Stephen C. Bell

TL;DR: The structural characteristics of the rupture site of term fetal membranes (amniochorion and decidua) that rupture spontaneously after the onset of labour are studied.

TL;DR: The ultrastructural examination of the extracellular matrix showed that the main fibrous skeleton of the fetal membranes was formed of large banded fibres (Ultrastructurally identical to collagens types I and III) connected together and to the epithelial basement membranes by networks of unbanded filaments (collagen types V, VI and other components).

TL;DR: regional differences have two important implications in that: (i) the cervical membrane may represent a region of structural weakness susceptible to rupture during labour, and (ii) the paracrine relationships between fetal membranes and the myometrium may be qualitatively affected within different regions of the uterus.

TL;DR: Signs of marked similarities were found in the expression of ECM and the integrin receptors between the baboon and the human endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle and in pregnancy.

TL;DR: It is suggested that successful pregnancy implantation and progression requires low levels of endocannabinoid anandamide, and at term, AEA levels dramatically increase during labor and are affected by the duration of labor, suggesting a role for AEA in normal labor.