title: The biomechanics of amnion rupture: an X-ray diffraction study.
abstract: Pre-term birth is the leading cause of perinatal and neonatal mortality, 40% of which are attributed to the pre-term premature rupture of amnion. Rupture of amnion is thought to be associated with a corresponding decrease in the extracellular collagen content and/or increase in collagenase activity. However, there is very little information concerning the detailed organisation of fibrillar collagen in amnion and how this might influence rupture. Here we identify a loss of lattice like arrangement in collagen organisation from areas near to the rupture site, and present a 9% increase in fibril spacing and a 50% decrease in fibrillar organisation using quantitative measurements gained by transmission electron microscopy and the novel application of synchrotron X-ray diffraction. These data provide an accurate insight into the biomechanical process of amnion rupture and highlight X-ray diffraction as a new and powerful tool in our understanding of this process.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom. c.j.connon@reading.ac.uk
authors.forename: Che J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Connon
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hopkinson
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quantock
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Doutch
authors.forename: Keith M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Meek
mesh_terms: D000650:Amnion; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005321:Extraembryonic Membranes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D011247:Pregnancy; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction