Biochemical changes in the cervical mucus after application of laminaria tent

Background This research was aimed to study the biochemical changes in cervical mucus after application of laminaria tent.Material and methods Cervical mucus was collected before and after insertion of laminaria tent from 20 normal pregnant women in the first and second trimesters. Interleukin-1β, IL-8, collagenase activity, elastase activity, PGE2 and PGF2α were measured in the collected samples.Laminaria tent was also inserted in one vaginal cervix of five non-pregnant rabbits and the clinical and histological changes were compared with five non-treated rabbits. Collagen contents were assessed histologically and Leukocyte number was counted. Results IL-1β and IL-8 and elastase activity were significantly increased after insertion of laminaria (p < 0.0001, 0.001 and 0.001 respectively). Collagenase activity was not significantly changed. Whereas concentration of PGE2 and PGF2α in the mucus were markedly increased (p < 0.0001 and 0.001 respectively).Collagen contents were significantly decreased in laminaria and opposite side cervices (p < 0.0001). No significant changes in leukocyte count could be observed in treated and non treated cervices.Conclusions Insertion of laminaria leads to increase concentration of IL-1β, IL-8, PGE2, PGF2α and elastase activity. Mechanical stretching of the cervix and biochemical changes in cervical mucus may explain the mechanism of cervical ripening induced by laminaria.