Experiments were performed to determine the effect of amniotic fluid dilution on the rate of intramembranous absorption. Seven fetal sheep at 118 days gestation were instrumented with a shunt between the trachea and esophagus and arterial and venous vascular catheters. In addition, the urachus of the fetal bladder was ligated, and a catheter was placed in the bladder. Ligation of the urachus do...

Fetal fluid was studied in mice of the Q, C57BL/McL, C3H/Bi/McL and JU/Fa strains. The amount increases to day 16 of gestation, and then decreases. Amniotic fluid and fetal plasma contain three transferrins, five alpha-fetoproteins and albumin. Protein concentration in both increases during gestation; glucose decreases in amniotic fluid although it rises in fetal plasms; urea levels remain cons...

background: cadmium is an extremely toxic metal with ubiquitous environmental distribution. cadmium is a potent reproductive and developmental toxic agent, and intensive environmental exposure to this substance has been reported among the residents of tehran. in this study, we investigated the correlation between amniotic fluid cadmium levels and the risk of preeclampsia, prematurity and low bi...

Amniotic fluid volume during mid-to-late gestation depends mainly on the urine excretion from the foetal kidneys and partly on the fluid secretion from the foetal lungs during foetal breathing-like movements. Urine is necessary for foetal breathing-like movements, which is critical for foetal lung development. Bilateral renal agenesis and/or obstruction of the urinary tract lead to oligohydramn...

Feto-fetal transfusion syndrome is a pathological process unique to diamniotic monochorionic pregnancies. It is the consequence of an unbalanced fetal blood flow through communicating vessels within a shared placenta. When it occurs, a polyuric, hypervolemic recipient twin co-exists with a hypovolemic oliguric donor. The presence of polyhydramnios or oligohydramnios is considered a poor prognos...

Previous studies by our group as well as other researchers have found expression of Aquaporins (AQPs) 1, 3, 8, and 9 in human chorioamniotic membranes and placenta. Our previous study found that the alteration of the expression of AQPs 1, 3, 8, and 9 in placenta and fetal membranes was an adaptive response to maintain amniotic fluid homeostasis in case of abnormal amniotic fluid volume, which i...