Local vaginal bioelectrical impedance can predict preterm delivery in mice.

Preterm birth is a serious pregnancy complication that affects neonatal mortality, morbidity, and long-term neurological prognosis. Predicting spontaneous preterm delivery (PTD) is important for its management. While excluding the risk of PTD is important, identifying women at high risk of PTD is imperative for medical intervention.

Vaginal bioelectrical impedance determines uterine receptivity in mice.

Study Question: Can vaginal bioelectrical impedance (VZ) electrophysiologically determine alterations of the endometrium in preparation for implantation?

Summary Answer: VZ can electrophysiologically detect the sulfation and sialylation changes in the uterine glycocalyx in preparation for implantation.

What Is Known Already: Uterine receptivity is associated with various glycosylation changes that affect negative charge density at the luminal epithelial cell surface. VZ has been used to monitor the oestrous cycle.

Prediction of pregnancy after frozen-thawed embryo transfer via in vivo intrauterine oxidation-reduction potential measurements: a pilot study.

Purpose: During the implantation period, the uterus goes through many complex, orchestrated changes, including alterations of the glycocalyx that are due to sialylation, sulfation, and fucosylation. A previous mouse study showed that the in vivo intrauterine oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) aided in determining the alterations in the uterine endometrium that are suitable for implantation and for evaluating prospective uterine receptivity, while the in vivo intrauterine pH did not. It was assessed if the in vivo intrauterine ORP could be a useful parameter to predict pregnancy in women.

Prospective evaluation of uterine receptivity in mice.

In current infertility treatments it is necessary to evaluate uterine receptivity in each menstrual cycle. During the implantation period, the uterus goes through many complex orchestrated changes, including changes to the glycocalyx. The changes to the glycocalyx are due to sialylation, sulfation and fucosylation.

Effects of 3-h hypothermia after neonatal hyperthermic hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in rat models on behavioral prognosis and anatomical and histological features after growth.

Objective: To clarify the effects of 3-h hypothermia on learning ability and motor function after growth, employing neonatal rat models with hyperthermic hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

Methods: We divided all rats into three groups: N (adult rats after neonatal hyperthermic HIE without subsequent 3-h hypothermia), H (adult rats after neonatal hyperthermic HIE with subsequent 3-h hypothermia) and Sham (S) groups. We evaluated their malfunctions with the rota-rod test and the step-down passive avoidance test.

Importance of optimal local uterine blood flow for implantation.

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine whether uterine blood flow is an effective parameter to anticipate uterine receptivity.

Material And Methods: The local uterine blood flow was measured in the endometrium and on the outside of the uterus in mice during the early stage of pregnancy and an implantation failure mouse model using transient and local suppression of signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 activity during implantation.

Results: The local uterine blood flow was dramatically increased after mating and was decreased towards the time of implantation.

In utero diagnosis of long QT syndrome by magnetocardiography.

Background: The electrophysiology of long QT syndrome (LQTS) in utero is virtually unstudied. Our goal here was to evaluate the efficacy of fetal magnetocardiography (fMCG) for diagnosis and prognosis of fetuses at risk of LQTS.

Methods And Results: We reviewed the pre/postnatal medical records of 30 fetuses referred for fMCG because of a family history of LQTS (n=17); neonatal/childhood sudden cardiac death (n=3), or presentation of prenatal LQTS rhythms (n=12): 2° atrioventricular block, ventricular tachycardia, heart rate < 3(rd) percentile.

Effects of a heat- and steam-generating sheet on relieving symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea in young women.

Aim: To test the efficacy of heat- and steam-generating (HSG) sheets for the relief of symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea in young women.

Materials & Methods: Thirty-four female university students were enrolled in this study. HSG sheets generate moist heat to keep the attached body area at 38.

Effect of hypothermia on motor function of adult rats after neonatal hyperthermic hypoxic-ischemic brain insult.

Regarding therapeutic hypothermia for human neonatal hyperthermic hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), we investigated the motor function of a neonatal hyperthermic HIE rat model, and also performed systemic hypothermia using the model. Forty-two neonatal Wistar rats at 7-days-old were used in this study. The left common carotid artery of 34 neonatal rats was ligated under isoflurane anesthesia.

Post-ischemic hypothermia reduced IL-18 expression and suppressed microglial activation in the immature brain.

Inflammation is an important factor for hypoxia-ischemia (HI) brain injury. Interleukin (IL)-18 is a proinflammatory cytokine which may be a contributor to injury in the immature brain after HI. To investigate the effects of post-HI hypothermia on IL-18 in the developing brain, 7-day-old rats were subjected to left carotid artery ligation followed by 8% oxygen for 60 min and divided into a hypothermia group (rectal temperature 32 degrees C for 24 h) and a normothermia group (36 degrees C for 24 h).

