Fetal Membranes and Alpha Lipoic Acid, Continued

Before I end my treatise on fetal membranes, I thought it would be helpful to share an image of the layers of the fetal membrane. This is from a journal article, Extracellular Matrix Dynamics and Fetal Membrane Rupture (2013), Strauss, J. F.

Here's a quote from the article that I found telling: "It has been hypothesized that fetal membrane rupture involves a sequence of events that starts with distension and loss of elasticity, separation of the chorion and amnion, disruption of the chorion, distension and herniation of the amnion, and finally amnion rupture. This proposed sequence of events appears to be the result of structural alterations in ECM with resulting biomechanical changes in the membranes, primarily the amnion, which is the strongest component of the fetal membranes. Since cervical insufficiency is often associated with PPROM, it is likely that preterm cervical changes facilitate the unscheduled rupture of membranes in PPROM."

There are other articles out there that talk through specific dynamics of what happens to the various layers, if you're interested.

Finally, let's talk alpha lipoic acid (ALA) again.

I realized it might be useful to list the dosage that I've found in the research for alpha lipoic acid as it relates to prevention of pprom. The best study I've found so far is actually focused on prevention of PTL, and it found a massive reduction in risk from a daily dosage of the following: magnesium 225 mg, alpha lipoic acid 100 mg and vitamin B6 1.3 mg - 1x/day. Now, let me say that the reduction is so massive that I am really suspicious of the article. Either they're not correctly describing the population of study participants, or this is too good to be true. But it's probably worth a read if you're interested in research on this topic. Study: Efficacy of Magnesium and Alpha Lipoic Acid Supplementation in Reducing Premature Uterine Contractions (2014), Parente, et. al. I'll probably do a lot more reading on this topic and post anything I discover in the future.

The majority of studies I've found looking at alpha lipoic dosage in humans related to patients with diabetes. In that case, I am routinely reading dosages of 600 mg/day.

I also found a study that made my heart go pitty-patter: pregnant women with subchorionic hemorrhage. Those given both alpha-lipoic acid (300 mg 2x/day) resbsorbed the SCH more quickly than those on progesterone alone. See: Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) effects on subchorionic hematoma: preliminary clinical results.

I also found a single study looking at ALA with IVF patients. It found a higher number of grade 1 embryos in patients taking ALA plus myo-inositol . See: Effect of myo-inositol and alpha-lipoic acid on oocyte quality in polycystic ovary syndrome non-obese women undergoing in vitro fertilization: a pilot study. While that study is interesting, the population is small and using the patients as their own controls is really problematic - so take the results with an entire shaker of salt.

Beyond that, there are many studies using rats and suggesting that ALA protects against reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are correlated to damage to DNA and RNA and are considered agents of cell death. All sounds good, right? Sure, but be aware that ALA is also associated with effects on fetal hormones (protective effects, but effects none the less). In other words, do your own research and think very carefully before you consider taking it.