Fetal physiology

Ginsenoside Rg1(Rg1), a monomer of a tetracyclic triterpenoid derivative, possesses diverse medicinal properties attributed to its unique chemical structure and may have beneficial effects on fetal development. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of prenatal exposure to Rg1 against Methimazole-induced gestational hypothyroidism on reflexive behaviors, conditioned fear, and cortical antioxidant levels in mouse offspring.40 female virgin mice and 12 male NMRI mice were assigned to four groups: group 1 served as the control, group 2 received Methimazole(MMI) at a concentration of 0...

Adenylyl cyclases (ACs) are crucial effector enzymes that transduce divergent signals from upstream receptor pathways and are responsible for catalyzing the conversion of ATP to cAMP. The ten AC isoforms are categorized into four main groups; the class III or calcium-inhibited family of ACs comprises AC5 and AC6. These enzymes are very closely related in structure and have a paucity of selective activators or inhibitors, making it difficult to distinguish them experimentally. AC5 and AC6 are highly expressed in the heart and vasculature, as well as the spinal cord and brain; AC6 is also abundant in the lungs, kidney, and liver...

Time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy has been extensively used to detect changes in bimolecular rotation associated with viscosity levels within cells and other solutions. Physiological alterations of the viscosity of biological fluids have been associated with numerous pathological causes. This current work serves as proof of concept for a method to measure viscosity changes in small analyte volumes representative of biological fluids. The fluorophores used in this study were fluorescein disodium salt and Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein (EGFP)...

OBJECTIVES: Fetuses with single ventricle physiology (SVP) exhibit reductions in fetal cerebral oxygenation with associated delays in fetal brain growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Maternal supplemental oxygen (MSO) has been proposed to improve fetal brain growth but current evidence on dosing, candidacy, and outcomes are limited. In this pilot study, we evaluated the safety and feasibility of continuous low-dose MSO in the setting of SVP. METHODS: This single-centre, open-label, pilot phase 1 safety and feasibility clinical trial included 25 pregnant individuals with a fetal diagnosis of SVP...

Neurologic emergencies in pregnancy require prompt evaluation and early, focused intervention to improve neurologic outcomes for the affected person and to avoid further injury. Neurologic events in pregnancy, although rare, present a time of extreme risk of permanent injury for the person who is pregnant. Therefore, obstetric clinicians should be well versed in the risk factors for potential neurologic events and understand the symptoms and events that should prompt evaluation for a neurologic event. In addition, they should support other specialties in aggressive and early neurologic care for the patient to improve outcomes while assessing fetal well-being and care optimization for the dyad...

OBJECTIVES: External environmental heat exposure during gestation impacts the physiology of human development in utero, but evidence for these impacts has not yet been explored in dentition. We examined deciduous teeth for fluctuating asymmetry (FA), a measure of developmental instability, together with gestational environmental temperature data drawn from historical weather statistics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We measured dental casts from the longitudinal Burlington Growth Study, representing 172 participants (ages 3-6 years) with health records...

Hybrid snakehead (male Channa argus × female Channa maculata) is an emerging fish breed with increasing production levels. However, infection with hybrid snakehead rhabdovirus (HSHRV) critically affects hybrid snakehead farming. In this study, a fish cell line called CAMK, derived from the kidneys of hybrid snakehead, was established and characterized. CAMK cells exhibited the maximum growth rate at 28 °C in Leibovitz's-15 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum(FBS). Karyotyping revealed diploid chromosomes in 54% of the cells at the 50th passage (2n = 66), and 16S rRNA sequencing validated that CAMK cells originated fromhybrid snakehead, and the detection of kidney-specific antibodies suggested that it originated from kidney...

BACKGROUND: Data regarding effects of small quantity-lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) on maternal serum zinc concentrations (SZC) in pregnancy and lactation are limited. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the effect of preconception vs prenatal zinc supplementation (vs control) on maternal SZC and hypozincemia during pregnancy and early lactation in women in low resource settings, and to assess associations with birth anthropometry. METHODS: From ∼100 women/arm at each of 3 sites (Guatemala, India, Pakistan) of the Women First Preconception Nutrition trial, we compared SZC at 12- and 34-weeks gestation (n=651 and 838, respectively) and 3-months postpartum (n=742) in women randomized to daily SQ-LNS containing 15 mg zinc from ≥3 months prior to conception (preconception, Arm 1), from ∼12 weeks gestation through delivery (early pregnancy, Arm 2) or not at all (control, Arm 3)...

Pigs are genetically, anatomically, and physiologically similar to humans. Recently, pigs are in the spotlight as a suitable source animal for xenotransplantation. However, to use pigs as source animals, pigs should be raised in designated pathogen-free facilities. There is abundant data from embryo transfer (ET) experiments using farm pigs as surrogates, but data on ET experiments using minipigs are scarce. Eighty minipigs were used for ET experiments and after transplantation, the implantation and delivery rates were investigated...

