'Relaxin' the stiffened heart and arteries: The therapeutic potential for relaxin in the treatment of cardiovascular disease

Abstract

Although originally characterised as a reproductive hormone, relaxin has emerged as a multi-functional endocrine and paracrine factor that plays a number of important roles in several organs, including the normal and diseased cardiovascular system. The recent discovery of the H3/relaxin-3 gene, and the elusive receptors for relaxin (Relaxin family peptide receptor; RXFP1) and relaxin-3 (RXFP3/RXFP4) have led to the re-classification of a distinct relaxin peptide/receptor family. Additionally, the identification of relaxin and RXFP1 mRNA and/or relaxin binding sites in the heart and blood vessels has confirmed that the cardiovascular system is a target for relaxin peptides. While evidence for..