Perinatal grief following neonatal comfort care for lethal fetal condition

BACKGROUND: The objective of the study was to assess perinatal grief experienced after continuing pregnancy and comfort care in women diagnosed with lethal fetal condition compared with termination of pregnancy for fetal anomaly (TOPFA). METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study which included women who chose to continue their pregnancy after the diagnosis of lethal fetal condition with comfort care support at birth at the Prenatal Diagnosis Center of Rennes Hospital from January 2007 to January 2017. Women were matched with controls who underwent TOPFA for the same type of fetal anomaly, gestational age at diagnosis and year. Women were evaluated by a questionnaire including the Perinatal Grief Scale. RESULTS: There were 28 patients in the continuing pregnancy group matched with 56 patients in the TOPFA group. Interval between fetal loss and completion of questionnaire was 6±3 years. Perinatal grief score was similar at 61±22 vs 58±18 (p = 0.729) in the continuing pregnancy and TOPFA groups, respectively. Women in the TOPFA group expressed more guilt. The cesarean-section rate in the continuing pregnancy group was 25% . CONCLUSION: Perinatal grief experienced by women opting for continuing pregnancy and comfort care after diagnosis of a potentially lethal fetal anomaly is not more severe than for those choosing TOPFA

A Murine Model to Study Epilepsy and SUDEP Induced by Malaria Infection.

One of the largest single sources of epilepsy in the world is produced as a neurological sequela in survivors of cerebral malaria. Nevertheless, the pathophysiological mechanisms of such epileptogenesis remain unknown and no adjunctive therapy during cerebral malaria has been shown to reduce the rate of subsequent epilepsy. There is no existing animal model of postmalarial epilepsy. In this technical report we demonstrate the first such animal models. These models were created from multiple mouse and parasite strain combinations, so that the epilepsy observed retained universality with respect to genetic background. We also discovered spontaneous sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) in two of our strain combinations. These models offer a platform to enable new preclinical research into mechanisms and prevention of epilepsy and SUDEP

A Motor Function for the DEAD-Box RNA Helicase, Gemin3, in Drosophila

The survival motor neuron (SMN) protein, the determining factor for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), is complexed with a group of proteins in human cells. Gemin3 is the only RNA helicase in the SMN complex. Here, we report the identification of Drosophila melanogaster Gemin3 and investigate its function in vivo. Like in vertebrates, Gemin3 physically interacts with SMN in Drosophila. Loss of function of gemin3 results in lethality at larval and/or prepupal stages. Before they die, gemin3 mutant larvae exhibit declined mobility and expanded neuromuscular junctions. Expression of a dominant-negative transgene and knockdown of Gemin3 in mesoderm cause lethality. A less severe Gemin3 disruption in developing muscles leads to flightless adults and flight muscle degeneration. Our findings suggest that Drosophila Gemin3 is required for larval development and motor function

Gemin8 is a novel component of the survival motor neuron complex and functions in small nuclear ribonucleoprotein assembly.

The survival motor neuron (SMN) protein is the product of the spinal muscular atrophy disease gene. SMN and Gemin2\u20137 proteins form a large macromolecular complex that localizes in the cytoplasm as well as in the nucleoplasm and in nuclear Gems. The SMN complex interacts with several additional proteins and likely functions in multiple cellular pathways. In the cytoplasm, a subset of SMN complexes containing unrip and Sm proteins mediates the assembly of spliceosomal small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs). Here, by mass spectrometry analysis of SMN complexes purified from HeLa cells, we identified a novel protein that is evolutionarily conserved in metazoans, and we named it Gemin8. Co-immunoprecipitation and immunolocalization experiments demonstrated that Gemin8 is associated with the SMN complex and is localized in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus, where it is highly concentrated in Gems. Gemin8 interacts directly with the Gemin6-Gemin7 heterodimer and, together with unrip, these proteins form a heteromeric subunit of the SMN complex. Gemin8 is also associated with Sm proteins, and Gemin8-containing SMN complexes are competent to carry out snRNP assembly. Importantly, RNA interference experiments indicate that Gemin8 knock-down impairs snRNP assembly, and Gemin8 expression is down-regulated in cells with low levels of SMN. These results demonstrate that Gemin8 is a novel integral component of the SMN complex and extend the repertoire of cellular proteins involved in the pathway of snRNP biogenesis

XAS, ESR and potentiometric studies of three dinuclear N,N′-para-xylylenebis(tetraazamacrocycle)copper(II) complexes - X-ray crystal structure of [N,N′-p-xylylenebis(cyclen)]copper(II)

cited By 21International audienceDicopper complexes with N,N′-p-xylylenebis(cyclam or cyclen) and with the heteroditopic N,N′-p-xylylenebis(cyclam-cyclen) were synthesized. An X-ray study of the N,N′- p-xylylenebis(cyclen)dicopper complex showed that the copper(II) ion is five-coordinate with an H2O molecule in apical position. With this ligand, a polymeric chain was also obtained in the presence of KSCN. The terminal donor atoms of the bridging NCS- anion are coordinated in apical position to the square-pyramidal copper(II) ion. Two alternating kinds of Cu2L4+ moieties are present in the chain, the first with two N4S chromophores and the second with two N5 chromophores. EXAFS and XANES results are in agreement with a five-coordinate copper ion in the cyclen unit and a six-coordinate copper ion in the cyclam unit. Thermodynamic constants were determined by potentiometry. The existence of dinuclear Cu2L4+ species (ligand/metal ratio < 1) and mononuclear CuLHn(2+n)+ species (ligand/metal ratio > 1) were confirmed by an ESR study at variable pH. © Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003

XAS, ESR and potentiometric studies of three dinuclear N,N′-para-xylylenebis(tetraazamacrocycle)copper(II) complexes - X-ray crystal structure of [N,N′-p-xylylenebis(cyclen)]copper(II)

cited By 21International audienceDicopper complexes with N,N′-p-xylylenebis(cyclam or cyclen) and with the heteroditopic N,N′-p-xylylenebis(cyclam-cyclen) were synthesized. An X-ray study of the N,N′- p-xylylenebis(cyclen)dicopper complex showed that the copper(II) ion is five-coordinate with an H2O molecule in apical position. With this ligand, a polymeric chain was also obtained in the presence of KSCN. The terminal donor atoms of the bridging NCS- anion are coordinated in apical position to the square-pyramidal copper(II) ion. Two alternating kinds of Cu2L4+ moieties are present in the chain, the first with two N4S chromophores and the second with two N5 chromophores. EXAFS and XANES results are in agreement with a five-coordinate copper ion in the cyclen unit and a six-coordinate copper ion in the cyclam unit. Thermodynamic constants were determined by potentiometry. The existence of dinuclear Cu2L4+ species (ligand/metal ratio < 1) and mononuclear CuLHn(2+n)+ species (ligand/metal ratio > 1) were confirmed by an ESR study at variable pH. © Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003

Magnetic measurements, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and XAS of dinuclear nickel(II) complexes of bistetraazamacrocycles

cited By 11International audienceThe nickel(II) complexes of N,N′-xylylenebis(tetraazamacrocycles) have been isolated. The description of these dinuclear bismacrocyclic complexes have been carried out by means of magnetic measurements and spectrophotometric experiments (UV-Vis). The metal environment and the ligand shape have been specified by XANES and EXAFS experiments, since attempts to obtain suitable crystals failed. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved