Prenatal and postnatal transfer of fatty acids from mother to pup in the hooded seal

Unlike most mammals, hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) pups are born with a substantial layer of adipose tissue. Subsequently, during the brief lactation period of only 4 days, fasting mothers mobilize enormous amounts of lipid from blubber and secrete milk (60% fat) at rates of 10 kg·day^-1. Pups gain 7 kg·day^-1 due primarily to the deposition of fat in blubber. We measured blubber content and fatty acid composition of blubber and milk in hooded seal mother-pup pairs at birth and over the 4-day lactation period to examine the nature and source of fetal lipids, the incorporation of maternal blubber fatty acids into milk lipid, and patterns of fatty acid deposition in suckling young. The fatty acid composition of the blubber of the newborn was notably different from that of its mother. Fetal deposition was likely due to a combination of both fetal synthesis and direct placental transfer of maternal circulating fatty acids. The blubber of the newborn was characterized by high levels (>90% of total fatty acids) of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids of primarily endogenous origin. In particular, the fetus appeared to have high Δ-9 desaturase activity as evidenced by the large amounts of 14:1n-5 (4.2%) and 16:1n-7 (37.0%) in newborn blubber compared to maternal blubber (0.2% and 14.1%, respectively). Nevertheless, essential and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-3 and n-6 families, which could only have originated by direct transfer from the mother, comprised>7% of pup blubber fatty acids and indicated greater rates of placental transfer than found in humans. In hooded seal mothers, rapid lipid transfer during the brief lactation period appeared to be facilitated by direct incorporation of mobilized fatty acids into milk. Although some differences in proportions of specific fatty acids were found between milk and maternal blubber, most of these differences declined over the course of lactation. However, selective mobilization of 20:5n-3 from maternal blubber into milk was apparent throughout lactation and resulted in elevated levels in pup blubber at weaning compared to maternal blubber. Ingested fatty acids were deposited directly and without modification into the blubber of pups, and by 4 days the fatty acid composition of pup blubber was virtually identical to that of the milk consumed.     

Maternal and neonatal disposition of pethidine in childbirth--a study using quantitative gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

An assay for pethidine using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with single ion monitoring has been developed for its analysis in the blood of neonates whose mothers received pethidine during childbirth. Concentrations were determined from the height of the peak at m/e 218 derived from pethidine compared with that at m/e 234 derived from the internal standard lignocaine. Results from 10 mothers and their babies show the time-related passage of pethidine across the placenta. The elimination half-life of the drug from neonatal blood was 22.7h compared with 3h in the adult.     

胎盘间充质干细胞治疗小鼠烫伤愈合的相关研究

目的:观察胎盘间充质干细胞对TGF-β1/Smad信号通路的调控作用,探讨胎盘间充质干细胞对烫伤愈合及瘢痕形成的影响。方法:构建小鼠烫伤模型,注射人胎盘间充质干细胞(hPMSCs),荧光显微镜观察小鼠创伤皮肤组织中hPMSCs细胞的存活情况;HE和Masson染色观察小鼠创伤皮肤的变化;Western blot检测观察创伤皮肤TGF-β1、p-Smad3、Smad7、α-SMA、collagen I、Collagen III蛋白表达变化。结果:注射hPMSCs细胞后,小鼠创伤面积逐渐减小,创伤愈合率逐渐增加;hPMSCs细胞分布在小鼠创伤皮肤组织中,存活状况较好。进一步研究发现烫伤模型组皮肤表层细胞受损脱落,真皮层组织疏松,毛囊、皮脂腺等附属器坏死,可见明显的毛细血管扩张,并伴有炎性细胞渗出,同时可见大量的成纤维细胞增生和胶原纤维形成;注射hPMSCs细胞治疗后,病理改变、纤维增生和胶原形成明显减轻;此外,烫伤模型组创伤皮肤组织中TGF-β1、p-Smad3表达明显上调,Smad7蛋白表达明显下调,α-SMA、collagen I、Collagen III表达明显上调。经hPMSCs细胞治疗后,TGF-β1、p-Smad3蛋白表达明显下调,Smad7蛋白表达明显上调,α-SMA、collagen I、Collagen III蛋白表达明显下调。结论:胎盘间充质干细胞可能通过抑制TGF-β1/Smad信号通路,发挥促进烫伤愈合且抑制瘢痕形成的作用。     

