title: [Changes in N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase activity in the maternal plasma and utero-placental tissues during normal pregnancy and parturition].
abstract: In the ripening of the uterine cervix during parturition, glycosaminoglycan (GAG) in the cervical extracellular matrix has been reported to undergo drastic changes i.e. the increase in hyaluronic acid, and the decrease in dermatan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate. N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG; EC3.2.1.30), one of marker enzymes of lysosome, may also degrade extracellular GAG in the uterine cervix. This study is undertaken to determine if NAG plays a role in the ripening of the cervix during parturition. The maternal plasma were collected from 252 women with normal pregnancy (5-41 weeks gestation). Amnion, chorion and parietal decidua were obtained from 20 patients at more than 36 gestational weeks who had undergone cesarean section (CS) prior to labor, and from 24 who had undergone CS after the onset of labor. NAG activity in the maternal plasma gradually increased with the advance of gestation, and increased drastically after the onset of labor. The activity in the amnion and decidua, but not in the chorion, decreased significantly in the women who had undergone CS after the onset of labor compared with those who had undergone CS prior to labor. It is concluded that NAG is released into the maternal circulation from lysosomes in amnion and decidua, and it is also estimated that NAG plays a role in the ripening of the uterine cervix during parturition by degrading GAG in the cervical extracellular matrix.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shiga University of Medical Science.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Soga
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sudo
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shimoyama
mesh_terms: D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006596:Hexosaminidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007745:Labor Onset / Q000097:blood; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000097:blood*; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000201:enzymology; D010920:Placenta / Q000201:enzymology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D006596:Hexosaminidases; D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase