The concentrations of cefotiam dihydrochloride (CTM) in maternal and fetal blood and in amniotic fluid were determined by bioassay in 38 women at parturition. With an intravenous infusion of 1 g of CTM, the decline in concentration of CTM in maternal blood was biphasic; CTM was not detectable at 6 h after administration. Peak levels of CTM in umbilical cord blood (13.0 to 23.9 micrograms/ml) w...

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...

Cervical ripening is as important part of the process of labor induction. While other mechanical methods are available, such as extra-amniotic saline infusion [1] and the use of osmotic dilators and double-balloon catheters, an obstetrical single balloon is commonly used to facilitate ripening of the cervix [2]. It is widely used because it is relatively safe and has few adverse effects. Single...

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is an important regulator of fetal growth, and circulating concentrations are reduced in intrauterine growth-restricted (IUGR) fetuses. We investigated whether IGF-I administered into amniotic fluid could ameliorate IUGR in fetal sheep. Fetuses were assigned to control (n = 9), IUGR+saline (n = 12), or IUGR+IGF-I groups (daily intra-amniotic IGF-I injections...

The fetal lung normally contains immature monocytes and very few mature macrophages. The chorioamnionitis frequently associated with preterm birth induces monocyte influx into the fetal lung. Previous studies demonstrated that monocytes in the developing lung can mediate lung injury responses that resemble BPD in humans. We hypothesized that chorioamnionitis would induce maturation of immature ...

1. The effect of oral administration of an inhibitor of prostaglandin synthetase, indomethacin, on the natriuresis induced by the infusion of sodium chloride (saline) was studied in 11 healthy volunteers. 2. The administration of indomethacin did not alter sodium excretion before saline infusion, but it resulted in a significant increase of the natriuresis after saline infusion. This increase w...

1. Case description A 23-year-old nulliparous woman was referred for fetal level II sonography owing to abnormal ultrasound findings, including skeletal anomalies and oligohydramnios at 20 weeks of gestation. Detailed evaluation of the fetus was difficult due to the absence of amniotic fluid. Thus, we infused normal saline into the amniotic cavity after amniocentesis for fetal karyotyping and f...