COLLAGEN OF UMBILICAL-CORD ARTERIES AND ITS ALTERATIONS IN EPH-GESTOSIS

We decided to investigate the EPH-gestosis - connected alterations in collagen of the umbilical cord arteries. The samples of arterial walls were submitted to histological and biochemical studies. It was found that umbilical cord arteries taken from newborns of mothers with EPH-g estosis contain more than twice the amount of collagen in comparison t o corresponding arteries of newborns from normal pregnancies. An incre ase of collagen content in these vessels in accompanied by a slight de crease of its solubility. Types I, III, IV, V and VI collagens were fo und both in normal umbilical cord arteries and in those of newborns de livered by mothers with EPH-gestosis but their proportional relationsh ips were different. EPH-gestosis is accompanied by an increase of a pr oportional amount of type III-collagen and a decrease of type I collag en in umbilical cord arteries. It seems that these changes in the umbi lical cord arteries may be responsible for the decrease of blood flow in fetus of woman with EPH-gestosis.