Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF ) Freely available
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (6)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Lemancewicz, A.
Right arrow Articles by Batra, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Lemancewicz, A.
Right arrow Articles by Batra, S.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Human Reproduction, Vol. 15, No. 9, 2018-2022, September 2000
© 2000 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Permeability of fetal membranes to calcium and magnesium: possible role in preterm labour

Adam Lemancewicz1, Halina Laudanska2, Tadeusz Laudanski1, Aleksy Karpiuk3 and Satish Batra4,5

1 Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2 Department of Dermatology, Bialystok Medical University, Poland, 3 Technical University, Bialystok, Poland and 4 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden

Calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) are co-factors in the synthetic activity of a variety of enzymes and in the secretory process. Both the binding to fetal membranes and the diffusion through the membranes of these two cations could be important factors in the synthesis and/or action of prostaglandins and generation of nitric oxide (NO) which are believed to regulate myometrial activity particularly for the induction of labour. In the present study, the permeability to Ca2+ and Mg2+ of chorioamniotic membranes obtained from women who had undergone term or preterm labour was examined. Diffusion of Ca2+ and Mg2+ were measured using a system of Plexiglas chambers separated by the mounted fetal membrane. Permeability of Mg2+ and Ca2+ through fetal membranes was calculated using non-linear regression analysis. The data show highly significant differences in the diffusion of Ca2+ and Mg2+ across fetal membranes between preterm and term labour. Transport coefficient K for Ca2+ was 0.203 h–1 and 0.0223 h–1 in term and preterm labour respectively. The corresponding values for Mg2+ were –0.017 h–1 and 0.051 h–1 respectively. It is proposed that a considerable reduction in Ca2+ available to myometrium and placenta would result in down-regulation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and thereby a reduction in NO production. This together with an effect on intracellular Ca2+ transport resulting from a reduced availability of Mg2+ would lead to increased myometrial activity in preterm labour.

Key words: calcium/fetal membranes/magnesium/permeability

To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital, S-221 85 Lund, Sweden. E-mail: Satish.Batra{at}gyn.lu.se


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 NEJMHome page
H. N. Simhan and S. N. Caritis
Prevention of Preterm Delivery
N. Engl. J. Med., August 2, 2007; 357(5): 477 - 487.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.