Ex vivo Inhibitory Activity of the Ethanol Root Extract of Senna occidentalis (Labaceae) on Isolated Rat Uterus

The ex vivo activity of the ethanol root extract of Senna occidentalis (Labaceae) on isolated rat uterus was examined in order to determine its potential in the therapy of uterine related pathologies. The ethanol root extract of S. occidentalis was investigated on the isolated uterus of rats primed with diethyl stilboestrol (0.1 mg/kg) 24 h prior to the experiment. The extract (2.5 and 7.5 mg/mL) effect on ACh (0.1 – 1.0 μg/mL)– induced contractility, in the presence of atropine (0.12 μg/mL), propranolol (8 μg/mL), CaCl2 (in Ca2+-free medium) and in the presence of 100 mM KCl was examined. The extract significantly inhibited ACh-induced uterine contractions (P< 0.05) and CaCl2- induced uterine contractions (in Ca2+-free medium) (P<0.05) in a non-competitive but concentration-dependent manner. A rightward shift of the concentration-response curve was observed in all cases. However, a bell- shaped concentration-response curve was observed for CaCl2. The inhibitory effect of the extract on ACh-induced uterine contractions was unaffected by propranolol. The extract (0.1 - 0.4 mg/mL) also inhibited KCl- induced uterine contractions. The root extract of S. Occidentalis was shown to inhibit agonist-induced uterine contractions probably through interaction with voltage-operated calcium channels. Keywords: Acetylcholine; Calcium; Propranolol; Ex vivo uterine activity; Senna occidentalis; Uteru

Uterine Contraction Modeling and Simulation

Building a training system for medical personnel to properly interpret fetal heart rate tracing requires developing accurate models that can relate various signal patterns to certain pathologies. In addition to modeling the fetal heart rate signal itself, the change of uterine pressure that bears strong relation to fetal heart rate and provides indications of maternal and fetal status should also be considered. In this work, we have developed a group of parametric models to simulate uterine contractions during labor and delivery. Through analysis of real patient records, we propose to model uterine contraction signals by three major components: regular contractions, impulsive noise caused by fetal movements, and low amplitude noise invoked by maternal breathing and measuring apparatus. The regular contractions are modeled by an asymmetric generalized Gaussian function and least squares estimation is used to compute the parameter values of the asymmetric generalized Gaussian function based on uterine contractions of real patients. Regular contractions are detected based on thresholding and derivative analysis of uterine contractions. Impulsive noise caused by fetal movements and low amplitude noise by maternal breathing and measuring apparatus are modeled by rational polynomial functions and Perlin noise, respectively. Experiment results show the synthesized uterine contractions can mimic the real uterine contractions realistically, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm

Reproductive management in pigs: emphasis on the different roles of the boar and on optimal insemination management

Boars have different roles in the reproductive management in pigs. Boar contact can stimulate follicle development and thereby induce oestrus, both in gilts and sows. Boar contact during oestrus is essential for good oestrus expression, which is essential for the correct timing of insemination and the proper use of boar contact during insemination can stimulate sperm transport and thereby fertilisation. Stimulation by boars clearly has an olfactory component (the boar smell), but can also have an auditory, visual and evn tactile component. The background of the different roles and some of these different components of the boar are discussed. To enable a good farrowing rate and litter size, sows should be inseminated between 0 and 24h before ovulation. However, it is not possible to accurately predict the time of ovulation in sows. Although ovulation takes place at a relatively fixed 60-75% of the duration of oestrus, the duration of oestrus varies considerably between sows and between farms, resulting in a variable ovulation time from onset of oestrus. Therefore, most farmers inseminate their sows every day of oestrus to ensure insemination within the optimal period. Since post-ovulation inseminations should be avoided, it is adviced to only inseminate sows while they still show an optimal standing respons

Feasibility of transabdominal electrohysterography for analysis of uterine activity in nonpregnant women

Purpose: Uterine activity plays a key role in reproduction, and altered patterns of uterine contractility have been associated with important physiopathological conditions, such as subfertility, dysmenorrhea, and endometriosis. However, there is currently no method to objectively quantify uterine contractility outside pregnancy without interfering with the spontaneous contraction pattern. Transabdominal electrohysterography has great potential as a clinical tool to characterize noninvasively uterine activity, but results of this technique in nonpregnant women are poorly documented. The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of transabdominal electrohysterography in nonpregnant women. Methods: Longitudinal measurements were performed on 22 healthy women in 4 representative phases of the menstrual cycle. Twelve electrohysterogram-based indicators previously validated in pregnancy have been estimated and compared in the 4 phases of the cycle. Using the Tukey honest significance test, significant differences were defined for P values below .05. Results: Half of the selected electrohysterogram-based indicators showed significant differences between menses and at least 1 of the other 3 phases, that is the luteal phase. Conclusion: Our results suggest transabdominal electrohysterography to be feasible for analysis of uterine activity in nonpregnant women. Due to the lack of a golden standard, this feasibility study is indirectly validated based on physiological observations. However, these promising results motivate further research aiming at evaluating electrohysterography as a method to improve understanding and management of dysfunctions (possibly) related to altered uterine contractility, such as infertility, endometriosis, and dysmenorrhea

