The cervix undergoes marked mechanical trauma during delivery of the baby at birth. As such, a timely and complete tissue repair postpartum is necessary to prevent obstetrical complications, such as cervicitis, ectropion, hemorrhage, repeated miscarriages or abortions and possibly preterm labor and malignancies. However, our knowledge of normal cervical repair is currently incomplete and factors that influence repair are unclear. Here, we characterize the morphological and angiogenic profile of postpartum repair in mice cervix during the first 48 h of postpartum. The key findings presented here are: (1) cervical epithelial folds and size are diminished during the first 48 h of postpartum repair, (2) hypoxic inducible factor 1a, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and VEGF receptor 1 expression are pronounced early in postpartum cervical repair, and (3) VEGF receptor 2 gene and protein expressions are variable. We conclude that postpartum cervical repair involves gross and microscopic changes and is linked to expression of angiogenic factors. Future studies will assess the suitability of these factors, identified in the present study, as potential markers for determining the phase of postpartum cervical repair in obstetrical complications, such as cervical lacerations.

A timely and complete uterine cervical tissue repair postpartum is of necessity to prevent obstetrical complications, such as cervicitis, ectropion, hemorrhage, repeated miscarriages or abortions and possibly preterm labor and malignancies. We recently characterized the morphological alterations, as well as changes in angiogenic expression profile in a mice uterine cervix during the immediate postpartum period. Here, we build on this previous study using a proteomic analysis to profile postpartum tissue changes in mice cervix during the same period, the first 48 h of postpartum. The current proteomics data reveal a variable expression of several intermediate filaments, cytoskeletal modulators and proteins with immune and/or wound-healing properties. We conclude that postpartum cervical repair involves a rapid and tightly regulated balance between a host of biological factors, notably between anti- and pro-inflammatory factors, executed by the M1 and M2 macrophage cells, as revealed by proteomics and verified by confocal immunofluorescence. Future studies will assess the suitability of some of the key proteins identified in this study as potential markers for determining the phase of postpartum cervical repair in obstetrical complications, such as cervical lacerations.

The uterine cervix undergoes pronounced changes prior to term (pre‐partum) for a timely passage of the fetus, and also marked changes immediately after term or birth (post‐partum=pp) to enhance tissue repair in order to restore the tissue to its nonpregnant state. Because the vasculature plays a vital role in wound repair, it likely plays a similar function in pp uterine cervical repair, and since vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the key architect of vascular events and hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α (HIF‐1α) is the most potent transcription factor of VEGF, we examined the profile of HIF‐1α, VEGF, and VEGF receptors in the pp uterine cervix using timed‐pregnant (day 10) mice (C57BL6/129SvEv) allowed to undergo normal gestation and labor. Tissues (n=3) were harvested at an interval of 8hr, beginning with the emergence of the first pup (0hrs pp) to 48hrs pp, and analyzed for presence and quantity of HIF1‐α and VEGF and its receptors, Flt‐1 & KDR, using qRT‐PCR, Western blot and immunofluorescence. All molecules were found to be readily expressed during the initial part of pp, but declined by 2 days pp, relative to 0hrs pp. We conclude that HIF‐1α, VEGF, Flt‐1 and KDR likely play crucial roles in the wound healing of the pp uterine cervix. Studies to elucidate the potential mechanism underlying the actions of these molecules are ongoing.Funding: Office of Student Research, Appalachian State University.

PURPOSEMany medical schools have adopted a shortened basic science curriculum in favor of a longer clinical curriculum. In an attempt to reduce required contact hours without compromising important high‐yield content, programs have developed and implemented specific learner‐centered teaching strategies We sought to utilize peer‐directed small‐group sessions to enhance student learning in anatomy within a condensed pre‐clinical curriculum . Sessions were designed to guide learners through specific cadaveric prosections.METHODSThree voluntary small‐group sessions were designed to correlate with spinal cord, facial nerve/orbit, and ischioanal fossa prosections in a Medical Gross Anatomy course for first‐year medical students. There was no penalty or reward for attending these sessions, and the prosections were made available to all students, regardless of participation. A short survey was administered after each session. This survey assessed students perceived comfort level with the content area before and after the small‐group session. Student performance on specific test questions related to sessions topics was analyzed and compared between those who attended the small group sessions, and those who did not to determine patterns of performance on the specific topics.RESULTSThere was an increase in the student perceived level of comfort with the material after each of the three small group sessions for both the 2017 and 2018 M1 classes. On a 1‐to‐5 Likert scale (1 lowest; 5 highest) of perceived comfort level with session content, averages before the three small group sessions were significantly increased for each small group session for both years. Analysis of changes in student performance regarding test performance resulted in a slight increase in performance on most questions for those who attended the small groups compared to those who did not. Word cloud analysis of the write‐in portion of the survey revealed several common themes that students thought the small group setting was a strength, and having the facilitator ask more questions of the participants, being a common area for improvement.CONCLUSIONThis work supports peer‐directed and small group learning as an effective avenue for student success in M1 Gross Anatomy. Further analysis of student performance and future studies will help determine whether this could be an effective teaching strategy utilized by other courses during the basic science years.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.