{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T23:48:57Z","timestamp":1789775337533,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":110,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"21","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,24]],"date-time":"2022-10-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1666569600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Uterine cervix is one of the essential factors in labor and maintaining the proper course of pregnancy. During the last days of gestation, the cervix undergoes extensive changes manifested by transformation from a tight and rigid to one that is soft and able to dilate. These changes can be summarized as \u201ccervical ripening\u201d. Changes in the cervical tissue can be referred to as remodeling of the extracellular matrix. The entire process is the result of a close relationship between biochemical and molecular pathways, which is strictly controlled by inflammatory and endocrine factors. When the production of reactive oxygen species exceeds the antioxidant capacity, oxidative stress occurs. A physiologic increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) is observed through pregnancy. ROS play important roles as second messengers in many intracellular signaling cascades contributing to the course of gestation. This review considers their involvement in the cervical ripening process, emphasizing the molecular and biochemical pathways and the clinical implications.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms232112780","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,24]],"date-time":"2022-10-24T06:37:45Z","timestamp":1666593465000},"page":"12780","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Impact of Oxidative Stress on Molecular Mechanisms of Cervical Ripening in Pregnant Women"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3327-3334","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maciej W.","family":"Socha","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Perinatology, Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, \u0141ukasiewicza 1, 85-821 Bydgoszcz, Poland"},{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Adalbert\u2019s Hospital in Gda\u0144sk, Copernicus Healthcare Entity, Jana Paw\u0142a II 50, 80-462 Gda\u0144sk, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5847-3092","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wojciech","family":"Flis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Adalbert\u2019s Hospital in Gda\u0144sk, Copernicus Healthcare Entity, Jana Paw\u0142a II 50, 80-462 Gda\u0144sk, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mateusz","family":"Wart\u0119ga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, M. Curie-Sk\u0142odowskiej 9, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Martyna","family":"Stankiewicz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Perinatology, Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, \u0141ukasiewicza 1, 85-821 Bydgoszcz, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"26","DOI":"10.1016\/j.placenta.2018.01.009","article-title":"Oxidative stress induces senescence and sterile inflammation in murine amniotic cavity","volume":"63","author":"Polettini","year":"2018","journal-title":"Placenta"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1016\/S0070-2153(05)68004-0","article-title":"Comparative developmental biology of the mammalian uterus","volume":"68","author":"Spencer","year":"2005","journal-title":"Curr. 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