Expression of relaxin-2 and its receptor RXFP1 in surgical samples of healthy and varicose GSV, and pharmacological stimulation.

(A) Relaxin-2 content is decreased in varicose compared to healthy GSV, determined by ELISA (9.12±3.39 pg/mg versus 12.49±0.66 pg/mg of total protein; p = 0.01; Student's T-test). (B) Western Blot detection of RXFP1 in healthy and varicose GSV. RXFP1 bands are less pronounced in the varicose GSV samples. (C) In vitro pharmacology of surgical samples of GSV. Pulse-stimulations with KCl (kaliumchloride), arterenol (norepinephrinehydrochloride) and carbachol (carbamylcholine) induce contractions of the GSV specimens; relaxin-2 relaxes the specimens. The first KCl contraction was defined as 100% maximum contraction. Arterenol: 76%, carbachol: 51%, relaxin-2: −34% of maximum KCl contraction. (D) Constant perfusion with relaxin-2 partly antagonizes the contractions induced by pulse-stimulations with arterenol and carbachol: Arterenol: 76 to 47% (reduction of 29% of KCl maximum concentration), carbachol: 51 to 23% (reduction of 28% of KCl maximum concentration.