The fetus is completely dependent on mother for glucose and other nutrient transfer across the placenta. At birth, when the maternal supply is discontinued, the neonate must adjust to an independent existence. The changes in the neonate's glucose homeostasis during this transition to the extrauterine environment are influenced by the mother's metabolism and intrinsic fetal and placental problems. Maturation of carbohydrate homeostasis results from a balance between substrate availability and coordination of developing hormonal, enzymatic, and neural systems. These mechanisms may not be fully developed in neonates, so the neonate is vulnerable to carbohydrate disequilibrium resulting in damage to the central nervous system. Hypoglycemia is a relatively common metabolic problem seen during newborn care. However its definition, management and long term sequalae remain controversial. Hyporglycemia occurs frequently as a transient disorder with excellent prognosis. It also may persist and recur and cause permanent neurological complications. Although the key to effective treatment of hypoglycemia is diagnostic specific, the maintenance of euglycemia is critical to the preservation of central nervous system function. This article discusses physiology of perinatal glucose homeostasis, focusing on evaluation and treatment of hypoglycemia.
Central Nervous System ; Fetus ; Glucose* ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia* ; Infant, Newborn* ; Metabolism* ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Physiology ; Placenta ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the biological characteristics and genetic features of human placenta mesenchymal stem cells (hPA-MSCs) cultured in vitro in order to assess its safety for clinical use.

METHODSThe shapes of the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 17th and 20th generation hPA-MSCs cultured in vitro using serum-free culture medium were observed. Their cell cycle, cell surface markers, and karyotype were analyzed, and relevant genes and cytokines were measured.

RESULTSThe shape of hPA-MSCs has remained as fusiform or short fusiform, and there was no significant change. About 93% of hPA-MSCs cells were in G0/G1 phase and remained stable. No obvious chromosomal translocation, loss or inversion was noted by karyotyping analysis. Cytokines expression level remained stable. Related gene expression level as a whole was on the decline, but the gene expression level of the first five generations showed very slight variations, with genetic characteristics remaining stable.

CONCLUSIONThe hPA-MSCs cultured in vitro with serum-free medium has retained stable in the first five generations.

Cells, Cultured ; Cytokines ; analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Karyotyping ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; physiology ; Placenta ; cytology ; Pregnancy

Animals ; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides ; physiology ; Carrier Proteins ; physiology ; Cation Transport Proteins ; physiology ; Ceruloplasmin ; physiology ; Female ; Ferritins ; physiology ; Hemochromatosis Protein ; Hepcidins ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I ; physiology ; Humans ; Iron ; metabolism ; Iron-Regulatory Proteins ; physiology ; Membrane Proteins ; physiology ; Placenta ; metabolism ; Pregnancy ; Transferrin ; physiology

BACKGROUNDNowadays bone marrow represents the main source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). We identified a new population of MSCs derived from human placenta and compared its biological characterization with bone marrow derived MSCs.

METHODSMononucleated cells (MNC) were isolated from the human placenta tissue perfusate by density gradient fractionation. Individual colonies were selected and cultured in tissue dishes. At the same time, human bone marrow derived MSCs were identified. Culture-expanded cells were characterized by immune phenotyping and cultured under conditions promoting differentiation to osteoblasts or adipocytes. The hematopoietic cytokines were assayed using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSHuman placental MSCs exhibited fibroblastoid morphology. Flow cytometric analyses showed that the placental MSC were CD29, CD44, CD73, CD105, CD166, HLA-ABC positive; but were negative for CD34, CD45, and HLA-DR. Functionally, they could be induced into adipocytes or osteocytes. Moreover, several hematopoietic cytokine mRNA was found in placenta-derived MSCs by RT-PCR analysis, including IL-6, M-CSF, Flt3-ligand and SCF. These results were consistent with the properties of bone marrow derived MSCs.

CONCLUSIONThese observations implicate the postpartum human placenta as an important and novel source of multipotent stem cells that could potentially be used for investigating mesenchymal differentiation and regulation of hematopoiesis.

