To investigate the expressions of placental growth factor (PLGF) in placenta with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), 45 women with HDP and 20 normally pregnant women were studied. Among 45 women with HDP, there were 23 cases of severe preeclampsia and one case of eclampsia. The location and level of PLGF proteins was determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The expression of PLGF mRNA in placenta was assessed by reverse transcriptional-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results showed that: (1) The distribution of PLGF in placenta with HDP was similar to normal one, which was mainly in the cytoplasm of villous syncytiotrophoblast and villous stroma; (2) The expression of PLGF protein was significantly decreased in placentas with mild and severe preeclampsia compared to the normal ones (0.3 +/- 0.4 vs 0.6 +/- 0.4, 0.2 +/- 0.5 vs 0.6 +/- 0.4, P < 0.01). There were no differences between the gestational hypertension placenta and normal one (0.5 +/- 0.6 vs 0.6 +/- 0.4, P > 0.05); (3) The transcription levels of the PLGF mRNA in placentas with preeclampsia were significantly lower than in normal groups (3.33 +/- 0.39 vs 4.87 +/- 0.60, 1.97 +/- 0.29 vs 4.87 +/- 0.60, P < 0.01), and no differences were found between the gestational hypertension placenta and normal groups. These findings suggest that the abnormal expression of PLGF in placentas is related to the pathogenesis of HDP.
Placenta/*metabolism ; Pre-Eclampsia/*metabolism ; Pregnancy/*metabolism ; Pregnancy Proteins/*biosynthesis ; Pregnancy Proteins/genetics

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of Calponin-1 and Transgenlin in the uterine smooth muscles during normal labor on-sets, and to evaluate their effect on initiating the normal labor. METHODS: A total of 14 uterine bodies and lower segments of human pregnancy were divided to a non-labor group (NIL) and a labor group(IL). Immunohistochemical technology and Western blot were used to determine the expression of Calponin-1 and Transgelin in the 2 groups. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical detection and Western blot showed that Calponin-1 protein in the uterine smooth muscle tissue of the body and the lower uterine segment of smooth muscle tissues had significant difference (P<0.05). The expression of Transgelin in the uterine body smooth muscle tissue in the IL was higher than that in the NIL(P<0.05). In the lower uterine segments of the smooth muscle, the expression of Transgelin was not significantly different in the 2 groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Calponin-1 of the uterine smooth muscle and Transgelin of the uterine body smooth muscle may involve in the regulation of uterine smooth muscle contractility, which is closely related to child birth launch.
Adult ; Calcium-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Labor Onset ; metabolism ; Microfilament Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Muscle Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Myometrium ; metabolism ; Pregnancy ; Uterine Contraction ; metabolism

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to investigate the ability of Pref-1+ adipocyte progenitor cells to mobilize into mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) and the dynamic expression of related chemokines during the development of rat MLNs.

METHODSImmunohistochemical analyses were used to detect the expression of Pref-1 and related chemokines. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the changes in ultrastructure of MLNs.

RESULTSCells containing lipid droplets were found in all rat MLNs at embryonic day (E) 18.5, 2 and 6 weeks (w) after birth, and they were similar to fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) or follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) under TEM. Pref-1+ adipocyte progenitor cells were found in all MLNs. The expression level of Pref-1 was significantly increased at 2 w after birth and decreased at 6 w after birth. The tendency of Cxcl12 expression was consistent with that of Pref-1 and was positively correlated with the expression of Pref-1 (P < 0.01; r = 0.897). At E18.5, Cxcl13, and Ccr7 were significantly expressed in the MLN anlage, but the expression level of Ccl21 was low. The expression level of Cxcl13, Ccr7, and Ccl21 in MLN were significantly increased at 2 w after birth (P < 0.05), while the expression of Ccr7 and Ccl21 were significantly decreased at 6 w after birth (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAdipocyte progenitor cells are involved in the rat MLNs development through differentiation into FRC and FDC. The expression of the relevant chemokines during the development of MLNs is dynamic and may be related to the maintenance of lymph nodes self-balance state.

