Narrow Results

This was the first study to determine the effect of tanshinone IIA (an active ingredient in herb Danshen) on fetuses in utero under unstressed condition. Tanshinone IIA or 0.9% NaCl as control was intravenously (i.v.) administrated into pregnant ewes. Both maternal and fetal blood were analyzed for PO₂, PCO₂, SO₂%, hemoglobin, hemotecrit, glucose, lactic acid, Na⁺, K⁺, and Cl^- concentrations. Maternal and fetal heart functions were assessed by examining cardiac enzymes and cardiovascular responses. The results showed that tanshinone IIA did not alter the blood values in ewes and fetuses. Cardiac enzyme activities related to the heart remained unchanged. In cardiovascular experiments, no alternation in maternal blood pressure by tanshinone IIA was observed. However, fetal systolic pressure was slightly and significantly increased following i.v. tanshinone IIA into the mothers, while fetal diastolic pressure, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate were not changed. The results demonstrated that tanshinone IIA used during the last third of gestation did not cause the biochemical changes related to cardiac functions in both maternal and fetal sheep. Fetal oxygen metabolism remained stable in utero, providing new information for clinical use of the herb in pregnancy. That tanshinone IIA increased fetal systolic pressure may open new opportunities to study the herb in fetal medicine.

In North America, a high proportion of pregnant women use herbal medications including North American ginseng. This medicinal plant contains high amounts of triterpene saponins (ginsenosides), which are the main bioactive compounds. It is important to assess ginseng’s impact on all reproductive functions to ensure the safety of pregnant women and fetuses. In this study, we defined the concentration-responsive effects of North American alcoholic and aqueous ginseng extracts on preimplantation development in vitro and on pregnancy and post-partum development in the mouse. Two-cell mouse embryos were cultured with 5 different concentrations of whole ginseng root extracts, or ginsenosides Rb1, Rg1 and Re alone, a combinatorial ginsenoside solution and a crude polysaccharide fraction solution. Embryonic development and recovery from each treatment was assessed. To investigate the in vivo effects of ginseng extracts, female mice were gavaged with 50mg/kg/day, 500mg/kg/day or 2000mg/kg/day of either extract (treatment) or water (sham) for 2 weeks prior to mating and throughout gestation. Gestation period, litter size, pup growth and pup sex ratio were evaluated. Oral ginseng consumption did not significantly affect fertility or pregnancy in the mouse. High doses of ginseng (2000mg/kg/day) decreased maternal weight gain. Direct treatment of preimplantation embryos in vitro demonstrated that ALC and AQ extract treatment reduced development in a concentration responsive manner, while only ALC extract effects were largely reversible. Treatments with individual or combinatorial ginsenosides, or the polysaccharide fraction solution alone did not impair preimplantation development, in vitro. In conclusion, maternal oral consumption of ginseng has little negative impact on pregnancy in the mouse, however, direct exposure to ginseng extract during mouse preimplantation development in vitro is detrimental.

Background: To investigate the clinical effect of modified Baihe Gujin Decoction in treatment of cough during pregnancy.

Methods: A total of 31 pregnant women with cough were recruited from First Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Shanghai Qingpu District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from February 2016 to June 2020. The patients were treated with modified Baihe Gujin Decoction for two weeks according to their unique symptoms and signs. The cough symptoms were evaluated and the symptom scores were calculated at Day 0 (time of enrollment), Day 7, and Day 14, respectively.

Results: Of 31 cases, 4 cases were clinically cured and 24 cases showed marked improvement, with 3 cases showing no improvement.

Conclusions: Modified Baihe Gujin Decoction can significantly improve the symptoms of cough during pregnancy.

Cancer is diagnosed in about 1 in 1000 pregnant women. The incidence is predicted to rise, as women increasingly delay their pregnancies until later in life. The most frequent cancers diagnosed in pregnancy are cervical, breast, leukaemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, malignant melanoma and thyroid. The optimal management of cancer in pregnancy requires a multidisciplinary team approach, with involvement of the medical oncologist, obstetrician, neonatologist, surgeon, radiation oncologist, allied health staff, general practitioner, nursing staff, pathologist, radiologist and pharmacist. Treatment should be carefully tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. The health and welfare of both the mother and the foetus must be considered, but these parties may have conflicting interests, particularly regarding the use of chemotherapy. Depending on the type of cancer and the stage at diagnosis, delaying chemotherapy until after delivery is not always an option and chemotherapy is often delivered during pregnancy. There is a paucity of prospective studies regarding diagnosis and treatment of cancer in pregnancy; however, there are numerous reports of the safe use of chemotherapy during the second and third trimesters. This chapter focuses on managing breast cancer and lymphoma during pregnancy.