磁共振成像应用于检测胎盘植入介入治疗

为了探讨磁共振成像(magnetic resonance imaging, MRI)在胎盘植入介入治疗中的诊断作用和为临床治疗提供依据,本研究选取30例于2012年6月至2015年12月间在我院进行介入治疗的胎盘植入患者作为研究对象,根据病理诊断标准,分析患者胎盘植入介入治疗前后的MRI检查结果。结果显示,粘连性胎盘的敏感性和特异性分别为77.5%和90.2%,植入性胎盘的敏感性和特异性分别为75.5%和87.7%,穿透性胎盘的敏感性和特异性分别为85%和100%。最好的预测胎盘植入的MRI特征是在T2W磁共振成像(T2W-MRI)序列上存在暗色的胎盘内条带。介入治疗1年后复查时,发现患者子宫恢复为正常大小,宫腔内的胎盘组织基本消失,宫壁与植入胎盘融合、宫腔内膜线和子宫结合带的信号完整。综上结果,说明MRI可作为检测胎盘植入可靠性和可重复性的工具,并且能够显示胎盘植入部位及子宫肌层受侵程度,可用于评价胎盘植入介入治疗的疗效。     

C2360, a nuclear protein expressed in human proliferative cytotrophoblasts, is a representative member of a novel protein family with a conserved coiled coil-helix-coiled coil-helix domain

In this study, we describe the identification of nine novel genes isolated from a unique human first-trimester cDNA library generated from the placental bed. One of these clones, called C2360 and located on chromosome 10q22, was selected as it showed restricted expression in placental bed tissue as well as in JEG3 choriocarcinoma cells with absent expression in adult tissues. We show that the expression is restricted to first-trimester proliferative trophoblasts of the proximal column and show that C2360 is a nuclear protein. No detectable transactivation potential was observed for different domains of the protein. Secondary structure prediction showed that C2360 is a representative member of a eukaryotic family of proteins with a low conservation at the amino acid level, but with strong conservation at the structural level, sharing the general domain (coiled coil 1)-(helix 1)-(coiled coil 2)-(helix 2), or CHCH domain. Each alpha-helix within this domain contains two cysteine amino acids, and these intrahelical cysteines are separated by nine amino acids (C-X(9)-C motif). The fixed position within each helix indicated that both helices could form a hairpin structure stabilized by two interhelical disulfide bonds. Other proteins belonging to the family include estrogen-induced gene 2 and the ethanol-induced 6 protein. The conserved motif was found in yeast, plant, Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans, mouse, and human proteins, indicating that the ancestor of this protein family is of eukaryotic origin. These results indicate that C2360 is a representative member of a multifamily of proteins, sharing a protein domain that is conserved in eukaryotes.     

Mass spectrometric analysis of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein-1 variants expressed by placental malaria parasites

Surface proteins from Plasmodium falciparum are important malaria vaccine targets. However, the surface proteins previously identified are highly variant and difficult to study. We used tandem mass spectrometry to characterize the variant antigens (Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1)) expressed on the surface of malaria-infected erythrocytes that bind to chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) in the placenta. Whereas PfEMP1 variants previously implicated as CSA ligands were detected, in unselected parasites four novel variants were detected in CSA-binding or placental parasites but not in unselected parasites. These novel PfEMP1 variants require further study to confirm whether they play a role in placental malaria.     

VEGF and PlGF: two pleiotropic growth factors with distinct roles in development and homeostasis

Blood vessels are crucial for normal development and growth by providing oxygen and nutrients. As shown by genetic targeting studies in mice, zebrafish and Xenopus blood vessel formation (or angiogenesis) is a multistep process, which is highly dependent on angiogenic growth factors such as VEGF, the founding member of the VEGF family. VEGF binds to the tyrosine kinase receptors VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2, and loss of VEGF or its receptors results in abnormal angiogenesis and lethality during development. In contrast, PlGF, another member of this family, binds only to VEGFR-1, and appears to be crucial exclusively for pathological angiogenesis in the adult. However, the expression of VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 on non-vascular cells suggests additional biological properties for these growth factors. Indeed, the VEGF family and its receptors determine development and homeostasis of many organs, including the respiratory, skeletal, hematopoietic, nervous, renal and reproductive system, independent of their vascular role. These new insights broaden the activity spectrum of these "angiogenic" growth factors, and may have therapeutic implications when using these growth factors for vascular and/or non-vascular purposes.