Last Trimester Of Gestation Research Articles

Hematologic and IgG responses of heifers experimentally infected with the agent of epizootic bovine abortion

Epizootic bovine abortion (EBA) is a tick-transmitted abortive disease of beef cattle in the western United States. Infected cattle do not have clinical signs until abortion occurs, usually within the last trimester of gestation. There is little information on the hematologic response of the dam following infection. The purpose of this study was to determine if changes in blood leukocytes and serum IgG concentrations could be detected following experimental infection of pregnant heifers with the etiologic agent of EBA (aoEBA). Twelve Angus heifers were infected during gestation with the aoEBA using an inoculum prepared from the thymus of an infected fetus. Five pregnant heifer controls were given an inoculum prepared from the thymus of an aoEBA-negative calf. PCVs, total and differential leukocyte counts, and serum IgG concentrations were measured weekly following administration of the inocula until abortion or calving. Gross and microscopic examinations were performed on all aborted fetuses to confirm infection. Eleven of 12 heifers in the treatment group aborted, and significant findings were decreased lymphocyte counts at weeks 1 and 14 postinoculation and increased monocyte counts at week 4 compared with control animals. Serum IgG concentrations were significantly increased at weeks 6-8 and 11 in the treatment group. Leukogram changes are subtle in infected cattle. Future research efforts should be aimed at development of an antibody test specific for detection of previously infected animals, which could graze safely on EBA-endemic pastures.

Premature birth is associated with not fully differentiated contractile smooth muscle cells in human umbilical artery

Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) participate to the regulation of peripheral arterial resistance and blood pressure. To assume their function, SMCs differentiate throughout the normal vascular development from a synthetic phenotype towards a fully differentiated contractile phenotype by acquiring a repertoire of proteins involved in contraction. In human fetal muscular arteries and umbilical arteries (UAs), no data are available regarding the differentiation of SMCs during the last trimester of gestation. The objective of this study was to characterize the phenotype of SMCs during this gestation period in human UAs. We investigated the phenotype of SMCs in human UAs from very preterm (28–31 weeks of gestation), late preterm (32–35 weeks) and term (37–41 weeks) newborns using biochemical and immunohistochemical detection of α-actin, smooth muscle myosin heavy chain, smoothelin, and non-muscle myosin heavy chain. We found that the number of SMCs positive for smoothelin in UAs increased with gestational age. Western blot analysis revealed a higher content of smoothelin in term compared to very preterm UAs. These results show that SMCs in human UAs gradually acquire a fully differentiated contractile phenotype during the last trimester of gestation and thus that premature birth is associated with not fully differentiated contractile SMCs in human UAs.

Serum trace mineral variations in Nili-Ravi buffaloes suffering with prepartum vaginal prolapse in two different agro-ecological zones of Punjab, Pakistan

The present study was conducted during 2005 and 2006 on 200 Nili-Ravi buffaloes kept in two agroecological zones (irrigated [zone 1] and rain-fed [zone-2]) of Punjab, Pakistan, with the objective to determine the level of trace minerals (Cu, Fe, Zn, Se) in serum of the buffaloes suffering from vaginal prolapse and to compare them with their healthy counterparts. In each zone 50 buffaloes suffering from prepartum vaginal prolapse during their seventh month of gestation were identified through survey. Vaginal prolapse-affected buffaloes belonging to zone 1 were identified as group VPB1 (N = 50), whereas buffaloes belonging to zone 2 were recognized as VPB2 (N = 50). The buffaloes of control group in zone 1 and zone 2 were identified as NCB1 and NCB2, respectively. The blood samples in all four groups of buffaloes were collected three times, i.e., first when these animals were in the eighth month of gestation, second during the eighth to ninth month of gestation, and finally when these animals were in the ninth or later month of gestation. The mean serum copper concentrations in buffaloes of group VPB1 were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in comparison with NCB1 and NCB2, whereas there were nonsignificant differences (P > 0.05) in copper concentrations between VPB1 and VPB2. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) of iron concentration in VPB1 compared with NCB1 and NCB2. Similarly, VPB2 also had significantly lower (P < 0.05) iron concentrations compared with NCB1 and NCB2. Serum zinc concentrations were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in animals of the VPB1 group when compared with NCB1 and NCB2. Similarly, lower zinc concentrations were observed in VPB2 in comparison with NCB1 and NCB2. There was significantly lower (P < 0.05) zinc concentration in affected buffaloes (VPB1 and VPB2) from the ninth month of gestation to term when compared with those in the eighth to ninth mo of gestation, and with those not yet in the eighth month of gestation. Serum selenium concentration were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in control group buffaloes (NCB1 and NCB2) in comparison with vaginal prolapse-affected buffaloes (VPB1 and VPB2). During different stages of gestation, mean serum selenium concentrations varied nonsignificantly (P > 0.05) within each group of buffalo. Based on information obtained from this study, it was concluded that the low serum concentration of copper and selenium are linked to increased incidence of vaginal prolapse in buffaloes during the last trimester of gestation.

