Myometrial Smooth Muscle Cells (MSMC)

Myometrial smooth muscle cells (MSMC) are located in the myometrium between the endometrium and the serosa of the uterus. MSMC are involved in the stretching of the uterus during pregnancy and are also responsible for uterine contractions during labor.The uterine myometrium consists of differentiated smooth muscle cells, but in certain pathological conditions, such as uterine leiomyomata, smooth muscle cells in the myometrium proliferate abnormally to form tumors. 

MSMC has also been reported that the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) binds to PDGF receptors and stimulates proliferation. Results indicate that PDGF stimulates both cell proliferation and VEGF production in partly different signal pathways, and thus PDGF might play a role in the physiology and pathology of the myometrium. Cultured MSMC are an excellent model to study the physiology of pregnancy and labor and the mechanisms that contribute to the development of uterine leiomyomata.