Isolation of multiple substances in amniotic fluid that regulate amnion prostaglandin E 2 production: The effects of gestational age and labor

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of whole amniotic fluid (AF) and fractions of AF on amnion cell prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2) production. Amnion cells were grown to confluence and then incubated in the presence of AF, or fractions thereof, obtained at 17–19 weeks gestation (MID), at term prior to the onset of labor (NIL), and at term after spontaneous onset of labor (LABOR). All whole AFs were stimulatory to amnion cell PGE 2 production (p < 0.001) but the stimulation by NIL and LABOR AFs was significantly greater (p < 0.001) than stimulation by the MID AF. Fractionation of the AFs from the three groups (n=9–10 per group) revealed multiple discernable peaks of stimulatory activity in each group. The majority of peaks had retention times that were similar among the three groups, and peak stimulatory activities were greater in NIL and LABOR samples than in MID samples.