: Koli, Swati, Prakash, Atul, Choudhury, Soumen, Mandil, Rajesh, Garg, Satish K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetylcholine receptors (muscarinic); Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Calcium; Calcium (extracellular); Calcium channels; Calcium channels (L-type); Calcium ions; Calcium signalling; Cascades; Channels; Data acquisition; Diglycerides; Endoplasmic reticulum; Enzyme inhibitors; Extracellular; Glycerol; Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors; Isometric; Kinases; Life Sciences; Mercuric chloride; Mercury; Mercury (metal); Mercury compounds; Myometrium; Myosin; Myosin-light-chain-phosphatase; Nifedipine; Nutrition; Oncology; Phosphatase; Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-diphosphate; Phospholipase; Protein kinase C; Proteins; Rats; Receptor mechanisms; Receptors; Rho-associated kinase; Rodents; Uterus
• ISSN: 0163-4984; 1559-0720
• DOI: 10.1007/s12011-018-1379-x

Adverse effects of mercury on female reproduction are reported; however, its effect on myogenic activity of uterus and mechanism thereof is obscure. Present study was undertaken to unravel the mechanistic pathways of mercuric chloride (HgCl 2 )-induced myometrial contraction in rats. Isometric tension in myometrial strips of rats following in vitro exposure to HgCl 2 was recorded using data acquisition system-based physiograph. HgCl 2 produced concentration-dependent (10 nM–100 μM) uterotonic effect which was significantly ( p