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CHANGES IN THE CONCENTRATION OF CORTISOL IN AMNIOTIC FLUID AFTER INTRA‐AMNIOTIC PROSTAGLANDIN FOR MIDTRIMESTER ABORTION
Author(s) -
MacKenzie I. Z.,
Pooley Georgina,
Challis J. R. G.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1977.tb12663.x
Subject(s) - amniotic fluid , medicine , gestation , prostaglandin , abortion , pregnancy , endocrinology , fetus , prostaglandin e , prostaglandin f , obstetrics , andrology , biology , genetics
Summary The effects of intra‐amniotic prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) and PGF 2 a on the concentration of cortisol in amniotic fluid and in maternal peripheral plasma of patients undergoing abortion between 16 and 23 weeks gestation have been examined. There was a significant (P≤0·01) increase in the concentration of cortisol in amniotic fluid four hours after PGE 2 , but not after PGF 2 a. The concentration of cortisol in the maternal peripheral plasma increased in both groups with the progression of abortion, but the levels were not significantly correlated with those in amniotic fluid. These results suggest that by mid‐pregnancy fetal cortisol production can be stimulated by PGE 2 but the mechanism of this action remains to be elucidated.