Study Reveals Protective Properties of Amniotic Fluid
A new study, published in the journal Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis. found that the addition of amniotic fluid to plasma-the liquid portion of blood-improves the blood’s ability to thicken and clot, which is a critical and likely a protective function throughout pregnancy and during delivery for both the birthing parent and the baby.
Researchers analyzed the properties of amniotic fluid obtained by amniocentesis, a prenatal test that involves sampling a small amount of amniotic fluid to examine the health of the pregnancy, from both human and non-human primates at gestational-age matched timepoints. The findings showed that amniotic fluid increases blood clotting through key fatty acids and proteins that change each trimester and help regulate coagulation.
With the untapped potential for amniotic fluid to aid in diagnosing and treating various prenatal conditions, researchers are now collaborating with Sanjay Malhotra, Ph.D., professor of cell, developmental and cancer biology in the OHSU School of Medicine, to target disorders of pregnancy — including disorders that affect the blood and blood-forming organs — that could benefit from the protective properties of proteins and other compounds within amniotic fluid.
“We have always known that amniotic fluid is very important for fetal development and growth, but we don’t know much about it beyond that,” said the study’s corresponding author Jamie Lo, M.D., M.C.R., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology (maternal-fetal medicine) in the OHSU School of Medicine, and Division of Reproductive & Developmental Sciences at the Oregon National Primate Research Center, or ONPRC. “We examined amniotic fluid across the pregnancy and found that indeed the composition and proteins in the amniotic fluid do change to match the growing needs of the developing baby.”
Reference: Characterization of the procoagulant phenotype of amniotic fluid across gestation in rhesus macaques and humans, Yang, Chih Jen et al., Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Volume 9, Issue 1, 102676
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