Central Angiotensin I Increases Swallowing Activity and Oxytocin Release in the Near-Term Ovine Fetus

The brain renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays an important role in hydromineral and neuroendocrine balance. Although previous studies showed that exogenous angiotensin (Ang) II increased dipsogenic and vasopressin responses in near-term fetuses, little is known about the functional development of fetal endogenous brain RAS in the regulation of body fluid homeostasis. To determine the functional development of the central angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in utero, we investigated the electrocortical (ECoG) activity, swallowing activity, oxytocin (OT) release, and c-fos expression in response to intracerebroventricular Ang I administration in the near-term fetal lamb. Ang I did not change fetal low-voltage (LV) and high-voltage (HV) ECoG temporal distributions, but increased fetal swallowing activity during LV ECoG (1.0 ± 0.1 to 3.5 ± 0.4 swallows/min). Additionally, Ang I evoked an increase in c-fos-immunoreactivity in putative dipsogenic centers, including the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus, accompanied by an increase in fetal plasma OT levels. The expression of c-fos was demonstrated in OT neurons in the hypothalamus. The Ang I-mediated increase in fetal swallowing and plasma OT was inhibited by captopril. These results demonstrate the functional development of the fetal brain ACE system in the last trimester of gestation, which plays an important role in the RAS-mediated dipsogenic response and OT release in the regulation of body fluid homeostasis.

Programming Effects of Antenatal Corticosteroids Exposure in Male Sexual Behavior

Brain regions implicated in sexual behavior begin to differentiate in the last trimester of gestation. Antenatal therapy with corticosteroids is often used in clinical practice during this period to accelerate lung maturation in preterm-risk pregnancies. Clinical and animal studies highlighted major behavioral impairments induced later in life by these treatments, especially when synthetic corticosteroids are used. To evaluate the implications of acute prenatal treatment with natural vs. synthetic corticosteroids on adult male rat sexual behavior and its neurochemical correlates. Twelve pregnant Wistar rats were injected with dexamethasone (DEX-1 mg/kg), corticosterone (CORT-25 mg/kg), or saline on late gestation (pregnancy days 18 and 19). Following this brief exposure to corticosteroids, we assessed the sexual behavior of the adult male progeny and subsequently associated these behaviors with the levels of catecholamines and mRNA of dopamine and androgen receptors (AR) in brain regions relevant for sexual behavior. Sexual behavior of adult male offspring was assessed by exposure to receptive females. This was associated with serum testosterone levels and levels of catecholamines (determined by high-performance liquid chromatography) and dopamine and AR mRNA expression (real-time polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) in brain regions implicated in sexual behavior. Prenatal DEX exposure resulted in a decreased number and increased mounts and intromissions latencies in adulthood. These findings were associated with decreased levels of serum testosterone and increased hypothalamic expression of AR mRNA. DEX animals also displayed lower dopamine levels and higher dopamine receptor mRNA expression both in hypothalamus and nucleus accumbens (NAcc). The milder phenotype of CORT animals was associated only with decreased dopamine levels in NAcc. Antenatal corticotherapy programs adult male sexual behavior through changes in specific neuronal and endocrine mediators. Importantly, equipotent doses of CORT trigger less detrimental consequences than DEX, emphasizing the differential impact of activation of the different corticosteroid receptors.