Animals ; Chemokines ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; physiology ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Lymph Nodes ; embryology ; metabolism ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mesentery ; embryology ; Pregnancy ; Rats

PURPOSE: Recently, COMMD1 has been identified as a novel interactor and regulator of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 and nuclear factor kappa B transcriptional activity. The goal of this study was to determine the difference of COMMD1 expression in the placentas of women with normal and preeclamptic (PE) pregnancies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immnoperoxidase and immunofluorescent staining for COMMD1 was performed on nine normal and nine severe PE placental tissues, and COMMD1 mRNA expression was quantified by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The expression of mRNA of COMMD1 was significantly higher in the study group than in the control group. The immunoreactivity was higher especially in the syncytiotrophoblast of PE placentas than in the control group. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated increased placental COMMD1 expression in women with severe preeclampsia compared to that found in women with normal pregnancies, and this finding might contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of preeclampsia.
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/genetics/isolation & purification/*metabolism ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Placenta/*metabolism ; Pre-Eclampsia/*metabolism ; Pregnancy ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic etiology of a Chinese pedigree affected with infantile hepatitis syndrome. METHODS: Genes associated with liver diseases subjected to high-throughput sequencing. Candidate variants were validated by Sanger sequencing of the proband and his parents. The pathogenicity of the variants was analyzed through bioinformatic analysis. RESULTS: High-throughput sequencing revealed that the proband has harbored c.182T>C (p.F61S) and c.293C>T (p.P98L) variants of the MPV17 gene, which were verified by Sanger sequencing to be inherited from his parents. The variant c.182T>C (p.F61S) was unreported previously and predicted to be likely pathogenic by bioinformatic analysis. CONCLUSION The proband was caused by the compound heterozygous variations of MPV17 gene including c.182T>C (p.F61S) and c.293C>T (p.P98L). Discovery of the novel variant has enriched the spectrum of pathogenic variants of the MPV17 gene.
China ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics* ; Female ; Genetic Testing ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Metabolism, Inborn Errors/genetics* ; Mitochondrial Proteins/genetics* ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Syndrome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of placenta-derived RASSF1A gene in maternal plasma during first and second trimesters, and to explore its value for the prediction of pre-eclampsia.

METHODSFor 325 pregnant women of the first trimester, free DNA of plasma samples was extracted at 7-12, 13-18, and 19-24 gestational weeks, respectively. Methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme digestion followed by fluorescence quantitative PCR (MSRE+ PCR) was employed for analyzing the concentrations of hypermethylated RASSF1A gene. Blood pressure, proteinuria and clinical feature were monitored at the same time. Those who had subsequently developed pre-eclampsia were selected as the pre-eclamptic group, 30 normal pregnant women were selected as the control group. Hypermethylated RASSF1A gene in maternal plasma was retrospectively analyzed. The relationship between clinical classification, type of pre-eclampsia and concentrations of the gene were further analyzed.

RESULTSTwenty-six out of the 325 pregnant women developed pre-eclampsia as their only complication. At 13-18 gestational weeks, the mean concentrations of fetus-specific RASSF1A sequences were 141.62 copies/mL in maternal plasma of pre-eclamptic pregnancies, which was significantly greater than that of the controls (98.90 copies/mL). Fetus-derived RASSF1A levels were 2.03 fold higher in pre-eclamptic subjects than controls at 19-24 gestational weeks. There was a significant difference in the level of hypermethylated RASSF1A gene between the mild and severe pre-clamptic subjects at 13-24 gestational weeks (P< 0.05). The concentrations of the sequences were significantly higher in early-onset severe pre-eclampsia than late-onset severe pre-eclampsia at 19-24 gestational weeks (P< 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAltered expression of hypermethylated RASSF1A gene may be detected in maternal plasma during second trimester, which has important significance for early prediction of pre-eclampsia.

Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Placenta ; metabolism ; Pre-Eclampsia ; blood ; diagnosis ; genetics ; metabolism ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; methods ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins ; blood ; genetics

Teratozoospermia is a rare disease associated with male infertility. Several recurrent genetic mutations have been reported to be associated with abnormal sperm morphology, but the genetic basis of tapered-head sperm is not well understood. In this study, whole-exome sequencing (WES) identified a homozygous WD repeat domain 12 (WDR12; p.Ser162Ala/c.484T>G) variant in an infertile patient with tapered-head spermatozoa from a consanguineous Chinese family. Bioinformatic analysis predicted this mutation to be a pathogenic variant. To verify the effect of this variant, we analyzed WDR12 protein expression in spermatozoa of the patient and a control individual, as well as in the 293T cell line, by Western blot analysis, and found that WDR12 expression was significantly downregulated. To understand the role of normal WDR12, we evaluated its mRNA and protein expression in mice at different ages. We observed that WDR12 expression was increased in pachytene spermatocytes, with intense staining visible in round spermatid nuclei. Based on these results, the data suggest that the rare biallelic pathogenic missense variant (p.Ser162Ala/c.484T>G) in the WDR12 gene is associated with tapered-head spermatozoa. In addition, after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a successful pregnancy was achieved. This finding indicates that infertility associated with this WDR12 homozygous mutation can be overcome by ICSI. The present results may provide novel insights into understanding the molecular mechanisms of male infertility.
Humans ; Pregnancy ; Female ; Male ; Animals ; Mice ; Teratozoospermia/pathology* ; Semen/metabolism* ; Infertility, Male/metabolism* ; Spermatozoa/metabolism* ; Mutation ; RNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism* ; Cell Cycle Proteins/genetics*

