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.