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Biochemical changes in the cervical mucus after application of laminaria tent
E El Maradny1, N Kanayama, A Halim
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan.
Background:
This research was aimed to study the biochemical changes in cervical mucus after application of laminaria tent.
Material And Methods:
Cervical mucus was collected before and after insertion of laminaria tent from 20 normal pregnant women in the first and second trimesters. Interleukin-1 beta, IL-8, collagenase activity, elastase activity, PGE2 and PGF2 alpha were measured in the collected samples. Laminaria tent was also inserted in one vaginal cervix of five non-pregnant rabbits and the clinical and histological changes were compared with five non-treated rabbits. Collagen contents were assessed histologically and Leukocyte number was counted.
Results:
IL-1 beta and IL-8 and elastase activity were significantly increased after insertion of laminaria (p<0.0001 and 0.001 respectively). Collagenase activity was not significantly changed. Whereas concentration of PGE2 and PGF2 alpha in the mucus were markedly increased (p<0.0001 and 0.001 respectively). Collagen contents were significantly decreased in laminaria and opposite side cervices (p<0.0001). No significant changes in leukocyte count could be observed in treated and non treated cervices.
Conclusions:
Insertion of laminaria leads to increase concentration of IL-1 beta, IL-8, PGE2, PGF2 alpha and elastase activity. Mechanical stretching of the cervix and biochemical changes in cervical mucus may explain the mechanism of cervical ripening induced by laminaria.