type 2 CRH receptors (CRH-R1 and CRH-R2).

Trophoblast,
amniochorion, and decidua express both CRH-R1 and CRHR2
receptors and several variant receptors (Florio, 2000). Both
CRH and urocortin increase trophoblast ACTH secretion,
supporting an autocrine-paracrine role (Petraglia, 1999). Large
amounts of trophoblast CRH enter maternal blood. That said,
there also is a large concentration of a specific CRH-binding
protein in maternal plasma, and the bound CRH seems to be
biologically inactive.
Other proposed biological roles include induction of smoothmuscle
relaxation in vascular and myometrial tissue and immunosuppression.
The physiological reverse, however, induction
of myometrial contractions, has been proposed for the rising
CRH levels seen near term. One hypothesis