Abstract:
The human amnion is an excellent model in which to study the regulation of the expression of prostaglandin endoperoxide H synthase-2 (PGHS-2) mRNA by glucocorticoids, as glucocorticoids can both stimulate and inhibit PGHS activity and can have their stimulatory effect reversed to an inhibitory one. Our studies suggest the presence of a glucocorticoid-induced inhibitory protein which affects the post-transcriptional activity of PGHS-2 mRNA. Glucocorticoid-induced expression of PGHS-2 mRNA may be dependent on protein phosphorylation.