Calcium Ion Transport-Related Genes, TRPV6, PMCA1, NCKX3, CaBP-28k Are Differentially Expressed in Human Placental Cell Line (BeWo).

Preeclampsia is pregnancy-specific disease characterized de-novo development of concurrent hypertension, proteinuria and oxidative stress in placenta. Hypoxia occurs during the development of placenta in the first trimester and is implicated in trophoblast differentiation. In placenta, intervillous blood flow increases after 10 weeks of gestation and results in exposure of trophoblast cells to oxygen. During last trimester of gestation, the calcium (Ca2+) transport from mother to fetus increases dramatically in response to the accelerated demand for Ca2+ caused by bone mineralization in the fetus. Regarding the molecular basis of Ca2+ transport, several studies suggest that transcellular active Ca2+ transport is comprised of three processes: (1) the apical Ca2+ entry, (2) the binding with calbindins that serves as an intracellular Ca2+ buffer, and (3) basolateral exit. In this study, cell membrane and cytosolic calcium transporters (TRPV6, PMCA1, NCKX3 and CaBP-28k) were investigated at induced oxidative stress in human placental cell line (BeWo). The expression of calcium transporters (TRPV6, PMCA1, NCKX3 and CaBP-28k) were potential roles in BeWo cell remain to be clarified. In hypoxia, human placental cell (BeWo) expression of TRPV6 mRNA and protein level was not altered, however, calcium transporters (NCKX3, CaBP-28k) were increase at hypoxic BeWo cell compared with control group (normoxia). In addition, expression of PMCA1 mRNA and protein was decreased at hypoxic BeWo cell. Taken together, these results indicate that calcium transporters (TRPV6, PMCA1, NCKX3 and CaBP-28k) are distinctly expressed by induced oxidative stress, in BeWo cell, suggesting that alterations of calcium transporters in hypoxic stress may be involved in placenta cell is a determinant factor affecting calcium transfer in BeWo cell model. (poster)

A melodic contour repeatedly experienced by human near-term fetuses elicits a profound cardiac reaction one month after birth.

BackgroundHuman hearing develops progressively during the last trimester of gestation. Near-term fetuses can discriminate acoustic features, such as frequencies and spectra, and process complex auditory streams. Fetal and neonatal studies show that they can remember frequently recurring sounds. However, existing data can only show retention intervals up to several days after birth.Methodology/Principal FindingsHere we show that auditory memories can last at least six weeks. Experimental fetuses were given precisely controlled exposure to a descending piano melody twice daily during the 35th, 36th, and 37th weeks of gestation. Six weeks later we assessed the cardiac responses of 25 exposed infants and 25 naive control infants, while in quiet sleep, to the descending melody and to an ascending control piano melody. The melodies had precisely inverse contours, but similar spectra, identical duration, tempo and rhythm, thus, almost identical amplitude envelopes. All infants displayed a significant heart rate change. In exposed infants, the descending melody evoked a cardiac deceleration that was twice larger than the decelerations elicited by the ascending melody and by both melodies in control infants.Conclusions/SignificanceThus, 3-weeks of prenatal exposure to a specific melodic contour affects infants ‘auditory processing’ or perception, i.e., impacts the autonomic nervous system at least six weeks later, when infants are 1-month old. Our results extend the retention interval over which a prenatally acquired memory of a specific sound stream can be observed from 3–4 days to six weeks. The long-term memory for the descending melody is interpreted in terms of enduring neurophysiological tuning and its significance for the developmental psychobiology of attention and perception, including early speech perception, is discussed.

