[Establishment of multiple quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction assay and its application in rapid prenatal diagnosis of common chromosome aneuploidies].

Objective: To establish the multiple quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR) assay and evaluate its clinical application in prenatal diagnosis.

Methods: Totally 170 samples were collected between May 2008 and July 2009 in prenatal center of Peking Union Medical College Hospital; 123 of them were amniotic fluid, 9 were chorionic villous samples, 20 were fetal blood and 18 were villi from aborted fetuses. All samples were from women of Han nationality, with mean age of (34.

[Influence of dexamethasone on expression of 11beta-HSD2 in primary cultured cytotrophoblasts from human preterm placenta].

Objective: To study the influence of dexamethasone (DEX) on the expression of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11beta-HSD2) in primary cultured cytotrophoblasts from human preterm placenta.

Methods: Placenta villous cytotrophoblasts from preterm birth were cultured with the protocol of enzymatic dissociation and tissue incubation method. After isolation and identification, cytotrophoblasts were treated with the repeated administration of DEX (100 nmol/L), or DEX-RU486 (1 micromol/L) for 7 days, in which DEX was not added into the culture at 4th day.

[Effect of N-acetylcysteine on lipopolysaccharide induced preterm labor in mice].

Objective: To test the effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on the mice with infection associated preterm labor.

Methods: The pregnant C57BL/6 mice were randomly distributed into five groups, each with 20 mice and were given lipopolysaccharide (LPS), saline solution (NS), NAC, LPS+NAC (therapy), and NAC+ LPS (prevention) respectively. The LPS (20 microg) was injected intraperitoneally to the mice every 12 hours since day 16 of gestation to induce preterm labor.