OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the uroflow parameters of the pregnant women before delivery and immediate postpartum period. METHODS: Forty four patients delivered by spontaneous vaginal delivery (NVD group) and 46 patients by Cesarean section (C/SEC group) and 28 non-pregnant young women (Control group) were included in this study. Uroflow were checked 1 day before and 2 days after delivery by Jupiter 8000 (FM Wiest(R)) uroflowmetry. Mean value of the uroflow parameters in each group was compared using ANOVA t-test. For continuous data, linear associations with each of the uroflow parameters were assessed using a Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Maximal (18.48+/-5.21 mL/sec) and mean flow rate (9.45+/-3.73 mL/sec) of pregnant women were lower than control group (22.75+/-5.14 mL/sec), and were not changed after delivery (18.79+/-6.03 mL/ sec). Total flow time of pregnant woman (14.06+/-6.09 sec) was longer than control group (8.05+/-5.32 sec) before delivery, and increased after delivery especially after cesarean delivery. Time to peak flow of pregnant women (8.44+/-9.48 sec) was shorter than control group (16.33+/-6.11 sec) before delivery, and was similar to control group after delivery. Total voided volume (121.39+/-50.17 mL) was less than control group before delivery, and was increased after delivery (246.77+/-127.42 mL). Total voided volume after delivery was not different with control group statistically. CONCLUSION: There was no statistically differences before and after delivery in maximal flow rate, but was lower than non-pregnant women. Total flow time was much prolonged after delivery, especially after cesarean delivery. Time to peak flow and voided volume were restored to levels of non-pregnant women after delivery.
Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Humans ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women

Coumarins comprise a group of natural phenolic compounds found in a variety of plant sources. In view of the established low toxicity, relative cheapness, presence in the diet and occurrence in various herbal remedies of coumarins, it appears prudent to evaluate their properties and applications further. The purpose of this study is to investigate cellular protective activity of coumarin compound, fraxin extracted from Weigela florida var. glabbra, under oxidative stress, to identify genes expressed differentially by fraxin and to compare antioxidative effect of fraxin with its structurally related chemicals. Of the coumarins, protective effects of fraxin against cytotoxicity induced by H2O2 were examined in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Fraxin showed free radical scavenging effect at high concentration (0.5 mM) and cell protective effect against H2O2-mediated oxidative stress. Fraxin recovered viability of HUVECs damaged by H2O2- treatment and reduced the lipid peroxidation and the internal reactive oxygen species level elevated by H2O2 treatment. Differential display reverse transcription-PCR revealed that fraxin upregulated antiapoptotic genes (clusterin and apoptosis inhibitor 5) and tumor suppressor gene (ST13). Based on structural similarity comparing with fraxin, seven chemicals, fraxidin methyl ether (29.4% enhancement of viability), prenyletin (26.4%), methoxsalen (20.8 %), diffratic acid (19.9%), rutoside (19.1%), xanthyletin (18.4%), and kuhlmannin (18.2%), enhanced more potent cell viability in the order in comparison with fraxin, which showed only 9.3% enhancement of cell viability. These results suggest that fraxin and fraxin-related chemicals protect HUVECs from oxidative stress.
Catalase/metabolism ; Cell Survival/drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Coumarins/*chemistry/*pharmacology ; Endothelial Cells/drug effects/metabolism ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide/pharmacology ; Lipid Peroxidation/drug effects ; Molecular Structure ; Oxidative Stress/*drug effects ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Structure-Activity Relationship ; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism ; Umbilical Cord/drug effects/metabolism

Methyl gallate (meGAL) is known as one of major antioxidants. To investigate whether meGAL protects human cells from oxidative stress, meGAL extracted from Korean medicinal plant, Cercis chinensis leaves, was primarily screened using cell viability assay against oxidative stress. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with three different concentrations of meGAL for indicated time. After or during meGAL treatment, H2O2 was added and incubated. meGAL showed free radical scavenging effect at low concentration (0.02 mM) and cell protective effect against H2O2-mediated oxidative stress. meGAL recovered viability of HUVECs damaged by H2O2-treatment, reduced the lipid peroxidation (LPO) and decreased the internal reactive oxygen species (ROS) level elevated by H2O2-treatment. Free radical scavenging effect of meGAL was proven to be very high. Differential display reverse transcription-PCR analysis showed that meGAL upregulated the levels of regulator of chromatin condensation 1, type 1 sigma receptor and phosphate carrier protein expressions, respectively. Based on structural similarity compared with meGAL, 14 chemicals were chosen and viability assay was performed. Four chemicals, haematommic acid (56.2% enhancement of viability), gallic acid (35.0%), methylorsellinic acid (23.7%), and syringic acid (20.8%), enhanced more potent cell viability than meGAL, which showed only 18.1% enhancement of cell viability. These results suggest that meGAL and four meGAL-related chemicals protect HUVECs from oxidative stress.
Antioxidants/*chemistry/*pharmacology ; Biological Assay ; Catalase/analysis ; Endothelial Cells/*drug effects/enzymology ; Fabaceae/*metabolism ; Free Radical Scavengers/chemistry/pharmacology ; Gallic Acid/*analogs & derivatives/chemistry/pharmacology ; Gene Expression/drug effects ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Oxidative Stress/*drug effects/genetics ; Plant Extracts/chemistry/pharmacology ; Plant Leaves/metabolism ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Superoxide Dismutase/analysis ; Umbilical Veins/cytology ; Water/pharmacology