Does Excess Pregnancy Weight Gain Constitute a Major Risk for Increasing Long‐term BMI?

Objective: The objective was to assess the relevance of the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), regarding gestational weight gain (GWG) for long‐term BMI development. Research Methods and Procedures: The Stockholm Pregnancy and Women's Nutrition is a follow‐up study of 483 women who delivered children in 1984 to 1985. ANOVA was used to examine the change in body weight before pregnancy, at 6 months, and 1 year postpartum and 15 years after childbirth. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the predictors of BMI at 15‐year follow‐up. Results: The weight increase from baseline to 15‐year follow‐up was 6.2 kg for IOM‐insufficient, 6.7 kg for IOM‐recommended, and 10.0 kg for IOM‐excessive weight gain (p < 0.01). ANOVA showed a main effect of time, group and group by time interaction. The weight of the women who had excessive GWG was significantly greater at each time‐point of follow‐up than the weight of those who gained within or below recommendations. GWG was related to BMI at 15‐year follow‐up even after accounting for several confounders. Women who gained excessive weight during pregnancy had an increase of 0.72 kg/m² in long‐term BMI compared with women who gained within recommendations. Discussion: The findings support the adequateness of IOM guidelines, not only for the pregnancy‐related health matters, but also for preventing long‐term weight retention after delivery. Healthcare providers should give women appropriate advice for controlling GWG and motivate them to lose pregnancy‐related weight during postpartum to prevent future overweight.     

Effects of progesterone and its reduced metabolites, dihydroprogesterone and tetrahydroprogesterone, on the expression and phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 and the microtubule-associated protein tau in the rat cerebellum

Progesterone exerts a variety of actions in the brain, where it is rapidly metabolized to 5alpha-dihydroprogesterone (DHP) and 3alpha,5alpha-tetrahydroprogesterone (THP). The effect of progesterone and its metabolites on the expression and phosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein Tau and glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3beta), a kinase involved in Tau phosphorylation, were assessed in two progesterone-sensitive brain areas: the hypothalamus and the cerebellum. Administration of progesterone, DHP, and THP to ovariectomized rats did not affect Tau and GSK3beta assessed in whole hypothalamic homogenates. In contrast, progesterone and its metabolites resulted in a significant decrease in the expression of Tau and GSK3beta in the cerebellum. Furthermore, progesterone administration resulted in an increase in the phosphorylation of two epitopes of Tau (Tau-1 and PHF-1) phosphorylated by GSK3beta, but did not affect the phosphorylation of an epitope of Tau (Ser262) that is GSK3beta insensitive. These effects were accompanied by a decrease in the phosphorylation of GSK3beta in serine, which is associated to an increase in its activity, suggesting that the effect of progesterone on Tau-1 and PHF-1 phosphorylation in the cerebellum is mediated by GSK3beta. The regulation of Tau expression and phosphorylation by progesterone may contribute to the hormonal regulation of cerebellar function by the modification of neuronal cytoskeleton.     

Effect of heat acclimation on heat shock protein 72 and interleukin-10 in humans.

Heat acclimation (HA) results in whole body adaptations that increase heat tolerance, and in addition, HA may also result in protective cellular adaptations. We hypothesized that, after HA, basal intracellular heat shock protein (HSP) 72 and extracellular IL-10 levels would increase, while extracellular HSP72 levels decrease. Ten male and two female subjects completed a 10-day exercise/HA protocol (100-min exercise bout at 56% of maximum O(2) uptake in a 42.5 degrees C DB, 27.9% RH environment); subjects exhibited classic adaptations that accompany HA. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated before and after each acclimation session on days 1, 6, and 10; plasma and serum were collected before and after exercise on the 1st and 10th day of HA. SDS-PAGE was used to determine PBMC HSP72 levels during HA, and ELISA was used to measure plasma IL-10 and serum HSP72 concentrations. The increase in PBMC HSP72 from pre- to postexercise on the 1st day of HA was not significant (mean +/- SD, 1.0 +/- 0 vs. 1.6 +/- 0.6 density units). Preexercise HSP72 levels on day 1 were significantly lower compared with the pre- and postexercise samples on days 6 and 10 (mean +/- SD, day 6: 2.1 +/- 1.0 and 2.2 +/- 1.0, day 10: 2.0 +/- 1.3 and 2.2 +/- 1.0 density units, respectively, P < 0.05). There were no differences in plasma IL-10 and serum HSP72 postexercise or after 10 days of HA. The sustained elevation of HSP72 from days 6 to 10 may be evidence of a cellular adaptation to HA that contributes to improved heat tolerance and reduced heat illness risk.     

DNA extraction from fixed cytogenetic cell suspensions

We developed a procedure for DNA extraction from small volumes of fixed cell suspensions previously prepared for conventional cytogenetic analysis. Good quality DNA was isolated with a fast and simple protocol using DNAzol reagent. This provided suitable DNA for various types of molecular analyses, including polymerase chain reaction, restriction fragment length polymorphism, denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography, and direct sequencing. This technique provides sufficient material for such test, which are important for diagnosis of neoplastic diseases in pediatric patients.     