Bone Marrow Cells ; physiology ; Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Humans ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; physiology ; Placenta ; cytology ; Pregnancy

The epididymis is critically dependent on the presence of the testis. Although several hormones, such as retinoids and progestins, and factors secreted directly into the epididymal lumen, such as androgen binding protein and fibroblast growth factor, might play regulatory roles in epididymal function, testosterone (T) and its metabolites, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol (E2), are accepted as the primary regulators of epididymal structure and functions, with the former playing the greater role. To ascertain the molecular action of androgens on the epididymis, three complementary approaches were pursued to monitor changes in gene expression in response to different hormonal milieux. The first was to establish changes in gene expression along the epididymis as androgenic support is withdrawn. The second was to determine the sequence of responses that occur in an androgen deprived tissue upon re-administration of the two metabolites of T, DHT and E2. The third was to study the effects of androgen withdrawal and re-administration on gene expression in immortalized murine caput epididymidal principal cells. Specific responses were observed under each of these conditions, with an expected major difference in the panoply of genes expressed upon hormone withdrawal and re-administration; however, some key common features were the common roles of genes in insulin like growth factor/epidermal growth factor and the relatively minor and specific effects of E2 as compared to DHT. Together, these results provide novel insights into the mechanisms of androgen regulation in epididymal principal cells.
Androgens ; physiology ; Animals ; Dihydrotestosterone ; pharmacology ; Embryo, Mammalian ; physiology ; Epididymis ; physiology ; Estradiol ; physiology ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Humans ; Leydig Cells ; physiology ; Male ; Placenta ; physiology ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred BN ; Testosterone ; physiology

INTRODUCTION: Umbilical cord milking (UCM) is a method that allows for postnatal placental transfusion. The benefits of UCM have been demonstrated in some studies, but knowledge about its haemodynamic effects in term infants is limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the haemodynamic effects of UCM in term infants. METHODS: In this prospective, randomised controlled study, 149 healthy term infants with a birth week of ≥37 weeks were randomly assigned to either the UCM or immediate cord clamping (ICC) group. Blinded echocardiographic evaluations were performed in all the neonates in the first 2-6 h. RESULTS: Superior vena cava (SVC) flow measurements were higher in the UCM group compared to the ICC group (132.47 ± 37.0 vs. 126.62 ± 34.3 mL/kg/min), but this difference was not statistically significant. Left atrial diameter (12.23 ± 1.99 vs. 11.43 ± 1.78 mm) and left atrium-to-aorta diastolic diameter ratio (1.62 ± 0.24 vs. 1.51 ± 0.22) were significantly higher in the UCM group. There were no significant differences in other echocardiographic parameters between the two groups. CONCLUSION We found no significant difference in the SVC flow measurements in term infants who underwent UCM versus those who underwent ICC. This lack of significant difference in SVC flow may be explained by the mature cerebral autoregulation mechanism in term neonates.
Infant, Newborn ; Infant ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Female ; Infant, Premature/physiology* ; Umbilical Cord Clamping ; Prospective Studies ; Vena Cava, Superior/diagnostic imaging* ; Placenta ; Umbilical Cord/physiology* ; Constriction ; Hemodynamics/physiology*

Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Female ; Humans ; Metals, Heavy ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Placenta ; chemistry ; drug effects ; physiology ; Pregnancy ; Rats

