Myers Kristin, Socrate Simona, Tzeranis Dimitrios, House Michael
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2009 May;144 Suppl 1:S82-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2009.02.008. Epub 2009 Mar 20.
The cervix is the lower portion of the uterus. It is composed of fibrous tissue and its mechanical integrity is crucial for maintaining a healthy gestation. During normal pregnancy, the cervical extracellular matrix (ECM) remodels in preparation for labor. The objective of this study was to investigate the biochemical and morphological changes in cervical stroma associated with physiological remodeling during normal pregnancy.
Using human cervical tissue obtained from pregnant and non-pregnant patients, the ECM was analyzed for its biochemical constituents and histologic morphology. The ECM was assayed for hydration, collagen concentration, collagen solubility, total sulfated glycosaminoglycan concentration, and individual disaccharide concentration. The ECM morphology was visualized using conventional histological techniques (Masson's trichrome stain, polarized light microscopy) as well as second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging.
When comparing pregnant to non-pregnant tissue, significant increases were measured for total sulfated glycosaminoglycans, hyaluronic acid, and collagen solubility. The microscopy studies confirmed that the collagenous network of the cervical stroma was anisotropic and pregnancy was associated with a discernable decrease in collagen organization.
Significant changes were seen in the concentration and organization of cervical ECM constituents during normal pregnancy.
子宫颈是子宫的下部。它由纤维组织构成，其机械完整性对于维持健康妊娠至关重要。在正常妊娠期间，宫颈细胞外基质（ECM）会发生重塑，为分娩做准备。本研究的目的是调查正常妊娠期间与生理重塑相关的宫颈基质的生化和形态学变化。
使用从孕妇和非孕妇患者获取的人宫颈组织，分析ECM的生化成分和组织形态学。检测ECM的水合作用、胶原蛋白浓度、胶原蛋白溶解度、总硫酸化糖胺聚糖浓度和单个二糖浓度。使用传统组织学技术（Masson三色染色、偏光显微镜）以及二次谐波产生（SHG）成像观察ECM形态。
将妊娠组织与非妊娠组织进行比较时，发现总硫酸化糖胺聚糖、透明质酸和胶原蛋白溶解度显著增加。显微镜研究证实，宫颈基质的胶原网络是各向异性的，妊娠与胶原组织的明显减少有关。
正常妊娠期间宫颈ECM成分的浓度和组织发生了显著变化。