Formation and activation induction of primordial follicles using granulosa and cumulus cells conditioned media

Fertility preservation of prepubertal girls subjected to invasive cancer therapy necessitates defining protocols for activation of isolated primordial follicles. Granulosa (GCs) and cumulus cells (CCs) play pivotal role in oocyte development. Although GCs and CCs share some similarities, they differ in growth factors production. The current study was conducted to evaluate the effects of GCs, CCs and their conditioned media on mice primordial follicles activation. One-day-old mice ovaries were subjected to 6-day culture with base medium (BM), GC conditioned medium (GCCM), GC coculture (GCCC), CC conditioned medium (CCCM) or CC coculture (CCCC). Follicular growth and primordial to primary follicle transition was observed during 6-day culture, and follicular activation rate tended to be greater in GCCM than other groups (0.05 <P < 0.10). On Day 6, the expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in GCCM group was lower than that in BM group (P = 0.020), the expression of phosphoinositide-3-kinase was higher in CCCC group than BM, GCCM and CCCM groups (P < 0.05), and the expression of connexin 37 was greater in the CCCM group as compared with BM, GCCC, and CCCC groups (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the current study showed that condition medium of GCs could enhance in vitro activation of primordial follicles, probably through downregulation of PTEN.     

Fibroblast growth factor 18 regulates steroidogenesis in fetal bovine ovarian tissue in vitro

In cattle and other species, the fetal ovary is steroidogenically active before follicular development commences, and there is evidence that estradiol and progesterone inhibit follicle formation and activation. Estradiol levels decline sharply around the time of follicle formation. In the present study, we hypothesized that FGF10 and FGF18, which inhibit estradiol secretion from granulosa cells of antral follicles, also regulate fetal ovarian steroid production. Fetuses were collected at local abattoirs, and age determined by crown‐rump length measurements. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction assays with RNA extracted from whole ovaries revealed that the abundance of CYP19A1 messenger RNA (mRNA) decreased from 60 to 90 days of gestation, which is consistent with the decline in estradiol secretion previously observed. Immunohistochemistry revealed the presence of FGF18 in ovigerous cords in early gestation and in oocytes later in fetal age (≥150 days). The abundance of FGF18 mRNA increased after Day 90 gestation. Addition of recombinant FGF18 to fetal ovarian pieces inhibited estradiol and progesterone secretion in vitro, whereas FGF10 was without effect. Consistent with these results, FGF18 decreased levels of mRNA for CYP19A1 and CYP11A1 in ovarian pieces in vitro. These data suggest that FGF18 may be an intraovarian factor that regulates steroidogenesis in fetal ovaries.     

Do brassinosteroids alleviate water stress in seedlings of Handroanthus serratifolius?

Limited water availability in reforestation areas can compromise plant growth and development, especially for plants at early stages. In this context, the exogenous application of growth regulators, such as brassinosteroids (BRs), can be used to mitigate the negative effects of water restriction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the application of BRs (90% brassinolide + a brassinosteroid) on initial growth, gas exchange, leaf water potential and leaf anatomy in yellow Ipê (Handroanthus serratifolius), under water restriction conditions. Throughout the experimental period, plants were maintained in two different water regimes: WR1—plants maintained at 100% of the pot capacity; WR2—plants rehydrated with 50% of the evapotranspiration from the previous day. BRs were applied on three occasions during the experimental period, in five concentrations: C1, 0 g/L (application of distilled water); C2, 0.25 g/L; C3, 0.5 g/L; C4, 0.75 g/L; and C5, 1.00 g/L. The dry mass, root:shoot ratio, water status and leaf anatomy traits were evaluated at the end of the experimental period and were analysed in two-level factorial scheme (2WR × 5BRs concentrations). The plant height, number of leaves, gas exchange and leaf chlorophyll content were evaluated four times during the experimental period and were analysed in a split-split-plot design (two WR × five BRs concentrations × four evaluation times). The differences between the means were evaluated by analysis of variance (ANOVA). Pairs of means were separated using the standard error of the difference between the means (SED) and the Fisher's protected least significant difference test (LSD) at p < .05. In addition, all variables were subjected to regression analysis, being the variables evaluated over time, analysed through a two-stage modelling approach. The results obtained indicate that the water deficit led to reductions in growth and gas exchange parameters, regardless of the exogenous application of the regulator; therefore, higher concentrations (C4 and C5) were the most harmful for the maintenance of metabolic and photosynthetic activity. The exogenous application of BRs in H. serratifolius plants attenuated the effects of water limitation on the leaf water potential, but was not able to mitigate for the negative effects in growth, gas exchange and leaf anatomy.     

Northern range extension of the seagrass Halodule emarginata Hartog

The seagrass Halodule emarginata is an endemic tropical species of Brazil, previously found from São Paulo to Bahia. The present study gives more ecological information of this species and report the extension of its northern range where it occurs in an estuarine area of Aquiraz‐Ceará, semiarid coast of Brazil. In November 2014, the meadow was discovered, georeferenced and mapped. Five cores were collected for morphometrical analyses of H. emarginata and associated florofaunistic species. Two beds of H. emarginata with areas of 177.8 m² and 5012.3 m² were identified in the estuary of the Pacoti River, indicating an extension of its known range by 1500 km to the north. Despite the emarginate apex, morphological patterns revealed that specimens were slightly less developed than previously described in the literature, probably due to estuarine stress. However, algal biodiversity (seven species) in the studied meadows was within the range observed for other estuarine meadows in Brazil, with presence of Rhodophyta and Chlorophyta. The main groups of invertebrate megafauna were present, including 13 taxa mainly of Mollusca, Crustacea and Polychaeta. This meadow will be monitored in order to understand its dynamics and relationships with other florofaunistic species and its responses to environmental variations.