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This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 297/6/E1414    most recent ajpendo.00458.2009v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Akerud, H. Articles by Wiberg-Itzel, E. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Akerud, H. Articles by Wiberg-Itzel, E.

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Lactate Distribution in Culture Medium of Human Myometrial Biopsies Incubated under Different Conditions

¹Uppsala University ²Karolinska Institutet

Submitted 24 July 2009 ; revised 25 September 2009 ; accepted in final form 12 October 2009

It is generally believed that a relationship exists between muscle fatigue and intracellular accumulation of lactate. This reasoning is relevant to obstetrical issues. Myocytes in uterus work together during labor and the contractions need to be strong and synchronised for a child to be delivered. At labor dystocia, the progress of labor becomes slow or arrested after a normal beginning. It has been described that, during labor dystocia, when the force of the contractions is low, the uterus is under hypoxia and anaerobic conditions with high levels of lactate in amniotic fluid dominate. The purpose of this study was to examine whether myometrial cells are involved in the production of lactate in amniotic fluid, and whether there are differences in production and distribution of lactate in cells incubated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. We also wanted to elucidate the involvement of specific membrane-bound lactate carriers. Women undergoing elective caesarean section were included. Myometrial biopsies from uteri were collected and subjected to either immunohistochemistry to identify lactate carriers, or in vitro experiments to analyse production of lactate. The presence of lactate carriers named monocarboxylate transporter 1 and 4 was verified. Myometrial cells produced lactate extracellularly and the lactate carriers operated differently under anaerobic and aerobic conditions; while being mainly unidirectional under anaerobic conditions, they became bidirectional under aerobic conditions. Human myometrial cells produced and delivered lactate to the extracellular medium under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions. The delivery was mediated by lactate carriers.

MCT-1; MCT-4; myometrial cells; uterus