Activation of the Akt/mTOR Pathway and the Effects of Increased Myometrial mTOR Signaling During Pregnancy

Abstract

Preterm labor is defined as labor before 37 weeks of gestation and it is one of the leading causes for prenatal fatality and morbidity (Hirota et al 2011). Due to babies being delivered prior to full development, preterm labor can cause many problems and can also endanger the mother. Prior research has shown that the P13K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway is related to birth timing in mouse models (Hirota et al 2011). It has also been shown that rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTOR, can rescue preterm labor in these mouse models (Hirota et al 2011). In this study, western blots were used on human myometrial samples to determine if total mTOR protein is increased in preterm and term laboring vs. preterm and term non-­? laboring myometrial tissue to determine if abnormal activation of the Akt/mTOR pathway might be related to the onset of preterm labor.