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Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Assessment of Maternal Vascular Remodeling During Pregnancy in the Mouse Uterus
Published on: December 5, 2015
Role of relaxin in maternal systemic and renal vascular adaptations during gestation
Jonathan T McGuane1, Julianna E Debrah, Dan O Debrah
1Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA.
In this paper, the hemodynamic changes of normal pregnancy are reviewed and the underlying hormonal and molecular mechanisms are discussed. Among other findings related to these phenomena, our previous work has demonstrated the importance of relaxin in systemic and renal vascular as well as osmoregulatory changes during gestation. These findings are summarized, and new concepts related to the function of relaxin in blood vessels are presented. Finally, work in progress is briefly outlined.
In this paper, the hemodynamic changes of normal pregnancy are reviewed and the underlying hormonal and molecular mechanisms are discussed. Among other findings related to these phenomena, our previous work has demonstrated the importance of relaxin in systemic and renal vascular as well as osmoregulatory changes during gestation. These findings are summarized, and new concepts related to the function of relaxin in blood vessels are presented. Finally, work in progress is briefly outlined.
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