OBJECTIVETo investigate the level of hypermethylated ras association domain family 1A (RASSF1A) gene in maternal plasma of pre-eclampsia and its clinical value.

METHODSSixty pre-eclampsia women including 30 mild and 30 severe cases were selected, 60 women with normal pregnancy were studied as control. Free DNA from plasma samples was extracted, fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR) was used to detect the concentrations of RASSF1A gene before and after methylation-sensitive restriction digestion. Meanwhile, beta-actin gene was detected as a control to confirm complete enzyme digestion.

RESULTSThe median concentration of hypermethylated RASSF1A gene was 3.31-fold higher in samples from pre-eclamptic pregnancies than that in controls. There was significant difference between the mild and severe pre-eclamptic subjects (P<0.05), with the median concentrations of 1659 copies/mL and 2036.50 copies/mL, respectively.

CONCLUSIONHypermethylated RASSF1A gene in pre-eclampsia plasma was significantly increased and the concentrations were related to the severity of pre-eclampsia.

Adult ; DNA ; blood ; metabolism ; DNA Methylation ; Female ; Humans ; Pre-Eclampsia ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Pregnancy ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo detect aberrant methylation in the promoter region of fetal endometriosis susceptibility gene homeobox-10 (HOXA10) in women with and without folic acid supplementation and explore the effect of folic acid in optimizing intrauterine environment.

METHODSThirty-six cord blood specimens were collected between January, 2010 and December, 2012 from pregnant women with endometriosis, including 22 with folic acid treatment and 15 without. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) and bisulfite salt modified sequencing (BSP) were employed to detect aberrant methylation of HOXA10 gene in these specimens.

RESULTSThe methylation rate of HOXA10 gene differed significantly between pregnant women with endometriosis taking folic acid and those who did (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONFolic acid treatment can significantly reduce the methylation rate of fetal endometriosis susceptibility gene HOXA10.

DNA Methylation ; drug effects ; Endometriosis ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Fetus ; metabolism ; Folic Acid ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Homeodomain Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Promoter Regions, Genetic

Major surface protein (p30) and Dense Granule Antigen GRA6 of Toxoplasma gondii have good antigenicity, and could be used for detection of IgM against Toxoplasma gondii. GRA6 may complement P30 to reach more high sensitivity for detection of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, so, we try to express the chimeric protein of GRA6 and P30 by genetic engineering, identify its antignenicity and use for developing diagnosis reagent. Antigenic domains of p30 and GRA6 of Toxoplasma gondii were screened by analyzing their sequences using the software ANTHEWIN. Two DNA fragments encoding respectively antigenic domains of p30 and GRA6 were cloned, they were inserted into the same expression vector pET28a( + ) and expressed as a chimeric protein in Escherichia coli. BL21(DE3), the expressed chimeric protein of p30 with GRA6 in a form of inclusion body was about 25% of total proteins of E. coli. BL21(DE3). The inclusion body was washed once with 0.5% Triton X-100 and dissolved with 0.5% SKL, after renaturation by gradient dialysis, the recombinant protein was purified by DEAE-Sepharose FF cation column and then detected with 12% SDS-PAGE, it exists mainly in the eluted peak with 300 mmol/L NaCl and has high purity. By using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the recombinant protein was examined for reactivity with immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies in 6 sera from patients infected with Toxoplasma gondii ., it was reactive with all the 6 sera but not with sera from normal people, these results showed that the recombinant chimeric antigen has good antigenicity and specificity and could be used for detection of IgM against Toxoplasma gondii. The expressed chimeric protein could be used for epidemic investigation of Toxoplasma gondii, blood donor screening, especially for detection of pregnant women, and is of great significance in prevention of Toxoplasma gondii infection.
Animals ; Antigens, Protozoan ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; immunology ; Models, Genetic ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pregnancy ; Protozoan Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Toxoplasma ; genetics ; immunology