Abstract #1003
Ex Vivo Assessment of Cervical
Remodeling Via 23Na MRS
Xiang Xu1, Yucel Akgul2, Mala
Mahendroo2, Alexej Jerschow1
1Department of Chemistry, New York
University, New York, NY, United States; 2Department of Obstetrics
and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX,
United States
Preterm
birth occurs in 12.5% of births in the United States. Greater
understanding by which the two main processes, uterine contraction and
cervical remodeling are regulated is required to reduce rates of preterm
birth. Understanding the changes in glycosaminoglycan (GAG) concentration
during cervical remodeling will help elucidate the normal physiological
process in the cervix. 23Na NMR spectroscopy is used to evaluate
the changes in Na+ concentration in the mouse cervix during
pregnancy, labor and postpartum as a means of evaluating the GAG changes
during each stage of cervical remodeling.
