Cyclic changes in the matrix metalloproteinase system in the ovary and uterus

Jr Curry, K. G. Osteen

Research output: Contribution to journalShort surveypeer-review

193 Scopus citations

Abstract

With each estrous or menstrual cycle, extensive alterations occur in the extracellular matrix and connective tissue of the ovary and uterus. In the ovary, these changes occur during follicular development, breakdown of the follicular wall and extrusion of the oocyte, as well as during the formation and regression of the corpus luteum. In the uterus, the endometrium undergoes dramatic connective tissue turnover associated with tissue breakdown and subsequent regrowth during each menstrual cycle. These changes in the ovarian and uterine extracellular architecture are regulated, in part, by the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) system. This system is comprised of both a proteolytic component, the MMPs, and associated inhibitors, and it is involved in connective tissue remodeling processes throughout the body. The current review highlights the key features of the MMP system and focuses on the changes in the MMPs and the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases during the dynamic remodeling that takes place in the ovary and uterus during the estrous and menstrual cycles.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1285-1296
Number of pages12
JournalBiology of Reproduction
Volume64
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 2001

Funding

FundersFunder number
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentR01HD023195

    Keywords

    • Menstrual cycle
    • Ovary ovulation
    • Steroid hormones
    • Uterus

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Reproductive Medicine

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Cyclic changes in the matrix metalloproteinase system in the ovary and uterus'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this