Facchinetti F, Valensise H, Neri I, Menghini S, Romanini C, Volpe A
Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Pediatric Sciences, University of Modena, Italy.
Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 1998 Feb;77(2):174-7.
To test the hypothesis that labor onset could be the result of a reduced release of nitric oxide (NO).
Out of 91 consecutive healthy nulliparous women at term serum citrulline (Cit) and arginine (Arg) levels were measured at least twice in 37 subjects, by the means of HPLC with fluorometric detection. Twenty cases underwent a spontaneous onset of labor (group A) while in 17 cases labor was induced (group B) because of pregnancy prolongation or amniotic fluid reduction.
Cit and Arg levels were unaffected by the gestational age. In group A, Cit levels undergo a progressive decrease toward the day of labor (from 32.9+/-4.7 microM/L the day - 18,-5 to 27.7+/-7.8 the day -4,0; p=0.012) whilst they remained stable in group B (from 33.3+/-7.7 to 34.2+/-9.2). No significant changes were observed in Arg levels. Cit/Arg ratio remained stable in group A whereas it showed a trend to increase in group B.
These data indirectly suggest a reduced release of NO toward term. This phenomenon could play a permissive role in the spontaneous onset of labor of healthy nulliparous women.
验证分娩发动可能是一氧化氮（NO）释放减少所致这一假说。
选取91例连续的足月健康初产妇，其中37例至少测量了两次血清瓜氨酸（Cit）和精氨酸（Arg）水平，采用高效液相色谱荧光检测法。20例自然发动分娩（A组），17例因孕周延长或羊水减少而行引产（B组）。
Cit和Arg水平不受孕周影响。A组中，Cit水平在临近分娩日时逐渐下降（从-18天至-5天的32.9±4.7微摩尔/升降至-4天至0天的27.7±7.8微摩尔/升；p=0.012），而B组则保持稳定（从33.3±7.7至34.2±9.2）。Arg水平未观察到显著变化。A组中Cit/Arg比值保持稳定，而B组则呈上升趋势。
这些数据间接提示临近足月时NO释放减少。这一现象可能在健康初产妇自然发动分娩过程中起促进作用。
