Cell Populations Isolated from Amnion, Chorion, and Wharton’s Jelly of Human Placenta
Ornella Parolini, Antonietta Silini in Placenta, 2016
Amniotic membrane (or amnion) is the inner of the two fetal membranes that form the amniotic sac that surrounds and protects the fetus. Amnion is a thin, semitransparent, semipermeable and avascular membrane attached to the chorionic membrane, and it covers the entire chorionic plate, continuing over the umbilical cord with the fetal skin. This membrane is composed of two layers: an epithelial layer in direct contact with amniotic fluid and an underling mesenchymal layer attached to the chorionic membrane. The epithelial layer, named amniotic epithelium, is composed of columnar and cuboidal epithelial cells, and it is attached to a basement membrane that, in turn, is in contact with the mesenchymal layer. The latter layer is compact and composed of fibronectin and collagen (type I and III), and it hosts a network of dispersed mesenchymal cells and a rare population of macrophages. Below the mesenchymal layer, a spongy layer of collagen fibers separates amnion from chorion (Evangelista et al. 2008; Diaz-Prado et al. 2011) (Figure 5.1b top panel).
Human Development and Its Theories
Mohamed Ahmed Abd El-Hay in Understanding Psychology for Medicine and Nursing, 2019
The embryo forms a protective sac (the amniotic sac) in which the embryo floats, and the umbilical cord through which nourishment, oxygen, and water flow to the embryo, and it carries away carbon dioxide and other wastes. The placenta is a vascular organ, disk-shaped, that prevents the mother’s blood from directly mixing with that of the developing embryo. It acts as a filter that prevents many, but not all harmful substances that might be present in the mother’s blood from reaching the embryo. Harmful substances that can cause birth defects or abnormal development are called teratogens. The vulnerability to teratogens is greatest during the embryonic stage, when the major body systems are forming. Known teratogens include exposure to radiation or toxic substances (e.g., mercury and lead), infection by viruses and bacteria (e.g., German measles, genital herpes, and human immunodeficiency virus), use of addictive drugs (e.g., heroin and cocaine), and some prescription drugs. Alcohol drinking during pregnancy can cause several disorders that are collectively referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), which include mental retardation, heart problems, and a number of distinctive facial features (Sokol et al., 2003). It is interesting to know that the mother’s psychological state can affect the fetus. Chronic stress, depression, and anxiety are associated with low birth weight and premature birth (Dunkel Schetter, 2011), while poor maternal nutrition, lack of sleep, and other unhealthy behaviors can affect the fetal growth and development.
Pre-Trial Panic
R. Annie Gough in Injury Illustrated, 2020
Shelley was nine months pregnant with her second child. Everything in her pregnancy was typical and normal, although her little boy, Henry, was in breech presentation. A breech baby is upside down in the uterus, his head near Shelley's liver, his little bottom and feet resting in the amniotic sac above the cervix. A standard presentation would place the baby's head closest to the vagina and the feet up by the liver and stomach, where expecting mothers feel kicking up high on their baby bump. Breech presentation is fairly common—one in every 25 live births. Shelley's doctors were very aware of Henry's position and planned accordingly. About a week before Henry's due date, Shelley's water broke. The amniotic sac around the baby within her uterus ruptured. This is the normal precursor to delivery, often the initial sign that contractions will start and it is time to get to the hospital. Shelley was admitted to her scheduled hospital and examined. Her uterine contractions had not started, nor had her cervix begun to dilate. She was placed in a comfortable patient room to rest and wait for the initiation of delivery. Shelley was not on an IV or a monitor of any kind. She was going about somewhat normal daily activities, feeling fairly well, messaging friends on her phone, and doing a little light work on the laptop. A day went by and she did not go into labor. The next day went by and she still had not gone into labor; her cervix had still not dilated.
Application of amniotic membrane in reconstructive urology; the promising biomaterial worth further investigation
Published in Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy, 2019
Jan Adamowicz, Shane Van Breda, Dominik Tyloch, Marta Pokrywczynska, Tomasz Drewa
The mammalian embryo is enclosed in the fluid filed amniotic sac of the placenta, surrounded by the AM. In humans, 6–7 days after fertilization, AM starts to develop during blastocyst implantation in the endometrium [6]. Subsequently, the embryoblast (inner cell mass within the blastocyst) differentiates into a bilaminar disc composed of the hypoblast and epiblast. Eventually, amnioblasts derived from the epiblast invade the space between the trophoblast and the embryonic disc, migrating to the inner amniotic layer and gradually constitute the external lining of the amniotic cavity. The amniotic and chorionic fetal membranes separate the embryo from the endometrium. The amniochorionic membrane forms the outer limits of the sac that encloses the embryo, while the innermost layer of the sac is the AM [7].
Second trimester uterine rupture and repair followed by morbidly adherent placenta: a case report
Published in Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2021
Claire Pintault, Aurore Bleuzen, Franck Perrotin, Caroline Diguisto
We report the case of a 30-year-old woman with a personal history of two medical abortions and two caesarean deliveries at term. Pregnancy was normal until 17 gestational weeks, when the woman was admitted in the emergency department for sudden abdominal pain and with no signs of hemodynamic instability. Ultrasound and a computed tomography scan revealed a developing uterine pregnancy and a massive hemoperitoneum. An emergency laparoscopy was converted to a midline laparotomy given the size of the hemoperitoneum (1500 mL). Exploration of the abdominal cavity showed the bleeding came from a 3-cm incomplete uterine rupture (muscle tissue only) of the previous caesarean scar (on the lower segment). The amniotic sac was intact. The uterus was repaired with interrupted sutures (U sutures of 2.0 Vicryl®); a Vicryl hernia patch® (Ethicon® Vicryl™ mesh) was sutured on the anterior surface of the uterus to strengthen the repair. A week later pregnancy was found to be continuing with no abnormalities.
A comparison of the pregnancy outcomes between ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation and laparoscopic myomectomy for uterine fibroids: a comparative study
Published in International Journal of Hyperthermia, 2020
Guangping Wu, Rong Li, Min He, Yuanfang Pu, Jishu Wang, Jinyun Chen, Hongbo Qi
In the LM group, a 27-year-old multipara had a singleton pregnancy at 18 months after undergoing LM for a 76-mm single intramural myoma located in the left anterior wall. During LM, the uterine cavity was not cut open and the incision was sutured in two layers via laparoscopy with four 3–0 polyglycolic acid sutures at the level of the fascia. An emergency cesarean delivery was performed because of maternal acute abdominal pain and fetal distress at 34+6 weeks’ gestation. No muscular layer covered the scar of the original operation at 4.0 cm above the retroperitoneal fold of the left bladder. Only the serous layer was seen (length, about 3 cm), and no active bleeding was found. The amniotic sac was punctured, and light red amniotic fluid was released (400 ml). After delivery of the fetus, uterine contraction was good, and the incision was closed in a routine manner. The mother had intraoperative bleeding (1760 ml) and received a blood transfusion (1400 ml). The baby weighed 2.41 kg with an Apgar score of 7. The mother and baby had favorable outcomes.