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Related Experiment Videos

Erythrocyte hydration in normal human pregnancy.

S Macphail1, T H Thomas, R Wilkinson

  • 1Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne.

British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
|December 1, 1991
PubMed
Summary

During human pregnancy, a drop in plasma osmolality does not cause cellular overhydration. Instead, changes in intracellular osmole content appear to drive alterations in cell hydration and plasma osmolality.

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Area of Science:

  • Physiology
  • Reproductive Biology
  • Cellular Biology

Background:

  • Plasma osmolality typically decreases during normal pregnancy.
  • The physiological mechanisms underlying this osmolality change and its effect on cellular hydration are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether the observed fall in plasma osmolality during pregnancy leads to cellular overhydration in humans.
  • To examine the relationship between plasma osmolality, erythrocyte hydration, and intracellular electrolyte content throughout pregnancy.

Main Methods:

  • Erythrocyte hydration, potassium, and total osmoles were measured serially in 51 women during pregnancy and postpartum.
  • In vitro experiments assessed erythrocyte responses to osmolality changes.

Main Results:

  • In vitro, erythrocytes showed increased hydration when exposed to decreased osmolality.
  • During early pregnancy, despite lower plasma osmolality, erythrocyte hydration and potassium content were reduced compared to nonpregnant values.
  • Later in pregnancy, erythrocyte hydration and potassium content increased beyond nonpregnant levels, even as plasma osmolality remained low.

Conclusions:

  • A decrease in intracellular osmoles may be the initial event influencing cell hydration during pregnancy.
  • Plasma osmolality subsequently adjusts to maintain normal cell hydration.
  • Intracellular osmole content appears to be the primary driver of subsequent changes in cell hydration throughout pregnancy.

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