Fuel-Mediated Teratogenesis and Breastfeeding

About 30 years ago, Norbert Freinkel and Boyd Metzger introduced a seminal hypothesis into developmental medicine and diabetes research. The fuel-mediated teratogenesis concept says that prenatal exposure to increased levels of “mixed nutrients,” especially increased glucose, and the corresponding increase in fetal insulin have immediate as well as long-lasting deleterious consequences for the offspring of diabetic mothers (1,2). In fact, this paradigm became a kind of forerunner of today's rapidly expanding fields of “perinatal programming” and “developmental origins of health and disease.” It has variously been proven to be valid and has even been extended to the case of maternal overweight during pregnancy (3). Accordingly, exposure to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and overweight is meanwhile one of the best proven paradigms concerning the long-term impact of perinatal programming (4,5). It is crucial for the concept of fuel-mediated teratogenesis that altered food supply during critical periods of early development gives rise to lasting deleterious consequences. Differentiation and maturation, however, of affected organs and systems, such as pancreas, adipose tissue, and brain, are not finished at birth (2). The question therefore arises whether a prolongation of these critical exposures into the neonatal period might have similar effects. Colostrum is already produced during the last trimester of gestation. The composition of early breast milk reflects metabolic changes that occur in GDM (6). Moreover, in a considerable number of women with GDM, glucose metabolism does not completely normalize after pregnancy (7). Studies suggest that breast milk from women with diabetes contains, for example, increased levels of glucose and insulin as compared with breast milk from healthy mothers (6,8,9). Moreover, it has been shown that not only glucose but even hormones like insulin and leptin are absorbed from milk in the immature gut of an …

Persistence of decidual NK cells and KIR genotypes in healthy pregnant and preeclamptic women: a case-control study in the third trimester of gestation

BackgroundNatural Killer (NK) cells are the most abundant lymphocytes in the decidua during early gestation. The interactions of NK cells with the extravillous cytotrophoblast have been associated with a normal spiral artery remodeling process, an essential event for a successful pregnancy. Recent data indicate that alterations in the amount of decidual NK (dNK) cells contribute to the development of preeclampsia (PE). Moreover, genetic studies suggest that Killer Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIR) expressed in dNK cells influence the susceptibility to PE. Although dNK cells have been well characterized during early pregnancy, they have been scarcely studied in the third trimester of gestation. The aim of this work was to characterize dNK cells at the last trimester of gestation and to analyze the KIR genotype of healthy and PE women.MethodsDecidual samples were obtained during Caesarean section from control (n = 10) and PE (n = 9) women. Flow cytometric analysis of CD3, CD56, CD16 and CD9 was used to characterize and quantify dNK cells in both groups. Cell surface markers from decidual leukocytes were compared with PBMC from healthy donors.KIR genotyping was performed in genomic DNA (control, n = 86; PE, n = 90) using PCR-SSP.ResultsThe results indicate that dNK cells persist throughout pregnancy. They represented 20% of total leukocytes in control and PE groups, and they expressed the same cell surface markers (CD3-, CD56+, CD16- and CD9+) as dNK in the first trimester of gestation. There were no significant differences in the percentage of dNK cells between control and PE groups. The analysis of KIR gene frequencies and genotypes was not statistically different between control and PE groups. The ratio of activating to inhibitory genes indicated that the overall inhibitory balance (0.2-0.5) was more frequent in the PE group (control, 31.3% vs PE, 45.5%), and the activating balance (0.6-1.1) was more frequent in the control group (control, 68.6% vs PE, 54.4%). However this difference was not significant.ConclusionWe demonstrated the persistence of dNK cells in PE and control women at the third trimester of pregnancy; these dNK cells had a similar phenotype to those found during early pregnancy. The predominance of a KIR inhibitory balance in the PE group could be associated to the physiopathology of PE.