Oral plus vaginal alpha-lipoic acid in women at risk for preterm delivery

Objective: The etiology of preterm labor is multifactorial. An inflammatory response is always involved with the activation of NF-kB that determines synthesis and release of inflammatory molecules, implicated in fetal membrane activation, cervical modifications, abdominal pain and spontaneous uterine contractions. There is a close relationship between preterm birth and cervical shortening in the second quarter of pregnancy. We evaluated the benefits of alpha-lipoic acid administration on women considered at risk of preterm delivery due to the presence of symptoms (pelvic pain and uterine contractions) or reduced cervical length. Patients and Methods: This prospective observational study was carried out at the Gynecology and Obstetrics Unit of Palermo University Hospital (Palermo, Italy), from October 2015 to April 2016. The inclusion criteria were: women aged 18-35, with gestational age between 24 and 33 weeks of amenorrhea, pregnancy at risk of preterm delivery due to cervical length between 35-25 mm (in presence of symptoms) or < 30 and > 15 mm (if asymptomatic), intact membranes and negative for vaginosis. Patients were treated daily with alpha lipoic acid orally (300 mg, twice a day for 30 days) and vaginally (10 mg, once a day for 10 days), or untreated (controls). Patients were evaluated at the baseline (T 0), after 7 days, after 30 days, and at 34 weeks of gestation considering: maternal characteristics, symptomology and cervical length. Results: Among 60 analyzed women, 50 were treated orally and vaginally with alpha-lipoic acid, whereas 10 did not undergo any therapy. In the treated group, 10 patients were asymptomatic and 40 symptomatic. The symptoms disappeared in 37 patients. In the untreated group, 4 women were symptomatic and 6 asymptomatic. At the end all women were symptomatic. Mean cervical length showed a reduction in the untreated group compared to the treated group. Conclusions: The vaginal/oral-combined administration with alpha-lipoic acid showed effectiveness in reducing symptoms and preventing cervical shortening in our set of patients. No adverse effects were detected during the treatment

Uterine contractions in rodent models and humans

Aberrant uterine contractions can lead to preterm birth and other labour complications and are a significant cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. To investigate the mechanisms underlying dysfunctional uterine contractions, researchers have used experimentally tractable small animal models. However, biological differences between humans and rodents change how researchers select their animal model and interpret their results. Here, we provide a general review of studies of uterine excitation and contractions in mice, rats, guinea pigs, and humans, in an effort to introduce new researchers to the field and help in the design and interpretation of experiments in rodent models

In vitro exposure to di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) stimulates spontaneous feline uterine contractions

Yildirim, Ebru/0000-0002-6289-0729; Kabakci, Ruhi/0000-0001-9131-0933; Elifoglu, Taha Burak/0000-0002-2302-6321WOS:000560988800020Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is widely used as a plasticizer in various products such as PVC-derived plastics, toys, packaging materials, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. This study aimed to investigate the effect of DEHP on spontaneous contractions of the feline uterus in vitro. Tubal 1-cm uterine samples prepared from 10, 9, and 12 uteri obtained from adult cats in estrus (n = 5), diestrus (n = 5), and interestrus (n = 5), respectively, after ovariohysterectomy were suspended in an isolated organ bath in aerated Krebs solution at 39 +/- 1 degrees C, and an initial 1 g tension was given. After 1 h equilibration of tissues, the spontaneous contractions were recorded for 10 min as control. The effects of solvent and DEHP (0.001-100 mu M) on contractions were then evaluated in terms of frequency and mean amplitude parameters. It was observed that DEHP had no effect on uterine contractions of cats in interestrus. However, DEHP significantly increased the mean amplitude of uterine contractions during the estrus and diestrus periods at concentrations of 1 mu M and 10 mu M, respectively, depending on the dose (P 0.05). 'this study, carried out for the first time in cats, showed that DEHP has a stimulatory effect on uterine contractions. We concluded that disruption of the uterine contractions, which are essential for physiological reproductive processes such as regular estrous cycles, sperm and zygote transport, implantation and continuation of pregnancy, by DEHP exposure may cause many reproductive problems

Session 2: Female Orgasms and Evolutionary Theory

Proceedings of the Pittsburgh Workshop in History and Philosophy of Biology, Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh, March 23-24 2001 Session 2: Female Orgasms and Evolutionary Theor