Diabetes is a common problem in approximately 7.6% of pregnant women older than 20 years in Brazil. Results from human and rodent diabetic experimental models have suggested that the placenta is a compromised target, which largely suffers the impact of maternal diabetes. In view of the importance of diabetes for maternal and neonatal health, the objective of the present study was to assess mate...

Introduction: Considering the importance of uterine contractions in uterus retraction and reducing post-partum hemorrhage and the current findings on the effect of the alcoholic extract of pomegranate seed on the uterine contractility, only few studies were made on this issue. In the present study the cumulative effect of the aqueous extract of pomegranate seed on the uterine smooth muscle c...

Sialomucin complex (SMC/rat Muc4) is a heterodimeric glycoprotein complex composed of an anti-adhesive mucin subunit ascites sialoglycoprotein (ASGP)-1 and a transmembrane subunit ASGP-2. SMC expression is tightly regulated in the uterus, and its expression appears to block blastocyst implantation. Expression is controlled by steroid hormone levels in the uterine luminal epithelium, but not the...

A chronic reduction in uterine perfusion pressure in the pregnant rat is associated with significant elevations in mean arterial pressure, proteinuria, and reductions in kidney function as is chronic nitric oxide blockade, suggesting that nitric oxide deficiency may contribute to the clinical manifestations of preeclampsia. The purpose of this study was to determine whether supplementation with...

It has previously been reported that uterine nitric oxide (NO) production is enhanced during rat pregnancy compared to non-pregnant, labouring or postpartum states. The present hypothesis is that these changes in uterine NO production during pregnancy are caused by the interplay of oestrogen and progesterone. It is further postulated that changes in cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) product...

Crude papaya latex (CPL) and its proteinases, papain (PPN) and chymopapain (CPN). are strong uterine eontractants. The current study was carried out to examine possible mechanisms of the uterine stimulating activity of the proteinases. Inaetivation of the enzymatic activity of papaya proteinases reversibly abolished their uterinestimulating effect, suggesting that enzymatic activity of the prot...