The Distribution of MAP-2 Phosphorylation in Cerebral Cortex of Long-Tailed Monkey Fetuses (Macaca fascicularis) in the Last Trimester of Gestation

Memories are storage in cholinoceptive cells, the cells which are enriched with microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) that localized in the neuronal dendrite and the cell bodies. Phosphorylation of MAP-2 may increase memory with reduce stability of dendrite by altered dendrite length and lead new side-branches of neuronal as a neuronal plasticity processes in cerebral cortex. The aim of this research is to study the distribution of MAP-2 phosphorylation neurons in cerebral cortex of long-tailed macaques in the third semester of gestational immunohistochemically using avidin biotin conjugated complex method. Neurons MAP-2 phosphorylation immunoreactive were located in dendrites and cell bodies, mostly in pyramidal neurons of cerebral cortex. Intensity of MAP-2 phosphorylation immunoreactivity in layer V were stronger than another layer and the neurons that very intensely stained were the pyramidal cells in frontal and parietal lobes, that was suggested that neurons in this areas more responsive to neuroplasticity. From the results we concluded that MAP-2 phosphorylation already distributed in the cerebral cortex of long-tailed macaque fetuses at the last trimester of gestation, mostly in the pyramidal cells of layer V that is suggested plays a role for preparation of memory formation. Keywords: fetus, long-tailed monkey, cerebral cortex, memory, MAP-2 phosphorylation

Transmission of Light to the Young Primate Retina: Possible Implications for the Formation of Lipofuscin

The purpose of this study was to determine the transmission properties of the anterior segment of young primate eyes and potentially relate those changes to photochemical processes in the retina that lead to the early, rapid formation of lipofuscin. A simple method has been developed to determine the optical properties of the anterior segment of the intact eye. Using this technique, the transmission/absorption properties of primate cadaver eyes were determined. A young primate anterior segment has a maximum absorption at 365nm due to the presence of the O-β-glucoside of 3-hydroxykynurenine in the lens. This is synthesized in the last trimester of gestation. Although this compound filters out most of the UV light from reaching the retina, there is a small window of transmission centered on an absorption minimum at 320nm. This closes by the second decade of life. The window of transmission of UV light to the primate retina may explain the initial accelerated formation of lipofuscin in the young human retina by a photochemical process. This would be exacerbated by any decrease in the ozone layer with concomitant increase in UV-B reaching the earth's surface.

Toxoplasma gondii: Infection natural congenital in cattle and an experimental inoculation of gestating cows with oocysts

Two studies, of a natural infection and an experimental infection, were performed in order to study congenital transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in cattle. In the first study, 50 fetuses were harvested from gestating cows that were eutanasied at a municipal slaughterhouse in Jaboticabal, São Paulo state, Brazil. In the second study, 11 gestating cows were divided into four groups for inoculation with T. gondii: GI consisted of three cows inoculated with 1.0 × 10 5 oocysts during their first trimester of gestation; GII consisted of three cows inoculated with 1.0 × 10 5 oocysts during their second trimester of gestation; GIII consisted of three cows inoculated with 1.0 × 10 5 oocysts during their last trimester of gestation; and GIV consisted of two control cows, one during its first and the other during its second trimester of gestation. In both studies, the presence of T. gondii was confirmed both indirectly by immunofluorescence assay (IFAT). In the natural infection experiment, 18% (9/50) of the gestating cows were confirmed to have specific antibodies (IFAT – 1:64) against T. gondii. The bioassay was able to diagnose the presence of T. gondii in the tissue samples from three calves. In the second experiment, the nine cows from groups I, II and III presented with specific antibodies (IFAT) against T. gondii. In contrast, T. gondii could not be detected by IFAT, histopathological examination or the bioassay in any of the nine calves born to cows experimentally infected with T. gondii oocysts. Based on the results from both studies, we conclude that congenital infection of T. gondii in cattle, while infrequent, does occur naturally. The pathogenicity of the strain of T. gondii may influence the likelihood of this route of transmission.

