BACKGROUND The increasing prevalence of obesity constitutes a major health problem in obstetrics with implications for feto-maternal growth and wellbeing. This study investigated and compared the contractile properties of umbilical arteries excised from obese women, with those excised from women with a normal body mass index (BMI). METHODS Sections of umbilical artery were obtained from umbil...

The ability of human umbilical endothelial cells to release relaxing substance(s) in response to different agonists was investigated. Endothelium-denuded aortic rings of rats were used for the bioassay and tension recording. After precontraction, this preparation showed no response to histamine, acetylcholine, A 23187, or adenosine triphosphate while serotonin elicited further contraction. Supe...

The atherogenic effect of cigarette smoking is already recognizable in coronary arteries of fetuses in the last gestational weeks. In this study we analyzed the atherogenic effect of mother's and father's smoking habit on coronary arteries and even on adnexa of 30 human fresh fetuses died from 32 to 41 gestational weeks. In 12 cases only the mothers of the victims were cigarette smokers, in 7 c...

BACKGROUND Current theories on the physiology of menstrual bleeding in humans offers an explanation for the shedding of the endometrium as a result of a breakdown of the extracellular matrix due to an inflammatory reaction. The link between the fall in progesterone levels and these events is not clear. Neither has an explanation been presented for the vasoconstriction in the coiled arteries occ...

Hypertension-associated endothelial dysfunction is largely due to the exaggerated vasoconstrictor generation by cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). COX-2 is induced under inflammatory condition. Demethoxycurcumin (DMC) is a major component of Curcuma longa L, which possesses anti-inflammatory action. This study aimed to examine whether DMC protects endothelial function in hypertension by modulating COX-2...

This study was designed to investigate whether calcium-activated potassium channels of small (SK(Ca) or K(Ca)2) and intermediate (IK(Ca) or K(Ca)3.1) conductance activated by 6,7-dichloro-1H-indole-2,3-dione 3-oxime (NS309) are involved in both nitric oxide (NO) and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF)-type relaxation in large and small rat mesenteric arteries. Segments of rat supe...

Objectives: The aim of the study was to establish normative data for pulsatility index (PI), resistive index, and cerebro placental ratio umbilical artery (UA), fetal middle cerebral (MCA) Indian pregnant women in third trimester pregnancy using multiples median percentile reference range. Methods: It a cross-sectional study; carried out at Department Obstetrics Gynaecology Radiology MGM Medica...

The effect of diabetic metabolism on the human vascular wall studied, using the fetal cardiovascular system at birth as an experimental model. The ultrastructure of umbilical arteries from nine newborn children of nonsmoking diabetic mothers (White group D) was compared with that of 30 healthy nonsmokers. Intimal cushions, thickening of the basement membrane often with a multilaminal appearance...

The Stillbirth Collaborative Research Network recently reported on the probable or possible cause of death of 512 stillbirths whose mothers consented to complete postmortem examination [1]. Umbilical cord accidents (UCA) represented 10% of stillbirths [1]. In Caucasians the UCA associated stillbirth rate was 13% and 4% in non-Hispanic black. 9% of stillbirths were due to hypertension and 8% due...