Human Reproduction, Vol 12, 2093-2101, Copyright © 1997 by Oxford University Press
K Chwalisz, S Shao-Qing, RE Garfield and HM Beier
In humans cervical ripening is an inflammatory reaction accompanied by an
infiltration of white blood cells and the remodelling of the extracellular
matrix. Similar changes occur in guinea-pigs during cervical ripening.
Nitric oxide (NO) is thought to be important in the maintenance of
pregnancy because it is synthesized by the uterus and inhibits
contractility. Previous studies in rats also demonstrated that an NO
generating system is present in the cervix and is up-regulated during
labour. We studied the local effect of the NO donor sodium nitroprusside
(SNP) on cervical ripening in guinea-pigs during advanced pregnancy. SNP (5
mg/injection) was administered into the cervical canal in 0.2 ml
phosphate-buffered saline containing 3% hydroxycellulose twice a day either
for 1 [on day 42 post coitum (p.c.)] or 2 consecutive days (days 42-43
p.c.; term day 67 + 3 p.c.). The effects were assessed 24 h after treatment
by both extensibility measurements (force resistance to incremental
stretch) and morphological evaluation (light and electron microscopy after
in-situ fixation). The control animals were treated with the vehicle. In
another experiment, the guinea-pigs were subcutaneously (s.c.) treated on
day 43 p.c. with either the progesterone antagonist onapristone (3 and 10
mg/animal s.c.) or with prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) (1 and 3 mg/animal s.c.)
and the PGE2 analogue sulprostone (0.03 and 0.1 mg/animal s.c.). The
cervical extensibility was measured 24 h later. One-day SNP treatment
tended to reduce cervical resistance, but not significantly, whereas 2 day
treatment with SNP led to a significant increase in cervical extensiblity
(P < 0.05) with little effect on cervical dilatation (indirect evidence
of the absence of uterine contractions). The effects on cervical resistance
were comparable to those achieved with 10 mg onapristone and high-dose
prostaglandins (PG)s (3 mg PGE2 and 0.1 mg sulprostone) treatment. An
electron microscope study of the SNP-treated animals revealed a dissolution
of collagen fibres, stromal oedema, arterial dilatation, and the
infiltration of macrophages, lymphocytes and granulocytes. Numerous mast
cells were also present. The morphological effects of SNP were similar to
those observed during normal cervical ripening at term. We conclude that
the local application of a NO donor effectively induces cervical ripening
without inducing labour in pregnant guinea-pigs.
ARTICLES
Cervical ripening in guinea-pigs after a local application of nitric oxide
Research Laboratories of Schering AG, Berlin, Germany.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. J Wentz, S.-Q. Shi, L. Shi, S. A Salama, H. M Harirah, H. Fouad, R. E Garfield, and A. Al-Hendy Treatment with an inhibitor of catechol-O-methyltransferase activity reduces preterm birth and impedes cervical resistance to stretch in pregnant rats Reproduction, December 1, 2007; 134(6): 831 - 839. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Vaisanen-Tommiska, R. Butzow, O. Ylikorkala, and T. S. Mikkola Mifepristone-induced nitric oxide release and expression of nitric oxide synthases in the human cervix during early pregnancy Hum. Reprod., August 1, 2006; 21(8): 2180 - 2184. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. G. Marx, M. J. Wentz, L. B. MacKay, D. Schlembach, H. Maul, C. Fittkow, R. Given, Y. Vedernikov, G. R. Saade, and R. E. Garfield Effects of Progesterone on iNOS, COX-2, and Collagen Expression in the Cervix J. Histochem. Cytochem., June 1, 2006; 54(6): 623 - 639. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
I Z MacKenzie Induction of labour at the start of the new millennium. Reproduction, June 1, 2006; 131(6): 989 - 998. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G. Chiossi, G. Verocchi, P. Venturini, and F. Facchinetti Changes in Cervical Nitric Oxide Concentration Correlate With Bishop Score and Cervical Length Modifications in Prostaglandin E2-Mediated Induction of Labor Reproductive Sciences, April 1, 2006; 13(3): 203 - 208. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C.C.W. Chan, O.S. Tang, E.H.Y. Ng, C.F. Li, and P.C. Ho Intracervical sodium nitroprusside versus vaginal misoprostol in first trimester surgical termination of pregnancy: a randomized double-blinded controlled trial Hum. Reprod., March 1, 2005; 20(3): 829 - 833. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Vaisanen-Tommiska, T. S. Mikkola, and O. Ylikorkala Increased Release of Cervical Nitric Oxide in Spontaneous Abortion before Clinical Symptoms: A Possible Mechanism for Preabortal Cervical Ripening J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., November 1, 2004; 89(11): 5622 - 5626. