Rat Relaxin (RLN) ELISA Kit

Built around a competitive immunoassay architecture, this Assay Genie kit quantifies rat relaxin (RLN) in research samples by letting unlabeled hormone in the specimen compete with a labeled relaxin conjugate for binding to an immobilized antibody. This format is particularly suited to detecting small peptide hormones like relaxin, where the target itself is too small to be captured by a sandwich pair of antibodies. The assay uses a colorimetric readout, allowing quantification on a standard microplate reader.

Rat relaxin (RLN) is a peptide hormone best known for its role in parturition, where it promotes ligament relaxation and cervical ripening, and it also acts on the cardiovascular system, connective tissue, and reproductive tract. Researchers studying reproductive biology, gestational physiology, or hormonal regulation in rodent models use RLN measurement to track circulating hormone levels across pregnancy stages, ovariectomy models, or hormone replacement experiments. The peptide has also been linked to cardiac protection, fibrosis modulation, and remodeling of extracellular matrix in non-pregnant contexts, broadening the kit's relevance beyond reproductive studies.

The kit arrives in a 96-assay microplate configuration and includes the precoated plate, relaxin standards, detection reagents, wash buffer, substrate solution, and stop reagent. Each run is processed in standard incubation steps with washes between reagent additions, and the developed color intensity is inversely proportional to the relaxin concentration in the sample. Sufficient reagents are provided to generate a full standard curve alongside unknowns run in duplicate on the supplied plate, and the workflow is compatible with most automated plate washers commonly found in endocrinology and physiology laboratories.

Before use, components should be equilibrated to room temperature and stored according to the enclosed insert, and prepared samples should be handled in line with standard practices for rat-derived liquid specimens, including aliquoting to avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles that can degrade peptide hormones. The procedure is intended for research use only and supports studies in reproductive endocrinology, gestational biology, maternal-fetal physiology, and peptide hormone signaling in rat models of disease.