Abundance of some skeletal muscle mitochondrial proteins is associated with increased blood serum insulin in bovine fetuses

The aim of this study was to investigate the evolution of the abundance of cytochrome oxidase c subunit IV (NCOIV) and beta subunit of ATP synthase (β-ATP) during the last third of gestation in bovine skeletal muscles. Semitendinosus, longissimus thoracis and rectus abdominis muscles were chosen for the immunoblotting of the respective protein levels. Muscle and blood samples from bovine fetuses of randomly selected breeds were collected at 180, 210, and 260 days post-conception (dpc). The muscle tissue expressions of NCOIV, β-ATP were compared to blood glucose and insulin. At 260 dpc, protein levels of NCOIV raised in skeletal muscles. Additionally, β-ATP in semitendinosus and longissimus thoracis were elevated and paralleled by higher concentrations of blood serum insulin. It corroborates our previous observations indicating that accelerated metabolic differentiation of bovine skeletal muscles is associated with elevated blood insulin and occurs during the last trimester of gestation. Our observations point to the connection between insulin-sensitivity and the molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial contribution to ontogenesis of skeletal muscles.

Influência da gestação e do puerpério no lipidograma de bovinos da raça Holandesa

Avaliou-se a influência da gestação e do puerpério no lipidograma de bovinos da raça Holandesa por meio da determinação de colesterol, triglicérides, ácidos graxos não esterificados (AGNE), β-hidroxibutirato (β-HBO) e glicose em 80 amostras de soro e plasma sangüíneo. Os animais foram distribuídos em cinco grupos (G) experimentais: G1 - constituído por 16 fêmeas não prenhes; G2 -18 fêmeas na fase inicial da gestação (com até três meses); G3 - 15 fêmeas prenhes, entre três e seis meses de gestação; G4 - 15 fêmeas na fase final da gestação (entre seis e nove meses); G5 - 16 fêmeas recém-paridas, com até 30 dias de puerpério. Houve influência da gestação sobre o lipidograma, pois os teores séricos de AGNE foram mais altos no terço final da gestação, enquanto os teores séricos de β - HBO foram mais elevados durante o terço inicial de gestação. O puerpério influenciou os constituintes do lipidograma, pois, nos primeiros 30 dias após a parição, os teores séricos de AGNE e β - HBO foram mais altos, enquanto os de triglicérides foram mais baixos nos animais no puerpério em relação aos que estavam em gestação.

Polyhydramnios and bone development: An unexplored relationship

Immersion of a humans and Macaca mulatta into a pool with fluid whose specific weight is equal to their specific weight cause bone demineralization. Also, in professional scuba divers, bone mineral density is reduced. Because of water immersion, the apparent weight of scuba divers represents 10% of their actual weight. The aim of this paper was to point out a previously unexplored aspect of fetal bone development in an environment lacking adequate mechanical stress on fetal bone, such as polyhydramnios. In the first part of gestation, the human fetus develops under conditions similar to neutral floating and has an apparent weight which is approximately 5% of its actual weight. During the last trimester of gestation, the fetus overgrows the intrauterine cavity and its apparent body weight is 60-80% of its actual weight. Polyhydramnios represents an excess of amniotic fluid in the uterus during gestation and it can reduce the apparent weight of the fetus to 10-20% of its actual weight. Reduction of the mechanical stress on fetal bone caused by polyhydramnios may significantly affect bone development and ossification during the last trimester of gestation. It is necessary to direct further studies towards examining bone development and mineralization in newborns from gestations complicated by polyhydramnios. A complete lack of data and studies on fetal bone development and bone mineralization in pregnancies complicated by polyhydramnios is not surprising. There is still a misleading opinion that the fetus is in weightlessness condition in the intrauterine environment throughout the second half of gestation regardless of the amount of amniotic fluid.

Single and twin ongoing pregnancies in two cases of previous ART failure after ICSI performed with sperm sorted using annexin V microbeads

