Roles for components of the feto-amniotic unit in maintaining pregnancy

我们的研究结果表明，介导人类胎儿肾上腺（HFA）外区类固醇生成机制的因子，在妊娠后期表现出与HFA外区皮质醇和醛固酮合成的体内发生相关的区域和/或个体表达模式。midkine是一种肝素结合生长因子，可能从胎儿肺部分泌到羊水中，通过下调cox2抑制羊水中前列腺素e2的生成，提示其作为胎儿维持妊娠的信号。

Our results demonstrate that factors that mediate the steroid-producing machinery in the outer zone of the human fetal adrenal gland(HFA), show zonal and/or ontogenic expression patterns relevant to the in vivo occurrence of cortisol and aldosterone synthesis at the periphery of the HFA in late gestation. Results also show that midkine, a heparin-binding growth factor, is likely secreted from the fetal lung into the amniotic fluid, and can suppress amniotic production of prostaglandin E2via COX2down-regulation, indicative of its role as a fetal signal for maintaining pregnancy.