Article
Microbiology
Tiina Pessa-Morikawa, Aleksi Husso, Olli Karkkainen, Ville Koistinen, Kati Hanhineva, Antti Iivanainen, Mikael Niku
Summary: The maternal microbiota has a profound impact on the fetal metabolome, with microbial metabolites passing through the placenta into the fetus and potentially influencing fetal development.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Elia Palladino, Tim Van Mieghem, Kristin L. Connor
Summary: Maternal malnutrition can alter the abundance of gut microbes and folate/inositol transporters, potentially impacting maternal micronutrient status and affecting fetal outcomes.
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Man Mohan Shrestha, Sanne Wermelin, Elisabet Stener-Victorin, Ingrid Wernstedt Asterholm, Anna Benrick
Summary: Adiponectin deficiency affects fetal growth and placental function, particularly in obese individuals. Low levels of adiponectin lead to placental dysfunction and increased fetal triglyceride load, which could have long-term effects on the offspring's metabolism.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dayuan Shi, Xinyao Zhou, Luyao Cai, Xing Wei, Luye Zhang, Qianqian Sun, Fenhe Zhou, Luming Sun
Summary: Changes in placental DNA methylation patterns in sFGR may have functional implications for differentially methylated genes and regulatory regions. The study validates the presence of abnormally methylated CYP11A1 gene in the placenta of sFGR.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Huiduo Guo, Yunnan Yang, Yu Qiao, Jianwen He, Wen Yao, Weijiang Zheng
Summary: Maternal heat stress during late pregnancy can lead to increased stillborn fetal mice and affect the function of placenta, fetal brain, and intestine. This disruption may be related to changes in gene expression and lipid metabolism in the fetal intestine, as well as alterations in important proteins associated with placental and fetal development.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2021)
Article
Reproductive Biology
Esteban Salazar-Petres, Daniela Pereira Carvalho, Jorge Lopez-Tello, Amanda Nancy Sferruzzi-Perri
Summary: In normal mouse pregnancy, placental structure, function, and mitochondrial phenotype respond differently to the growth of female and male fetuses. This study may provide design references for sex-specific therapies for placental insufficiency and fetal growth abnormalities, which could benefit the offspring throughout their lives.
BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yingya Zhao, Pengpeng Wang, Yuhan Zhou, Bin Xia, Qingyang Zhu, Wenzhen Ge, Jialin Li, Huijing Shi, Xirong Xiao, Yunhui Zhang
Summary: This study examined the impact of prenatal PM2.5 exposure on fetal growth and placental epigenetic mechanisms in Chinese women. Results showed that increased PM2.5 exposure was associated with reduced fetal growth characteristics and aberrant changes in placental DNA methylation.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Guangquan Chen, Shiyi Xiong, Qiao Jing, Cornelis A. M. van Gestel, Nico M. van Straalen, Dick Roelofs, Luming Sun, Hao Qiu
Summary: This study investigated the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) on fetal development and cholesterol metabolism in mice. The exposure to PS-NPs led to a decline in fetal weights and abnormal cell morphologies in the placenta and fetus. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed disturbances in cholesterol metabolism and other pathways, offering new insights into the mechanisms underlying the detrimental effects of PS-NPs on placenta and fetus.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pramod Dhakal, Monica Strawn, Ananya Samal, Susanta K. Behura
Summary: The study reveals that uterine Foxa2 has significant effects on gene expression in the fetal brain compared to placenta, with its absence leading to sexually-conflicting transcriptional responses. Genes related to vascular endothelial cells show opposite expression patterns in the fetal brain and placenta of male and female mice lacking uterine Foxa2. This suggests that uterine Foxa2 plays a crucial role in regulating the brain-placental axis by influencing fetoplacental vascular changes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Yingying Zhang, Ziyang Sheng, Qiaozhu Chen, Anni Zhou, Jiaying Cao, Feiyang Xue, Yanzhen Ye, Na Wu, Na Gao, Dongying Fan, Libo Liu, Yuetong Li, Peigang Wang, Li Liang, Deshan Zhou, Fuchun Zhang, Fang Li, Jing An
Summary: This study found that fetal growth restriction caused by dengue virus infection in pregnant mice was mainly due to the destruction of placental vasculature. Neutrophil infiltration disrupted the expression profile of matrix metalloproteinases, leading to placental vascular dysfunction. This indicates that intervening in aberrant neutrophil infiltration may be an important therapeutic target for adverse pregnancy outcomes in dengue virus infection.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ran Li, Jing Peng, Wenhui Zhang, Yunlu Wu, Renjie Hu, Rucheng Chen, Weijia Gu, Lu Zhang, Li Qin, Mianhua Zhong, Lung-Chi Chen, Qinghua Sun, Cuiqing Liu
Summary: Recent studies have found that gestational exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). However, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. In this study, pregnant mice were exposed to either filtered air or ambient PM2.5, and it was found that PM2.5 exposure during gestation resulted in reduced fetal body weight and crown-rump length. Moreover, the placental blood sinusoid and expression of placental nutrient transporters and growth hormone were also affected by PM2.5 exposure. Additional tests revealed that PM2.5 exposure inhibited autophagy and activated the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway in the placenta. These findings suggest that autophagy inhibition leading to placental developmental disorder might be an important mechanism for PM2.5-induced growth restriction.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Karike Olivier, Lauren A. Reinders, Michael W. Clarke, Rachael C. Crew, Gavin Pereira, Shane K. Maloney, Caitlin S. Wyrwoll
Summary: This study highlighted the direct effects of temperature conditions on pregnancy health, showing that maternal responses to heat exposure can impact fetal development and restrict placental growth. Additionally, differences in food intake and nesting behavior during pregnancy between standard housing and thermoneutral zone conditions emphasize the need for caution when extrapolating from animal models to humans.
