title: Polyamines in amniotic fluid, plasma, and urine during normal pregnancy.
abstract: Polyamines have been implicated as markers of cell kinetic parameters. Putrescine and spermine were elevated in the urine of women with normal pregnancies. Particularly striking was the over 75-fold increase in spermine excretion. Putrescine was more than twofold that found for normal women. In several patients followed serially during pregnancy to assess the temporal pattern of the urinary excretion of polyamines, it was found that the highest levels of all three polyamines occurred at 12 weeks of gestation. In amniotic fluid, putrescine was higher prior to 30 weeks of gestation whereas spermidine was significantly higher at or beyond 30 weeks of gestation. Spermine was relatively high in both groups. Studies are ongoing to assess whether alterations from these normally elevated patterns will occur in the fluids of pregnant women at high risk for abnormal fetal development.
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D011073:Polyamines / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011700:Putrescine / Q000652:urine; D013095:Spermidine / Q000652:urine; D013096:Spermine / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D011073:Polyamines; D013096:Spermine; D013095:Spermidine; D011700:Putrescine