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Relaxin and Related Peptides pp 65–87Cite as

The Vascular Actions of Relaxin

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Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 612))

Abstract

Relaxin is emerging as a hormone with important vascular actions. Much of our recently gained knowledge of relaxin in this context has stemmed from investigations of maternal vascular adaptations to pregnancy in which the hormone is turning out to be an important mediator. This chapter is separated into three parts. In Part 1, we discuss relaxin in the setting of normal vascular function and focus on systemic hemodynamics and arterial mechanical properties, renal and other peripheral circulations, angiogenesis, as well as the cellular mechanisms of the vasodilatory actions of relaxin. In this section, we also summarize the evidence for an arterial-derived relaxin ligand-receptor system. In Part 2, we present relaxin in the context of vascular dysfunction and the implications for relaxin as a therapeutic agent in renal and cardiac diseases, ischemia and reperfusion injury, pulmonary hypertension, vascular inflammation and preeclampsia. Finally, in Part 3, we highlight some of the controversies and unresolved issues, as well as suggest a general direction for future relaxin research that is urgendy needed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

    Arundhathi Jeyabalan

  2. Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

    Sanjeev G. Shroff

  3. Department of Biology, Walsh University, Canton, Ohio, USA

    Jaqueline Novak

  4. Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, 32610-0274, USA

    Kirk P. Conrad

Authors
  1. Arundhathi Jeyabalan
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  2. Sanjeev G. Shroff
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  3. Jaqueline Novak
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  4. Kirk P. Conrad
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Correspondence to Kirk P. Conrad .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA

    Alexander I. Agoulnik Ph.D.

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© 2007 Landes Bioscience and Springer Science+Business Media

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Jeyabalan, A., Shroff, S.G., Novak, J., Conrad, K.P. (2007). The Vascular Actions of Relaxin. In: Agoulnik, A.I. (eds) Relaxin and Related Peptides. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 612. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-74672-2_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-74672-2_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-74670-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-74672-2

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