To treat couples with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) after annexin V sperm sorting. Two case reports. Department of Reproductive Medicine at a private medical institute. Couples on infertility treatment, donor oocytes. Sperm sorted with annexin V magnetic microbeads before ICSI, day 3 embryo transfer; case 1: ovum donation; case 2: patient oocytes. 1) Sperm DNA fragmentation (terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling [TUNEL]) and active caspase-3 (immunocytochemistry); 2) fertilization rate, embryonic quality, blastocyst development of nontransferred embryos, and pregnancy outcome after ICSI of sorted sperm. Case 1: Premature ovarian failure patient with previous fertilization failures: asthenoteratozoospermia, abnormal DNA fragmentation (TUNEL 30%; normal <20%). ICSI with annexin V-treated sperm done on six donated metaphase II (MII) oocytes; four fertilized, and a 5-cell/grade-2 and a 6-cell/grade-2-3 embryo were transfered. A day 5 blastocyst was cryopreserved. The patient was in the last trimester of gestation. Case 2: Couple with >4 years of primary infertility and recent ICSI failure. Semen with teratozoospermia (5% normal forms [Kruger]) and abnormal active caspase-3 (16%; normal <11%). ICSI with annexin V-treated sperm done on 9 MII oocytes. All fertilized; a 7-cell/grade-1 and an 8-cell/grade-1-2 embryo were transferred. A day 5 expanded blastocyst was cryopreserved. The patient was in the second trimester of a twin normal pregnancy. Sperm sorting with annexin V columns was effective in the treatment of two cases of ICSI failure, resulting in a single and a twin pregnancy after transfer of two embryos in each case.

The Proapoptotic BH3-Only, Bcl-2 Family Member, Puma Is Critical for Acute Ethanol-Induced Neuronal Apoptosis

Synaptogenesis in humans occurs in the last trimester of gestation and in the first few years of life, whereas it occurs in the postnatal period in rodents. A single exposure of neonatal rodents to ethanol during this period evokes extensive neuronal apoptosis. Previous studies indicate that ethanol triggers the intrinsic apoptotic pathway in neurons, and that this requires the multi-BH domain, proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bax. To define the upstream regulators of this apoptotic pathway, we examined the possible roles of p53 and a subclass of proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members (i.e. the BH3 domain-only proteins) in neonatal wild-type and gene-targeted mice that lack these cell death inducers. Acute ethanol exposure produced greater caspase-3 activation and neuronal apoptosis in wild-type mice than in saline-treated littermate controls. Loss of p53-upregulated mediator of apoptosis (Puma) resulted in marked protection from ethanol-induced caspase-3 activation and apoptosis. Although Puma expression has been reported to be regulated by p53, p53-deficient mice exhibited a similar extent of ethanol-induced caspase-3 activation and neuronal apoptosis as wild-type mice. Mice deficient in other proapoptotic BH3-only proteins, including Noxa, Bim, or Hrk, showed no significant protection from ethanol-induced neuronal apoptosis. Collectively, these studies indicate a p53-independent, Bax- and Puma-dependent mechanism of neuronal apoptosis and identify Puma as a possible molecular target for inhibiting the effects of intrauterine ethanol exposure in humans.

Impacto de la investigación sistemática de estreptococo del grupo B en orina en la identificación de gestantes colonizadas

To evaluate the effectiveness of systematic investigation for Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in urine samples to detect colonization in pregnant women. This study included 1036 pregnant women whose urine samples were cultured in our laboratory during 2006. Any colony consistent with GBS was identified in urine or in rectovaginal samples submitted for screening of GBS colonization. GBS was recovered in urine samples from 111 of the 1036 women (10.7%), and in 77 of them bacterial count was <10(4) colony forming units/mL. Screening for GBS in rectovaginal samples was performed in 841 of the 925 pregnant women who did not have GBS bacteriuria (10.1% positive results) and in 61 of the 111 with GBS bacteriuria (60.7% positive results; no significant differences were found when results were stratified by colony count). Estimated rectovaginal colonization was 15.4%, and colonization exclusively detected in urine was 4.2%. Only 30% of pregnant women with GBS bacteriuria, but negative antenatal screening cultures who were admitted to our hospital for delivery received intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis. Systematic investigation of the presence of GBS in urine samples from pregnant women improves the detection of carriers who are candidates for receiving intrapartum prophylaxis to prevent perinatal GBS infection, when compared with rectovaginal screening culture in the last trimester of gestation alone.

