The mechanisms that ultimately regulate cervical ripening during parturition remain largely unknown. A possible role for nitric oxide (NO) has recently emerged; however, the expression of NO synthase (NOS) within the human cervix in the ripening process has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to identify cell types in the human cervix that contain NOS isoforms and to examine changes in their expression during the ripening process and the nonpregnant state. Inducible NOS (iNOS) immunoreactivity was observed in the epithelial cells and stromal spindle cells in 17 of 20 biopsies from cervices obtained within 10 min postpartum, but in only 4 of 12 nonpregnant controls (p = 0.03). Endothelial NOS (eNOS) immunoreactivity was restricted to vascular endothelia in all sections, whereas neuronal NOS was not detectable. Inducible NOS activity in the postpartum group was 3.2 times that of the control group (p = 0.0005), whereas constitutive NOS activity remained unchanged in both groups (p = 0.222). Competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed no differences in the expression of iNOS (p = 0.443) or eNOS mRNA (p = 0.409). The existence of iNOS in the human postpartum cervix suggests that increased production of NO, probably induced by cytokines, may be relevant to the process of natural cervical ripening in humans.
The infection rate in women without clinical symptoms of HPV infection is high, but there was no HPV found in the amniotic fluid and in cord blood in women with subclinical infection in the third trimester.
Both methadone and morphine are suitable maintenance agents for pregnant opiate addicts. Maintenance agents that result in a less prolonged NAS should be studied in further trials.
Both procedures offer a high rate of success. We believe that the sling surgery should be used only in certain special cases because of its higher rate of complications, but that posterior vaginal repair should be considered after modified Burch colposuspension because of the possibility of rectocele and enterocele.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.