HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by YLIKORKALA, O. Articles by VIINIKKA, L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by YLIKORKALA, O. Articles by VIINIKKA, L.

Maternal Thromboxane, Prostacyclin, and Umbilical Blood Flow in Humans

From the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Oulu, and Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Oulu, Finland

Abstract

The stable hydration products of the vasoconstrictory and proaggregatory thromboxane A₂ and vasodilatory and antiaggregatory prostacyclin, ie, thromboxane B₂ and 6-ketoprostaglandin F_1a, respectively, were measured with radioimmunoassays from 67 women with normal pregnancy, preeclampsia, or other pregnancy complications with the determination of the blood flow in the umbilical vein with the ultrasound method. In addition, the maternal platelets' capacity to release thromboxane B₂ was studied. No relation was seen between these prostanoids and the umbilical blood flow and/or pregnancy complications. Moreover, the concentrations of the prostanoids were similar in women with high (161.1 ± 6.8 mL/minutes/kg of fetal weight, mean±SE, N=33) and low (50.5 ±2.1 mL/minutes/kg, iV=34) umbilical flow. If thromboxane A₂ and prostacyclin regulate the umbilical circulation in the human, they exert this effect locally in the fetoplacental unit, and the changes are not reflected by the levels of their metabolites in the maternal peripheral circulation.