Effects of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, a major lipid peroxidation-derived aldehyde, and N-acetylcysteine on the cyclooxygenase-2 expression in human uterine myometrium.

Background: Chorioamnionitis is one of the important causes of preterm labor. Preterm labor with chorioamnionitis is associated with oxidative stress. We reported that 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), a major end product of oxidative fatty acid metabolism, is accumulated in the placenta with chorioamnionitis.

Calcineurin/NFAT pathway: a novel regulator of parturition.

Problem: The oxytocin (OT)-oxytocin receptor (OTR) system plays an important role in mammalian parturition. However, we found OTR-deficient (OTRKO) mice are fertile and deliver at term without birth defects, thus alternative pathways inducing parturition can be hypothesized.

Methods Of Study: We tested the gene expression profile of OTRKO mice using suppressive subtractive hybridization, and focused on the calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) pathway.

Prospective study of non-closure or closure of the peritoneum at cesarean delivery in 124 women: Impact of prior peritoneal closure at primary cesarean on the interval time between first cesarean section and the next pregnancy and significant adhesion at second cesarean.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of non-closure of the peritoneum at cesarean delivery on postoperative complications and the interval time to the next pregnancy, and to investigate the incidence of adhesion following cesarean and the association between adhesion formation and peritoneal closure.

Methods: One hundred and twenty four women scheduled for cesarean section were randomized to either closure of both the visceral and parietal peritoneum (C-group, n = 70) or non-closure (NC-group, n = 54). At repeated cesarean, the levels and extent of adhesion, operating time, and any complications were examined.

Simple and highly efficient method for transient in vivo gene transfer to mid-late pregnant mouse uterus.

Up- and down-regulation of various genes in the placenta, decidua and amnion has been reported during the mid-late period of pregnancy and in pregnancy-related complications, such as preeclampsia and preterm labor. However, whether this gene regulation at the feto-maternal interface directly influences the physiology/pathophysiology of disease remains unknown. In order to study this problem, transient gene transfer into the pregnant uterus at mid-late term would be a useful tool.

MR imaging evaluation of postmenopausal adnexal masses: correlation with final pathologic diagnosis.

Objective: Adoption of transvaginal ultrasound in usual clinical settings allowed us to find asymptomatic adnexal masses more frequently in postmenopausal women. These masses were traditionally considered as the indication of surgical excision to determine histological diagnosis. Recently, if the appearance of that is simple cyst, conservative management may be acceptable because ultrasound benign diagnosis is proved to be reasonably reliable.