BACKGROUND Uterine contractile activity plays an important role in many and varied
reproductive functions including sperm and embryo transport, implantation, menstruation …

Although preterm birth (at< 37 weeks' gestation) is sometimes indicated for the health of the
mother or her fetus, spontaneous preterm births occur as a consequence of spontaneous …

Objective The aim of the study was to elucidate the reason for the high rate of caesarean
section in obese women. We examined the following hypotheses:(1) obese women have a …

BACKGROUND Understanding the physiology of pregnancy enables effective management
of pregnancy complications that could otherwise be life threatening for both mother and …

The sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of smooth muscles presents many intriguing facets and
questions concerning its roles, especially as these change with development, disease, and …

Nutrients in uterine secretions are essential for development and survival of conceptuses
(embryo and associated extraembryonic membranes) during pregnancy; however, little is …

Background Preterm birth represents the single largest cause of mortality and morbidity for
newborns and a major cause of morbidity for pregnant women. Tocolytic agents include a …

A better understanding of the mechanisms that generate and modulate uterine contractility is
needed if progress is to be made in the prevention or treatment of problems in labour …

Labor refers to the chain of physiologic events that allows a fetus to undertake its journey
from the uterus to the outside world. The mean duration of a singleton pregnancy is 40.0 …

The mechanism underlying spontaneous pacemaker potential in the uterus is not clearly
understood. Several spontaneously active smooth muscles have interstitial cells of Cajal …