The rete ovarii (RO) is an epithelial structure that arises during development in close proximity to the ovary and persists throughout adulthood. However, the functional significance of the RO remains elusive, and it is absent from recent discussions of female reproductive anatomy. The RO comprises three regions: the intraovarian rete within the ovary, the extraovarian rete in the periovarian tissue, and the connecting rete linking the two. We hypothesize that the RO plays a pivotal role in ovarian homeostasis and responses to physiological changes...

Iron deficiency in the fetal and neonatal period (perinatal iron deficiency) bodes poorly for neurodevelopment. Given its common occurrence and the negative impact on brain development, a screening and treatment strategy that is focused on optimizing brain development in perinatal iron deficiency is necessary. Pediatric societies currently recommend a universal iron supplementation strategy for full-term and preterm infants that does not consider individual variation in body iron status and thus could lead to undertreatment or overtreatment...

This study aims to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the protective effects of myo-inositol (MI) supplementation during suckling against the detrimental effects of fetal energy restriction described in animal studies, particularly focusing on the potential connections with BDNF signaling. Oral physiological doses of MI or the vehicle were given daily to the offspring of control (CON) and 25%-calorie-restricted (CR) pregnant rats during suckling. The animals were weaned and then fed a standard diet until 5 months of age, when the diet was switched to a Western diet until 7 months of age...

This study examines the impact of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2) on various aspects of children's health-from the realms of growth and puberty to the nuanced characteristics of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, liver pathology, carcinogenic potential, and cardiovascular disorders. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed, with a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method employing specific keywords related to child health, obesity, and insulin-like growth factors...

Pregnancy-related complications (PRC) impact maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality and place a huge burden on healthcare systems. Thus, effective diagnostic screening strategies are crucial. Currently, national and international guidelines define patients at low risk of PRC exclusively based on their history, thus excluding the possibility of identifying patients with de novo risk (patients without a history of disease), which represents most women. In this setting, previous studies have underlined the potential contribution of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) to detect patients at risk of PRC...

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are extremely prevalent in the United States population. Although ACEs occurs in childhood, exposure to them has been associated with adverse future pregnancy outcomes and an increased risk of poorer social determinants of health, which further drive the risk of negative pregnancy outcomes. In addition, maternal ACE exposure has been linked to poor infant and child outcomes, highlighting the intergenerational transmission of risk from mother to child. While alterations along the Maternal-Placental-Fetal Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is hypothesized to be involved, the exact biological pathway underlying this intergenerational passage of risk is mostly unknown...

Background. Gestational weight gain (GWG) constitutes an essential aspect of the gestational process. Due to factors such as pregestational body mass index (BMI), nutritional intake, level of physical activity, and psychological aspects, the recommended GWG may not be achieved, leading to adverse neonatal outcomes. Adolescents, due to their physiological and mental developmental stage, are at a higher risk of inappropriate GWG. Our aim is to highlight the importance of GWG in our population and to determine the correlation with perinatal outcomes...

CONTEXT: Choline is a critical nutrient. Inadequate choline intake during pregnancy increases the risk of adverse maternal and offspring health. OBJECTIVE: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to examine the current recommendations for choline intake by pregnant women, estimate the overall prevalence of pregnant women with adequate choline intake, and explore associations between maternal choline level and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). METHODS: Choline recommendations for pregnant women were assessed from eight nutrient guidelines of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Asia, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, and World Health Organization...

Increasing placental perfusion (PP) could improve outcomes of growth-restricted fetuses. One way of increasing PP may be by using phosphodiesterase (PDE)-5 inhibitors, which induce vasodilatation of vascular beds. We used a combination of clinically relevant magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to characterize the impact that tadalafil infusion has on maternal, placental and fetal circulations. At 116-117 days' gestational age (dGA; term, 150 days), pregnant ewes (n = 6) underwent fetal catheterization surgery...

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates the body's physiology, including cardiovascular function. As the ANS develops during the second to third trimester, fetal heart rate variability (HRV) increases while fetal heart rate (HR) decreases. In this way, fetal HR and HRV provide an index of fetal autonomic nervous system development and future neurobehavioral regulation. Fetal HR and HRV have been associated with child language ability and psychomotor development behavior in toddlerhood. However, their associations with post-birth autonomic brain systems, such as the brainstem, hypothalamus, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), have yet to be investigated even though brain pathways involved in autonomic regulation are well established in older individuals...

Maternal exposure to elevated levels of steroid hormones during pregnancy is associated with the development of chronic conditions in offspring that manifest in adulthood. However, the effects of progesterone (P4) administration during early pregnancy on fetal development and subsequent offspring behavior remain poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of P4 treatment during early pregnancy on the transcript abundance in the fetal brain and assess the behavioral consequences in the offspring during adolescence and adulthood...