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Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to elucidate whether the location of placenta below uterine incision in cesarean section is important in the development of maternal complications in placenta previa patients.Methods: The study was conducted on 409 patients 414 parturition at 3 hospitals in affiliation with the Catholic Medical Center, Seoul, Korea from May 1999 to December 2009. The subjects were divided to two groups: the group whose placenta was located in the anterior portion of the uterus (anterior group) and the group whose placenta was located in the posterior portion of the uterus (posterior group). And then they are compared to each other. Logistic regression was used to control for confounding factors.Results: In the anterior group, regardless of confounding factors, the incidence of excessive blood loss (OR 2.97; 95% CI: 1.64-5.37), massive transfusion (OR 3.31; 95% CI: 1.33-8.26), placental accreta (OR 2.60, 95% CI: 1.40-4.83), and hysterectomy (OR 3.47, 95% CI: 1.39-8.68) was higher.Conclusion: Sonographic determination of the placental position where its location beneath the uterine incision is very important to predict maternal outcomes in placenta previa patients, and such cases, close attention should be paid for massive hemorrhage.

Context:Cuscuta chinensisLam. (Convolvulaceae) has been used as a traditional herbal remedy for treating liver and kidney disorders. Objective:Anti-fibrotic effects ofC. chinensisextract (CCE) in cellular and experimental animal models were investigated. Materials and methods:HSC-T6 cell viability, cell cycle and apoptosis were analysed using MTT assay, flow cytometry and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining techniques. Thioacetamide (TAA)-induced fibrosis model was established using Sprague Dawley rats (n = 10). Control, TAA, CCE 10 (TAA with CCE 10 mg/kg), CCE 100 (TAA with CCE 100 mg/kg) and silymarin (TAA with silymarin 50 mg/kg). Fibrosis was induced by TAA (200 mg/kg,i.p.) twice per week for 13 weeks. CCE and silymarin were administered orally two times per week from the 7th to 13th week. Fibrotic related gene expression (α-SMA, Col1α1 and TGF-β1) was measured by RT-PCR. Serum biomarkers, glutathione (GSH) and hydroxyproline were estimated by spectrophotometer using commercial kits. Results:CCE (0.05 and 0.1 mg/mL) and silymarin (0.05 mg/mL) treatment significantly (p < 0.01 andp < 0.001) induced apoptosis (11.56%, 17.52% for CCE; 16.50% for silymarin, respectively) in activated HSC-T6 cells, compared with control group (7.26%). Further, rat primary HSCs showed changes in morphology with CCE 0.1 mg/mL treatment. Inin vivostudies, CCE (10 and 100 mg/kg) treatment ameliorated the TAA-induced altered levels of serum biomarkers, fibrotic related gene expression, GSH, hydroxyproline significantly (p < 0.05–0.001) and rescued the histopathological changes. Conclusions:CCE can be developed as a potential agent in the treatment of hepatofibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Context:Ampelopsis brevipedunculataMaxim (Vitaceae) is a traditional medicinal herb used for treating liver disorders. Objective:The hepatoprotective effects ofA. brevipedunculataethanol extract (ABE) was investigated in experimental models of fibrosis. Materials and methods:Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) systemin vitroand thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver fibrosis rat modelin vivowere used. Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into five groups of eight each (control, TAA, TAA with ABE 10 mg/kg, ABE 100 mg/kg and silymarin 50 mg/kg groups, respectively). Fibrosis was induced except to the control group by TAA (200 mg/kg, i.p.) twice per week for 13 weeks. ABE and silymarin was administered orally six times per week from the 7th week to the 13th week. Results:In HSC-T6 cells, ABE (0.1 mg/mL) and silymarin (0.05 mg/mL) significantly (p < 0.01) induced apoptosis (12.94 ± 5.72% and 14.9 ± 3.8%, respectively) compared with control group (7.51 ± 1.26%). The expression of fibrosis related genes (TGF-β, α-SMA and Col1A1) in HSC-T6 cells were significantly (p < 0.01) downregulated in ABE-treated groups compared with control group. Inin vivostudies, ABE (10 and 100 mg/kg) treatment ameliorated the altered levels of serum biomarkers significantly (p < 0.01 andp < 0.001) in TAA-induced groups. Further, ABE (10 and 100 mg/kg) significantly (p < 0.01) attenuated the altered histopathological findings, glutathione content and the accumulation of hydroxyproline. Conclusion:These results collectively indicate that ABE can potentially be developed as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of hepatic fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]