Effects of corticotrophin releasing hormone on contractile activity of myometrium from pregnant women James C. Simpkin Medical Student, Faiz Kermani Research Associate, Anna M. Palmer Research Assistant, Juan S. Campa Research Associate, Rachel M. Tribe Research Fellow, *Elizabeth A. Linton Research Lecture6

Corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) is now widely recognised to have actions other than those associated with the hypothalamic control of the stress response'. In human pregnancy, the placental syncy- tiotrophoblast represents a significant source of mater- nal CRH2t3 and maternal plasma concentrations rise steeply throughout the second and third trimesters, then fall rapidly postpartum. Significantly higher lev- els of CRH are associated with pre-eclampsia and preterm delivery"'. This concentration profile may suggest that CRH is involved in the regulation