Metabolism and lactation performance in dairy cows fed a diet containing rumen-protected fat during the last twelve weeks of gestation

Effects of dietary fat supplementation prepartum on liver lipids and metabolism in dairy cows are contradictory. Thus, we examined in 18 German Holstein cows (half-sib; first lactation 305-d milk yield >9,000kg) whether dietary fat:carbohydrate ratio during the last trimester of gestation affects lipid metabolism and milk yield. The diets were formulated to be isoenergetic and isonitrogenous but differed in rumen-protected fat (FD; 28 and 46.5g/kg of dry matter during far-off and close-up dry period; mainly C16:0 and C18:1) and starch concentration [carbohydrate diet (CD); 2.3 times as much starch as FD]. Diets were given ad libitum starting 12wk before expected parturition. After parturition all cows were fed a single lactation diet ad libitum for 14wk. With the FD treatment, dry matter intake was depressed prepartum, milk yield during first 4wk of lactation was lower (36.9 vs. 41.0kg/d), and postpartum energy balance during this period was more negative. During the first 4wk, cows in the FD group had lower lactose percentage and yield but higher milk fat, whereas milk protein and fat yield as well as energy-corrected milk did not differ. Betweenwk 5 and 14, milk fat and milk protein percentage was lower in CD than in FD. Milk fat C14:0 was lower and C16:1 was higher in the FD group. For FD cows, plasma triacylglycerol, nonesterified fatty acids, and cholesterol concentrations were higher prepartum, whereas plasma β-hydroxybutyrate and glucose concentrations were lower. During the first 10 d after parturition, plasma triacylglycerol concentration was higher in FD, and prepartum plasma glucose and cholesterol differences persisted during the first 14wk of lactation. Irrespective of prepartum nutrient composition, concentrations of plasma leptin and subcutaneous fat leptin mRNA decreased between −10 d to +10 d relative to parturition, and liver lipids and glycogen reached maximum and minimal values, respectively, 10 d after parturition. Acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase α mRNA abundance in subcutaneous fat decreased between −10 d to +1 d relative to parturition by 97%, whereas it was generally much lower in the liver and remained at a low level until wk 14 of lactation. In conclusion, feeding a diet containing rumen-protected fat during late lactation and dry period until calving negatively affected dry matter intake, energy balance, and milk yield during subsequent lactation, did not change acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase α mRNA abundance in subcutaneous fat, and was not beneficial for liver lipid accumulation.

Supplementation of diets for gestating sows with zinc amino acid complex and gastric intubation of suckling pigs with zinc-methionine on mineral status, intestinal morphology and bacterial translocation in lipopolysaccharide-challenged early-weaned pigs

Eighty male pigs from 20 litters were used to evaluate dietary addition of 250 mg/kg of Zn from zinc amino acid complex (ZnAA) to sows during the last trimester of gestation and gastric intubation of 40 mg Zn from soluble zinc methionine (ZnMet) to suckling pigs at birth and on day 7 and 14 (weaning) on small intestinal morphology, Zn status and bacterial translocation in early-weaned pigs. At weaning, pigs were challenged with an intramuscular injection of saline without or with 120 μg/kg BW of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; from Escherichia coli O26:B6) and were euthanized 24 h later prior to collection of intestinal lymph nodes and small intestinal sections. Zinc concentration in serum 7 days after birth and at weaning were higher in pigs from ZnAA-supplemented sows and those receiving gastric intubation with ZnMet ( P = 0.05 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Post-weaning liver tissue concentrations for Zn ( P < 0.0001) and Fe ( P = 0.04) were higher and for Cu lower ( P < 0.0001) in pigs intubated with ZnMet. Pigs from ZnAA-supplemented compared with control-fed sows tended ( P < 0.1) to have increased villi height and villus:crypt ratio in the jejunum and higher ( P = 0.1) goblet cell counts in the ileum. Goblet cell counts of ZnMet-intubated ( P = 0.03) and LPS-challenged pigs ( P = 0.05) were also higher in the jejunum. Supplementation of ZnAA to gestating sows increased ( P = 0.04) E. coli colony forming unit counts in the small intestinal mesenteric lymph nodes of early-weaned pigs. In conclusion, dietary addition of ZnAA to gestating sows and gastric intubation of ZnMet improved Zn status of suckling pigs.