To determine the role of placenta cells allogeneic graft in mammalian longevity, the 15-month-old female BALB/c mice (n = 50) were divided into Control group (A), Short-term transplanted group (B) and Long-term transplanted many times group (C). Their placentae (at 18 days of gestation) were taken out and ground with 50-eye cell grit, and the cells were intraperitoneally injected into the mice of B group and C group three times at intervals of 10 days; then the cells were transplanted into the mice of C group many times till the time of death. The mice were evaluated by use of ultrasound-cardiogram; autopsy; score of cardia, spleen, skin, lung, kidney; histopathology; serum total superoxide dismutase activity, serum maleic dialdehyde content, and serum glutathione peroxidase activity. The long-term surviving stem cells were found to be located in many organ tissues of B and C groups' mice with in situ Y chromosomal hybridization dyeing. Median life span of B group mice was 1.7 times that of A group's after transplantation, but there was no statistically significant difference between B group and C group. Three months after transplantation, in B group, the pathological developments of significant skin, cardia, lung, and kidney were delayed; the retrogradation of heart function was attenuated; the data on heart mass index (mass of heart/mass of body), left ventricular mass and serum Maleic Dialdehyde content, and on spleen mass index (mass of spleen/mass of body), left ventricular diastolic volume, serum Total Superoxide Dismutase activity and serum Glutathione Peroxidase activity, were all in a direction favourable to B group (P < 0.05). These results were in line with the hypothesis, i. e. longevity can be enhanced to some extent by transplantation of placenta cells.
Aging ; physiology ; Animals ; Cell Transplantation ; methods ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Placenta ; cytology ; Pregnancy ; Random Allocation

OBJECTIVETo study the changes of MAPK and Akt signaling pathways in hearts and placentas of aborted fetuses with congenital heart disease (CHD), and investigate their roles in the pathogenesis of CHD.

METHODSTen aborted fetuses with severe CHD (CHD group) and 7 gestational age-matched non-cardiac malformation aborted fetuses (control group) were enrolled. Western blot analysis was undertaken to assess the expression of p38, p38alpha, p-p38, MEF2, ERK, p-ERK, Akt, p-Akt(Ser473) and p-Akt(Thr308) in left ventricles and placentas of the fetuses, while semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to detect the expression of p38alpha isoforms mRNA in hearts.

RESULTSCompared with the heart samples of the control group, the protein expression levels of p38 and its alpha isoform in 4 cases, p-p38 in 6 cases, MEF2 in 2 cases, p-ERK in 8 cases, Akt in 4 cases, p-Akt(Ser473) and p-Akt(Thr308) in 8 cases decreased, while the protein expression levels of p-p38 in 2 cases and p-Akt(Thr308) in 1 case increased. P-p38 protein level in 3 cases and p-ERK protein level in 2 cases decreased in placentas compared with the control group. The changes of protein expression of MAPK and Akt signaling pathway in hearts were not consistent with those in placentas in the CHD group. The expression of p38alpha isoform2 mRNA showed descent tendency in 4 heart samples with CHD, while the expression of other three p38alpha isoforms mRNA was reduced in only 1 sample compared with the control group.

CONCLUSIONSDysfunction of MAPK and Akt signaling pathways is tissue-specific in aborted fetuses with CHD. The perturbed two signaling pathways in hearts may contribute to the pathogenesis of human CHD.

Female ; Fetus ; metabolism ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; metabolism ; Humans ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; physiology ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; physiology ; Placenta ; metabolism ; Pregnancy ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; physiology ; Signal Transduction ; physiology ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; physiology

The placenta is an essential organ that synthesizes several growth and angiogenic factors for its own growth as well as fetal development. It is known that the placenta growth factor (PlGF)is a member of the vascular endothelial growth factor family and is critical for placental growth and fetal development. However, there is little information regarding the expression pattern and cellular localization of PlGF mRNA in rat placenta during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to define the distribution of PlGF mRNA in rat placenta at various gestations. RT-PCR analysis showed that the expression level of PlGF mRNA increased as gestation advanced. Using in situ hybridization histochemistry, positive cells of PlGF mRNA were detected in chorionic villi. PlGF mRNA was expressed in the trophoblast cells and stroma cells surrounding the blood vessels within chorionic villi on day 13 and 15. Also, positive signals of PlGF mRNA were strongly detected in stroma cells of chorionic villi on day 17, 19, and 21. In particular, the density and number of positive signals of PlGF mRNA was significantly increased as gestation advanced. The expression pattern of PlGF mRNA in rat placenta during pregnancy demonstrates that PlGF plays a functional role for placental growth and fetal development during mid-late pregnancy.
Animals ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation/physiology ; Placenta/*metabolism ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Proteins/*metabolism ; RNA, Messenger/*metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tissue Distribution/physiology