[Fetal magnetocardiography].

The electrical activities of the heart causes weak changes of the magnetic field, which can be recorded as magnetocardiogram (MCG). Fetal cardiac magnetic activity is measured in the order of less than 10 pT. An advance of the novel technology of a superconducting quantum interference device enabled the first recording of fetal MCG (FMCG) in 1974.

Long-term neuroprotective effects of hypothermia on neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in rats, assessed by auditory brainstem response.

A method to assess long-term neurofunctional outcome of hypothermia on immature brains has not yet been clearly established. To investigate the effects of hypothermia on long-term neurofunctional outcome, we studied brainstem function using auditory brainstem response in adult rats after neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Seven-day-old rats underwent a combination of left common carotid artery ligation and subsequent exposure to 8% O(2) for 1 h (n = 17).

The coincidence of fetal magnetocardiography and direct electrocardiography in a case of fetal atrial flutter due to intracardiac tumor.

Objective: To demonstrate the coincidence of fetal magnetocardiography (FMCG) and fetal direct electrocardiography (FDECG) in a case of fetal atrial flutter (AF).

Methods: FMCG and FDECG using a fetal scalp electrode were recorded in the case of fetal AF at 41 weeks' gestation.

Results: FMCG revealed fetal AF with 2:1 atrioventricular block, which was also documented by FDECG using a fetal scalp electrode.

Brain activation during whole body cooling in humans studied with functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Regional activation of the brain was studied in humans using functional magnetic resonance imaging during whole body cooling that produced thermal comfort/discomfort. Eight normal male subjects lay in a sleeping bag through which air was blown, exposing subjects to cold air (8 degrees C) for 22 min. Each subject scored their degree of thermal comfort and discomfort every min.

Fos expression induced by warming the preoptic area in rats.

The preoptic area (POA) occupies a crucial position among the structures participating in thermoregulation, but we know little about its efferent projections for controlling various effector responses. In this study, we used an immunohistochemical analysis of Fos expression during local warming of the preoptic area. To avoid the effects of anesthesia or stress, which are known to elicit Fos induction in various brain regions, we used a novel thermode specifically designed for chronic warming of discrete brain structures in freely moving rats.

Apoptosis and related proteins during parturition in prostaglandin F receptor-deficient mice.

This study investigated whether apoptosis and related proteins are involved in parturition by comparative observation of FP-deficient mice without labor and wild type mice with vaginal delivery. We examined the expression of apoptosis, Fas, FasL, active caspase-3 and bcl-2 proteins in the amnion, placenta and decidua. DNA laddering in the amnion, placenta and decidua tissue did not significantly differ between FP-deficient and wild type mice on day 18 of pregnancy.

Prenatal diagnosis of long QT syndrome using magnetocardiography: a case report and review of the literature.

Objectives: To investigate the usefulness of magnetocardiography (MCG) in the prenatal diagnosis of fetal long QT syndrome.

Methods: Fetal MCG was recorded in a case of fetal long QT syndrome suspected in utero. The literature on the prenatal diagnosis of fetal long QT syndrome was also reviewed.

Prenatal diagnosis of fetal complete atrioventricular block with QT prolongation and alternating ventricular pacemakers using multi-channel magnetocardiography and current-arrow maps.

We report a case of fetal complete atrioventricular block (CAVB) with QT prolongation and alternating ventricular pacemakers diagnosed by magentocardiography (MCG). Fetal bradyarrhythmia of around 60 bpm was detected at 30 weeks of gestation. Ultrasonography revealed fetal CAVB without structural cardiac anomalies.

Fetal atrial flutter recorded prenatally by magnetocardiography.

A case of fetal atrial flutter successfully recorded by magnetocardiography (MCG) is reported. Initial ultrasonography revealed frequent fetal atrial extrasystoles at 31 weeks of gestation. Fetal MCG was recorded using a multichannel MCG system at 31, 35 and 38 weeks of gestation.

Thermal regulation and comfort during a mild-cold exposure in young Japanese women complaining of unusual coldness.

We examined body core and skin temperatures and thermal comfort in young Japanese women suffering from unusual coldness (C, n = 6). They were selected by interview asking whether they often felt severe coldness even in an air-conditioned environment (20-26 degrees C) and compared with women not suffering from coldness (N, n = 6). Experiments were conducted twice for each subject: 120-min exposure at 23.