BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Prenatal exposure to asymptomatic doses of domoic acid (DA) causes learning and memory deficits later in life; therefore, we sought to measure distribution of DA in maternal plasma and brain, prenatal brain, and amniotic fluid 1 hr after exposure, a time frame that normally encompasses acute seizure behavior. METHODS Pregnant rats were given a single intravenous dose...

After the chondrogenic potential of free grafts of perichondrium was shown in several experimental studies, perichondrium has been used to reconstruct cartilage tissue in various clinical situations. This study investigates the effects of human amniotic fluid on neochondrogenesis from free perichondrial grafts in a rabbit model. Since this fluid contains high concentrations of hyaluronic acid, ...

OBJECTIVE Antibiotic administration has become part of the standard of care for patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PROM). Yet, the natural history of intrauterine infection/inflammation during antibiotic therapy remains largely unknown. This study was conducted to determine if antibiotic administration to the mother eradicates intra-amniotic infection and/or reduces the frequ...

195 amniotic fluid samples from the third trimester were examined for their content of myoglobin by means of radio-immunoassay. 151 of the samples were obtained intrapartum, the rest (44) was taken antepartum by transabdominal amniocentesis within one week prior to delivery. Depending on the myoglobin levels measured, different amniotic fluid groups were defined: (A) amniotic fluids containing ...

BACKGROUND Green-stained amniotic fluid does not always indicate that meconium was passed in utero. CASE PRESENTATION We report the case of a 2280-g Hispanic preterm female born at 32 weeks of gestation with congenital jejunal atresia. The amniotic fluid was greenish stained; the initial impression was meconium-stained amniotic fluid. Postnatal findings revealed no meconium in her rectum. The...

Danshen extract has been used in the treatment of oligohydramnios, however, the mechanism of its action has not been elucidated. Previously, we demonstrated that down-regulation of AQP3 in fetal membranes may contribute to the development of oligohydramnios. In this study, we investigated the effects of Danshen extract on AQP3 expression in human amniotic epithelial cells from term pregnancies ...

Objective: To determine the levels and isotypes of aCl, as well as anti beta 2 glycoprotein 1 (antiβ2GP1) antibodies in serum and amniotic fluid of pregnant patients with SLE and/or APLS, and healthy pregnant women serving as a control group. Material and Methods: We analyzed serum and amniotic fluid of pregnant patients with SLE and/or APLS, and of healthy pregnant women through ELISA. Results...

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to investigate neutrophil elastase (NE) in amniotic fluid as a potential marker for predicting pregnancy continuation. MATERIAL AND METHODS We enrolled 34 pregnant women with bulging fetal membrane during the second trimester who underwent emergent cerclage after confirming the absence of intrauterine infection (amniotic fluid glucose ≥15 mg/dL). Amnioti...

Ingestion of amniotic fluid and placenta by rats has been shown to enhance opioid-mediated analgesia. The present studies were designed to examine the effect of several doses and volumes of placenta and amniotic fluid on tail-flick latency in rats treated with 3 mg/kg morphine. The optimal dose of amniotic fluid was found to be 0.25 ml, although 0.50 and 1.0 ml also produced significant enhance...