Current evidence suggests that amniotic fluid volume (AFV) is actively regulated by vesicular transport of amniotic fluid outward across the amnion and into the underlying fetal vasculature in the placenta. Our objective was to determine whether gene expression profiles of potential stimulators, inhibitors, and mediators of vesicular transport are altered in response to changes in intramembrano...

Smad5 is an intracellular mediator of bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) signalling. It is essential for primordial germ cell (PGC) development, for the development of the allantois and for amnion closure, as demonstrated by loss of Bmp signalling. By contrast, the appearance of ectopic PGC-like cells and regionalized ectopic vasculogenesis and haematopoiesis in thickened Smad5(m1/m1) amnion are ...

The amnion rupture sequence is a heterogeneous group of congenital deformities in which rupture of the amnion occurs early in gestation. Fragments of the amnion may adhere to, or encircle and constrict, embryonic parts. This may interrupt normal morphogenesis and cause deformity or even mutilation of formed structures; large cranial defects are a common feature. In contrast to other causes of c...

The mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are derived from the mesoderm, are considered as a readily available source for tissue engineering. They have multipotent differentiation capacity and can be differentiated into various cell types. Many studies have demonstrated that the MSCs identified from amniotic membrane (AM-MSCs) and amniotic fluid (AF-MSCs) are shows advantages for many reasons, i...

Increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 proteolytic activity is associated with term birth, preterm birth and premature rupture of membranes. However, most studies show no changes with MMP-2, which binds tightly to cell and matrix proteins. We hypothesized better protein extraction would reveal new MMP patterns. Human amnion and chorion were collected from 25 patients at preterm or term, ext...