Biological research in pregnancy and perinatology最新文献

The tissue levels of copper, iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium in lactating rat dams from the day of parturition to the post-weaning period have been studied. The data obtained suggests that the metallic status of the dams is well maintained during lactation despite the heavy losses through the milk to their pups. In this period, the dam is also able to refill her own tissue metal stores, partly depleted during pregnancy, probably through higher intake/retention of the metals from the diet.

Two-thirds of women in late pregnancy in standing position show marked cyclic accelerations in heart rate with concomitant increase in the uterine activity. As the regulating mechanism of these contractions has not been investigated the aim of the present study is to see if variations in the concentrations of peripheral venous circulating hormones could account for the accelerations of the heart rate and the uterine contractions. In four healthy pregnant women, 25 to 27 years old and in the 33rd-38th weeks of gestation, and in three healthy nonpregnant women, 29 to 30 years old, venous blood was intermittently collected from a cubital vein. The women were investigated in the left lateral as well as in the standing postures. The plasma concentrations of norepinephrine (NE), prostaglandin E2(PGE2), prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha), 6-k-prostaglandin F1 alpha (6-k-PGF1 alpha) thromboxane B2 (TxB2), aldosterone (A), and the plasma renin activity (PRA) were measured by specific and sensitive assays. Significant differences in level and dynamics of the various substances were found between pregnant and nonpregnant subjects. However, no correlation could be found between the fluctuations in the concentration of hormones and heart rate accelerations and the occurrence of uterine contractions, respectively. Local changes of these substances in the uterus may not be reflected in the peripheral venous blood. Therefore our measurements can neither prove nor disprove the hypothesis that these hormonal substances are involved in the regulatory mechanism of uterine contractions occurring in standing.

Amniotic fluid obtained from normal full term gestation inhibited the growth of E. coli, Staph. aureus and B. subtilis, while Ps. aeruginosa, Str. faecalis and Str. agalactiae proliferated readily in amniotic fluid. But when amniotic fluid was heated at 100 degrees C for 5 minutes, its antibacterial activity was completely lost. The levels of transferrin and lysozyme in amniotic fluid at term were determined to be 29.1 +/- 17.6 mg/100 ml (n = 90) and 19.1 +/- 8.3 micrograms/ml (n = 145), respectively. Antibacterial activity against E. coli was restored by adding transferrin into heat-treated amniotic fluid at a concentration of 250 mg/100 ml or higher, but simultaneous addition of transferrin and sufficient concentration of iron to form a transferrin-iron complex resulted in the loss of antibacterial activities. When lysozyme was added to the amniotic fluid, which had lost its antibacterial activity through exposure to heat, the antibacterial effect on B. subtilis was restored. The growth of Staph. aureus in heat-treated amniotic fluid was inhibited by the concomitant addition of lysozyme and aminobenzyl penicillin.

In diabetic patients, the correlation between glycosilated adult hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and average glucose concentration over the preceding weeks is well known. We have, therefore, sought the possibility to identify newborns at risk measuring cord blood levels of fetal glycosilated hemoglobin (HbF1) in neonates of diabetic mothers. HbF1 was tested by the isoelectrofocusing method. Mean values of HbF1 have been proven to be higher in in infants born to diabetic mothers as compared to normal newborns. The highest levels were encountered in those babies whose mothers had shown a poor glycemic control during the last few weeks of pregnancy.

In 7 pregnant hypertensive patients the elimination half-life of propranolol was enhanced to 6.1 +/- 1.2 h in comparison to 4.4 +/- 0.4 in 9 nonpregnant females. In 8 out of 11 pregnant hypertensive patients in the 29th week of gestation treated with 90 mg phenobarbital daily for at least 7 days before starting propranolol therapy, the half-life of propranolol was 3.1 +/- 0.4 h only. This significant difference between pregnant women with and without phenobarbital pretreatment is discussed as enzyme induction by phenobarbital.

There have been many attempts to develop a test which can detect a pregnancy between the time of fertilization and the time of implantation. The subject of this review is Morton's "early pregnancy factor", a complex immunological phenomenon which is said to become positive within hours of fertilization. However, many workers have been unable to reproduce these findings and the experimental methods have been severely criticized. Substantial further work is needed before a test of this type can be regarded as suitable for routine clinical practice, if indeed it will ever be possible.

A study on the prevalence of seropositivity to T.gondii, Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus and Herpes simplex virus (type 1 and type 2) was carried out in pregnant women aged 15-45 years. An overall prevalence of 40.7% to T.gondii, of 90.1% to Rubella virus, of 80.8% to Cytomegalovirus, of 82.3% and of 69% to Herpes simplex virus, respectively type 1 and type 2 was found. Cytomegalovirus infection was prevalent in women from low socioeconomic background. Herpes simplex 1 infection was higher in women living in quarters of high density population, whereas antibody prevalence to Rubella virus was higher in women from high socioeconomic setting. The expected fetal risk for T.gondii, Rubella and Cytomegalovirus infections has been assessed on the basis of the yearly seroconversion rate for each pathogen in the study population and of the known transplacental transmission rates after primary and recurrent infection in pregnancy. Thus, the expected incidence of congenital T.gondii infection in this geographic area is 0.2-0.3%, of congenital Rubella infection of 0.02% and of congenital Cytomegalovirus infection of 0.3-1.15%.

Two metal-binding proteins, designated as PI and PII, were isolated and purified from normal term human placentas by gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. The molecular weights were determined to be 10,000 and 12,000 daltons, and isoelectric points (pI) were 4.8 and 5.9, respectively. The amino acid composition of these proteins was quite different from that of metallothionein. Total amount of acidic amino acid residues was in large excess over that of basic amino acid residues. Cadmium and zinc were the major metals bound to these proteins. The metal contents of cadmium and zinc in placental tissue were 39.34 and 22.23 ng/g placenta, respectively, as measured by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The in vitro translated metal-binding proteins encoded by the corresponding mRNA were characterized by the purified rabbit antiserum against PI and PII. The demonstrated presence of these metal-binding proteins in human placenta suggests its possible role of detoxification activity and protective effect to the fetuses in utero.

The maternal uric acid (MUA) and neonatal uric acid (NUA) levels were measured simultaneously at parturition in three groups of pregnancies: group I - 83 cases of normal pregnancies, group II - 7 cases of mild gestosis and group III - 12 cases of severe gestosis, totaling 102 cases. Umbilical venous blood samples were taken in all of the cases. Maternal venous blood samples were obtained from 69 patients in group I, 6 cases in group II, and 12 cases in group III. The correlation coefficients of MUA and NUA values were 0.90, 0.91, and 0.95 (all p less than 0.01) in the three groups, respectively, and 0.93 in total series (p less than 0.0001). The high correlation and minimal concentration difference between MUA and NUA in either normal or gestosis suggested free transfer of uric acid via placenta in both directions. Moreover, not only MUA but also NUA levels were significantly different among normal and gestosis groups, and both MUA and NUA showed higher levels in accordance with the severity of gestosis. Both MUA and NUA had negative correlation with birth weight (BW), one-minute apgar score (AS-1) and five-minute apgar score (AS-5). It implied that the uric acid levels at parturition might provide as a reference index for fetal outcome in pregnancy with gestosis.