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kayo Tanaka, Hiroaki Tanaka, Ryota Tachibana, Kento Yoshikawa, Takuya Kawamura, Sho Takakura, Hiroki Takeuchi, Tomoaki Ikeda
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effects of tadalafil as an intrauterine treatment for fetal growth restriction (FGR). The results showed that tadalafil improved placental mTOR signaling and facilitated fetal growth.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Chuanqi Wang, Haoyang Sun, Xu Jiang, Xin Guan, Feng Gao, Baoming Shi
Summary: Research shows that oxidized oil in the diet can have toxic effects on the growth and development of animals and humans. However, the mechanism of how different degrees of oxidation affect two generations is still unclear. This study used a rat model to investigate the effects of oxidized soybean oil during pregnancy and lactation on placental RNA methylation and DNA methylation in offspring jejunum. The results demonstrate that maternal intake of oxidized oil can negatively affect placental health and intestinal development of the offspring.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Reproductive Biology
Thais de Merici Domingues e Paula, Lucas Carvalho Cardoso, Fernando Felicioni, Andre Lucas Caldeira-Brant, Thais Garcia Santos, Hortencia Castro-Oliveira, Gustavo Batista Menezes, Enrrico Bloise, Helio Chiarini-Garcia, Fernanda Radicchi Campos Lobato de Almeida
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of maternal chronic caffeine intake on placental morphofunctional alterations and fetal growth. The results showed that caffeine had detrimental effects on fetal growth and placental vasculature in mice.
REPRODUCTIVE TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Parvesh Mohan Garg, Jaslyn L. Paschal, Md Abu Yusuf Ansari, Danielle Block, Kengo Inagaki, Joern-Hendrik Weitkamp
Summary: This study retrospectively analyzed the risk factors and outcomes of infants with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)-associated sepsis. The results showed that NEC-associated sepsis was associated with lower birth weight, higher rates of mechanical ventilation, and longer postoperative ileus. Cholestasis was identified as an independent risk factor for NEC-associated sepsis.
PEDIATRIC RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Meredith S. Campbell, Lisa A. Bastarache, Sara L. Van Driest, Margaret A. Adgent, Jeffery A. Goldstein, Joern-Hendrik Weitkamp, Meaghan A. Ransom, Rolanda L. Lister, Elaine L. Shelton, Jennifer M. S. Sucre
Summary: This study found that polyhydramnios may be a clinical indicator of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and preterm polyhydramnios may indicate an increased risk of developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature infants. Combining curated registry data with PheWAS analysis provides a valuable tool for generating hypotheses about perinatal risk factors and morbidities associated with preterm birth.
PEDIATRIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Brandon Harrison-Smith, Alexander P. Dumont, Mohammed Shahriar Arefin, Yu Sun, Nuradeen Lawal, Dorianna Dobson, Amy Nwaba, Sarah Grossarth, Abdulsalam Muhammed Paed, Zubaida L. Farouk, Jorn-Hendrik Weitkamp, Chetan A. Patil
Summary: A mobile phone-based approach for neonatal jaundice screening was developed and validated in a pilot study. The results show that a modified adapter attached to a mobile phone can be used to measure neonatal bilirubin values, providing a novel tool for jaundice screening in low-resource settings.
BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Elise Mank, Miguel Saenz de Pipaon, Alexandre Lapillonne, Virgilio P. Carnielli, Thibault Senterre, Raanan Shamir, Letty van Toledo, Johannes B. van Goudoever
Summary: This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of supplementing preterm infants with different dosages of human insulin to improve feeding intolerance. The results showed that compared with placebo, both low-dose and high-dose human insulin significantly reduced the time for preterm infants to achieve full enteral feeding.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Y. W. Wu, B. A. Comstock, F. F. Gonzalez, D. E. Mayock, A. M. Goodman, N. L. Maitre, T. Chang, K. P. Van Meurs, A. L. Lampland, E. Bendel-Stenzel, A. M. Mathur, T-W Wu, D. Riley, U. Mietzsch, L. Chalak, J. Flibotte, J-H Weitkamp, K. A. Ahmad, T. D. Yanowitz, M. Baserga, B. B. Poindexter, E. E. Rogers, J. R. Lowe, K. C. K. Kuban, T. M. O'Shea, J. L. Wisnowski, R. C. McKinstry, S. Bluml, S. Bonifacio, K. L. Benninger, R. Rao, C. D. Smyser, G. M. Sokol, S. Merhar, M. D. Schreiber, H. C. Glass, P. J. Heagerty, S. E. Juul
Summary: The administration of erythropoietin to newborns undergoing therapeutic hypothermia for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy did not result in a lower risk of death or neurodevelopmental impairment than placebo and was associated with a higher rate of serious adverse events.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Nathaniel C. Bloodworth, Wei Chen, Natalia R. Ruggeri Barbaro, Mingfang Ao, Amy M. Palubinsky, Richard T. O'Niel, Elizabeth J. Phillips, Rocco Moretti, Sean S. Davies, Simon A. Mallal, Jens Meiler, David G. Harrison
Article
Virology
Jacob K. Files, Sarah Sterrett, Sebastian Henostroza, Christopher Fucile, Kevin Maroney, Tim Fram, Simon Mallal, Spyros Kalams, Jonathan Carlson, Alexander Rosenberg, Nathan Erdmann, Anju Bansal, Paul A. Goepfert
Summary: HLA-II-associated viral adaptation reduces CD4(+) T-cell responses in HIV-1 vaccine recipients, potentially affecting HIV-specific antibody production and vaccine efficacy.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Felicia Kuperwaser, Gal Avital, Michelle J. Vaz, Kristen N. Noble, Allison N. Dammann, Tara M. Randis, David M. Aronoff, Adam J. Ratner, Itai Yanai
Summary: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a pathobiont that ascends to the placenta and causes adverse pregnancy outcomes by producing the toxin beta-hemolysin/cytolysin (beta-h/c). This study shows that GBS modulates the state of innate immune cells by subverting host inflammation through beta-h/c, leading to worse outcomes.
MOLECULAR SYSTEMS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Ayoda T. T. Werede, James G. G. Terry, Sangeeta Nair, Tecla M. M. Temu, Bryan E. E. Shepherd, Samuel S. S. Bailin, Mona Mashayekhi, Curtis L. L. Gabriel, Morgan Lima, Beverly Owen Woodward, LaToya Hannah, Simon A. A. Mallal, Joshua A. A. Beckman, Jonathan Z. Z. Li, Jesse Fajnzylber, David G. G. Harrison, John Jeffrey Carr, John R. R. Koethe, Celestine N. N. Wanjalla
Summary: Positive coronary arterial remodeling, as an imaging marker, is associated with a lower CD4 T-cell count, lower circulating IL-10, and possibly a longer antiretroviral therapy duration in persons with HIV. This finding is important for the early detection of atherosclerosis and the reduction of cardiovascular disease risk.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Leila Y. Y. Chihab, Rebecca Kuan, Elizabeth J. J. Phillips, Simon A. A. Mallal, Virginie Rozot, Mark M. M. Davis, Thomas J. J. Scriba, Alessandro Sette, Bjoern Peters, Cecilia S. Lindestam S. Arlehamn, SATVI Study Group
Summary: Specific HLA alleles have been identified as associated with susceptibility to active tuberculosis (TB), with lower expression of these alleles being linked to a decreased Mtb-specific T cell response and a specific gene expression signature.
Editorial Material
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Elaine L. Shelton, Jeff Reese
SEMINARS IN PERINATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Evan A. Clark, Edward Ryan R. Talatala, Wenda Ye, Ruth J. Davis, Samuel L. Collins, Alexander T. Hillel, Marisol Ramirez-Solano, Quanhu Sheng, Celestine N. Wanjalla, Simon A. Mallal, Alexander Gelbard
Summary: This study found that SGS cases do not have lower diversity in adaptive immune response compared to healthy controls. Interestingly, both in health and disease, the TCR repertoire contains a restricted number of high frequency clonotypes that do not significantly overlap between individuals.
Article
Pediatrics
Kathleen G. Mcclanahan, Jeff Reese, Jorn-Hendrik Weitkamp, Danyvid Olivares-Villagomez
Summary: Commonly used breastmilk pasteurization and storage techniques, such as Holder pasteurization and freezing, decrease the concentration of the bioactive protein osteopontin in human breastmilk. Holder pasteurization reduces osteopontin concentration by an average of 63%, while freezing results in an 8-12% decrease.
PEDIATRIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joshua Soto Ocana, Nile U. Bayard, Jessica L. Hart, Audrey K. Thomas, Emma E. Furth, D. Borden Lacy, David M. Aronoff, Joseph P. Zackular
Summary: Clostridioides difficile damages the colonic mucosa through potent exotoxins. The factors contributing to C. difficile pathogenesis are not fully understood, but likely involve ecological, immune, and environmental factors. Recent studies have shown that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs exacerbate C. difficile infection, although the mechanism behind this is unclear.
