Effects of vitamin D deficiency on pregnancy and fetal development in mice / 安徽医科大学学报

Objective To investigate the effects of vitamin D deficiency on pregnancy and fetal development in mice. Methods All female ICR mice were randomly divided into two groups. In control group, mice were fed with standard feeds (vitamin D3 >800 IU/kg). In vitamin D deficiency group (VDD), female mice were fed with feeds with vitamin D depletion (vitamin D3 <25 IU/kg). For mating purposes, four females were housed overnight with two males starting at 9 : 00 PM. Females were checked 7 : 00 AM the next morning, and the presence of a vaginal plug was designated as gestational day (GD) 0. All pregnancy mice were sacrificed on GD18. For each litter, the number of live fetuses, dead fetuses and resorption sites were counted. Live fetuses in each litter were weighed. Crown-rump lengths were examined. And skeletal development of all live fetuses in each litter was evaluated. Re-sults The pregnancy rate was lower in VDD group than that in control group(P<0.05). The number of live fetu-ses was significantly decreased(P<0.05). By contrast, the numbers of dead fetuses and resorption sites were sig-nificantly increased(P<0.05). In addition, the average weights of fetuses and placenta were reduced in vitamin D deficiency group. Moreover, vitamin D deficiency resulted in skeletal development retardation in fetuses. Conclu-sion Vitamin D deficiency impairs pregnancy and developmental outcomes in mice.

Comparison of between Live and Dead Fetuses: Efficacy of Intravaginal Misoprostol in Termination of Second Trimester Pregnancy / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficiency, success rate and abortion time between the live and the dead fetus in second trimester pregnancy termination with intravag-inal misoprostol. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 45 pregnant women between 18-29 weeks of gestation with medical, obstetric, or genetic reasons for termination were recruited to receive 50 ug misoprostol inserted intravaginally (posterior fornix) every 4 hours. RESULTS: The success rate of complete termination(abortion) within 12 and 24 hours in dead fetuses were 78.2% and 95.6%, respectively, while in live fetuses were 36.3% and 90.9%, respectively. The mean abortion time of the dead fetus group (10.31+/-3.43 hours) was significantly less than that of the live fetus group (14.20+/-3.31 hours). No serious complications occurred in terms of hemorrhage, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. CONELUSION: Intracervicovaginal misoprostol is a safe and effective method for second trimester pregnancy termination. The abortion time is less in dead fetus pregnancy than that in the live fetus pregnancy.We used 50 ug tablets of misoprastol every four hours. But, we suspect that the regimen of 100ug misoprostol inserted intracervicovaginally every eight hours will beis the proper and optimal method for pregnancy termination.

Classification of Umbilical Vein Anomalies Based upon Cases in Dead Fetuses

BACKGROUND: Prior reports of umbilical vein variation were strongly associated with several congenital anomalies. This suggests that the incidence of umbilical vein anomaly was more frequently seen in dead fetuses than in liveborn infants because the leading causes of stillbirth are chromosomal and/or congenital anomalies. The developing liver exerts a profound influence in modifying the primitive vitelline and umbilical veins. This study was undertaken to identify the umbilical vein variations and the associated hepatic and perihepatic structural anomalies in dead fetuses. METHODS: Dissection was done in eighteen dead fetuses who had undergone delivery at Chonbuk National University Hospital between December 1996 and February 1998. The weight ratios of the liver to the body and the right to the left hepatic lobes and the distal attachment of umbilical vein, including the presence of hepatic fissures and ligaments, were examined. According to the gestational age, the cases were divided into two groups (group 1: or = 32 weeks, 5 cases). RESULTS: The gestational age of the fetuses ranged from 19 to 39 weeks. The fetal liver constituted 3.7% and 4.0% of the total fetal body weight for group 1 and 2, respectively. The mean weight ratio of the right to the left hepatic lobe was between 1:1.4 and 1:1.5. There were no gross morphologic abnormalities in 9 cases. Eighteen kinds of chromosomal and congenital anomalies, including omphalocele, anomalous hepatic segmentation, hypogenesis of the hand and the foot, syndactyly, polycystic kidney, etc., were observed in 9 dead fetuses. A case of an abnormal distal attachment of the umbilical vein was identified. The umbilical vein drained into the dilated extrahepatic portal vein directly. The hepatic segments and fissures were completely normal, but ligamentum teres was not identified in this case. A peculiar hepatic segmental anomaly due to whole organ herniation through a defect in an omphalocele was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The weight of the liver of the dead fetuses was relatively small in both groups. No weight shift of left to right was recognized. The incidence of congenital anomalies was much higherin the dead fetuses (50%) than in the live births (0.7-1.98%). There were two hepatic anomalies (11.1%), including segmentation and distal attachment of the umbilical vein. The authors reviewed all reports of umbilical vein anomalies and propose a classification for umbilical vein variations focused on the distal points of attachment. All variations of the umbilical vein tend to fall into two main groups. In the first group, the veins have distal points of attachment into portal vein systems. In the second group, the veins have distal points of attachment into systemic veins.