Contemporary Notions On The Role Of 5'-Nucleotidase In Pregnancy

The review aimed at pooling together available information on 5'-nucleotidase – an enzyme hydrolyzing ribo- and deoxyribonucleoside-5'-monophosphates. The most important product of 5'-nucleotidase activity is adenosine. This enzyme is, in fact, involved in most aspects of normal physiology, along with numerous pathological processes. The article discusses the role of the enzyme in pregnancy, its involvement in early post-implantation development, proliferation, migration/invasion, trophoblast differentiation, decidualization, angiogenesis, vasculogenesis, modulation of cell growth during embryonic development, regulation of hemodynamics, and control of myometrial contractions. A large section of this review is dedicated to the contribution of 5'-nucleotidase to the development of gestational complications, such as preeclampsia. We conducted our study via searching through various databases until October 30, 2021, using the following keywords: 5'-nucleotidase, adenosine, pregnancy, and the combinations of those. All reviewed articles were published in English.