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. Piccinini, R. A. Fano, A. Volpe, and F. Facchinetti Ripening of the Cervix With Sodium Nitroprusside in Nonpregnant Women Reproductive Sciences, October 1, 2003; 10(7): 438 - 442. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Iwahashi, Y. Muragaki, A. Ooshima, and N. Umesaki Decreased Type I Collagen Expression in Human Uterine Cervix during Pregnancy J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., May 1, 2003; 88(5): 2231 - 2235. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. J. McKeown and J. R. G. Challis Regulation of 15-Hydroxy Prostaglandin Dehydrogenase by Corticotrophin-Releasing Hormone through a Calcium-Dependent Pathway in Human Chorion Trophoblast Cells J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., April 1, 2003; 88(4): 1737 - 1741. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Yoshida, N. Sagawa, H. Itoh, S. Yura, D. Korita, K. Kakui, N. Hirota, T. Sato, A. Ito, and S. Fujii Nitric oxide increases matrix metalloproteinase-1 production in human uterine cervical fibroblast cells Mol. Hum. Reprod., October 1, 2001; 7(10): 979 - 985. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Bao, J. Rai, and J. Schreiber Brain Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression Is Enhanced in the Human Cervix in Labor Reproductive Sciences, May 1, 2001; 8(3): 158 - 164. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M.-A. Ledingham, A. J. Thomson, A. Young, L. M. Macara, I. A. Greer, and J. E. Norman Changes in the expression of nitric oxide synthase in the human uterine cervix during pregnancy and parturition Mol. Hum. Reprod., November 1, 2000; 6(11): 1041 - 1048. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. Facchinetti, F. Piccinini, and A. Volpe Chemical ripening of the cervix with intracervical application of sodium nitroprusside: a randomized controlled trial Hum. Reprod., October 1, 2000; 15(10): 2224 - 2227. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. M. Tiboni and F. Giampietro Inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis causes preterm delivery in the mouse Hum. Reprod., August 1, 2000; 15(8): 1838 - 1842. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. Shi, S.-Q. Shi, G. R. Saade, K. Chwalisz, and R. E. Garfield Studies of cervical ripening in pregnant rats: effects of various treatments Mol. Hum. Reprod., April 1, 2000; 6(4): 382 - 389. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Naghashpour and G. Dahl Sensitivity of myometrium to CGRP varies during mouse estrous cycle and in response to progesterone Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, March 1, 2000; 278(3): C561 - C569. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M.-A. Ledingham, F. C. Denison, R. W. Kelly, A. Young, and J. E. Norman Nitric oxide donors stimulate prostaglandin F2{alpha} and inhibit thromboxane B2 production in the human cervix during the first trimester of pregnancy Mol. Hum. Reprod., October 1, 1999; 5(10): 973 - 982. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M.-A. Ledingham, F. C. Denison, S. C. Riley, and J. E. Norman Matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9 and their inhibitors are produced by the human uterine cervix but their secretion is not regulated by nitric oxide donors Hum. Reprod., August 1, 1999; 14(8): 2089 - 2096. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Manabe, T. Hata, T. Yanagihara, M. Hashimoto, Y. Yamada, S. Irikoma, S. Aoki, S. Masumura, and K. Miyazaki Nitric oxide synthesis is increased after dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate administration in term human pregnancy Hum. Reprod., August 1, 1999; 14(8): 2116 - 2119. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 W. Tschugguel, C. Schneeberger, H. Lass, F. Stonek, M. B. Zaghlula, K. Czerwenka, C. Schatten, A. Kaider, P. Husslein, and J. C. Huber Human Cervical Ripening Is Associated with an Increase in Cervical Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression Biol Reprod, June 1, 1999; 60(6): 1367 - 1372. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. M. Belayet, N. Kanayama, S. Khatun, N. Tokunaga, M. Sugimura, M. Yamashita, T. Kobayashi, and T. Terao Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate promotes hyaluronic acid-induced cervical ripening in rabbits Hum. Reprod., May 1, 1999; 14(5): 1361 - 1367. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. M. Belayet, N. Kanayama, S. Khatun, K. Sumimoto, T. Kobayashi, and T. Terao Binding of interleukin-8 to heparan sulphate enhances cervical maturation in rabbits Mol. Hum. Reprod., March 1, 1999; 5(3): 261 - 269. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|