Use of methergine for the prevention of postoperative endometritis in non-elective cesarean section patients.

OBJECTIVE: Methergine increases constriction of uterine musculature which may facilitate sloughing of endometrial debris, close uterine vessels, and prevent post-cesarean endometritis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of methergine in preventing endometritis in patients undergoing non-elective cesarean section delivery. METHODS: Eighty patients undergoing non-elective cesarean section were enrolled in a prospective randomized clinical trial of methergine (41) versus no methergine (39) administration during the postpartum period. The hospital records were abstracted after discharge to compare the postpartum course. RESULTS: There were no significant demographic differences between the two groups. The women receiving methergine had a significant reduction in the rate of postoperative endometritis (10% vs. 36%, P < 0.005). In addition, the mean postoperative hemoglobin was significantly higher in the methergine treated group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The use of methergine postpartum in women undergoing non-elective cesarean sections significantly reduces the incidence of postoperative endometritis and blood loss

Expression of ABC Efflux Transporters in Placenta from Women with Insulin-Managed Diabetes

Drug efflux transporters in the placenta can significantly influence the materno-fetal transfer of a diverse array of drugs and other xenobiotics. To determine if clinically important drug efflux transporter expression is altered in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM-I) or type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM-I), we compared the expression of multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1), multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) and the breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) via western blotting and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in samples obtained from insulin-managed diabetic pregnancies to healthy term-matched controls. At the level of mRNA, we found significantly increased expression of MDR1 in the GDM-I group compared to both the T1DM-I (p<0.01) and control groups (p<0.05). Significant changes in the placental protein expression of MDR1, MRP2, and BCRP were not detected (p>0.05). Interestingly, there was a significant, positive correlation observed between plasma hemoglobin A1c levels (a retrospective marker of glycemic control) and both BCRP protein expression (r = 0.45, p<0.05) and BCRP mRNA expression (r = 0.58, p<0.01) in the insulin-managed DM groups. Collectively, the data suggest that the expression of placental efflux transporters is not altered in pregnancies complicated by diabetes when hyperglycemia is managed; however, given the relationship between BCRP expression and plasma hemoglobin A1c levels it is plausible that their expression could change in poorly managed diabetes