Maternal exposure to ambient black carbon particles and their presence in maternal and fetal circulation and organs : an analysis of two independent population-based observational studies

Funding European Research Council, Flemish Scientific Research Foundation, Kom op Tegen Kanker, UK Medical Research Council, and EU Horizon 2020. Acknowledgments The ENVIRONAGE birth cohort was initiated by the European Research Council (ERC-2012-StG 310898) and received additional funding from the Flemish Scientific Research Foundation and Kom op Tegen Kanker (KoTK). The detection equipment was funded by the METHUSALEM Program and the INCALO project (ERC-PoC). We acknowledge the Flemish Scientific Research Foundation (FWO; 1150920N to EB and G082317N). The SAFeR study was funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MR/L010011/1 and MR/P011535/1) and the EU's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie project PROTECTED (grant agreement number 722634) and FREIA project (grant agreement number 825100) as well as by NHS Grampian Endowments grants (16/11/056, 17/034, 18/14, 19/029, and 20/031) to PAF. We thank the midwives from the maternity ward of the East-Limburg Hospital in Genk, Belgium, for coordinating and supporting the study at the ward. We thank the Advanced Optical Microscopy Centre for the maintenance of the microscopic instruments. Moreover, we thank our colleagues from the Centre for Environmental Sciences for their hard work in collecting and processing the samples for the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort. Additionally, we thank the NHS Grampian Research Nurses and NHS Grampian R&D for their tireless recruitment work for the SAFeR study. We thank the past and present SAFeR team for their hard work with the fetuses and placentae. Finally, we thank the NHS Grampian Biorepository for their oversight role in SAFeR and assistance in processing and preparation of tissue sections.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Polymer versus phosphine stabilized Rh nanoparticles as components of supported catalysts : implication in the hydrogenation of cyclohexene model molecule

The solution synthesis of rhodium nanoparticles (Rh NPs) was achieved from the organometallic complex [Rh(η³-C₃H₅)₃] under mild reaction conditions in the presence of a polymer (PVP), a monophosphine (PPh₃) and a diphosphine (dppb) as a stabilizer, leading to very small Rh NPs of 2.2, 1.3 and 1.7 nm mean size, with PVP, PPh3 and dppb, respectively. The surface properties of these nanoparticles were compared using a model catalysis reaction namely, hydrogenation of cyclohexene, first under colloidal conditions and then under supported conditions after their immobilization onto an amino functionalized silica-coated magnetite support. PVP-stabilized Rh NPs were the most active catalyst whatever the catalytic conditions as a result of a strong coordination of the phosphine ligands at the metal surface that blocks some surface atoms even after several recycles of the supported nanocatalysts and limit the reactivity of the metallic surface

Ibuprofen is deleterious for the development of first trimester human fetal ovary ex vivo

International audienceSTUDY QUESTION Does ibuprofen use during the first trimester of pregnancy interfere with the development of the human fetal ovary? SUMMARY ANSWER In human fetuses, ibuprofen exposure is deleterious for ovarian germ cells. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY In utero stages of ovarian development define the future reproductive capacity of a woman. In rodents, analgesics can impair the development of the fetal ovary leading to early onset of fertility failure. Ibuprofen, which is available over-the-counter, has been reported as a frequently consumed medication during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester when the ovarian germ cells undergo crucial steps of proliferation and differentiation. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Organotypic cultures of human ovaries obtained from 7 to 12 developmental week (DW) fetuses were exposed to ibuprofen at 1-100 μM for 2, 4 or 7 days. For each individual, a control culture (vehicle) was included and compared to its treated counterpart. A total of 185 individual samples were included. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Ovarian explants were analyzed by flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry and quantitative PCR. Endpoints focused on ovarian cell number, cell death, proliferation and germ cell complement. To analyze the possible range of exposure, ibuprofen was measured in the umbilical cord blood from the women exposed or not to ibuprofen prior to termination of pregnancy. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Human ovarian explants exposed to 10 and 100 μM ibuprofen showed reduced cell number, less proliferating cells, increased apoptosis and a dramatic loss of germ cell number, regardless of the gestational age of the fetus. Significant effects were observed after 7 days of exposure to 10 μM ibuprofen. At this concentration, apoptosis was observed as early as 2 days of treatment, along with a decrease in M2A-positive germ cell number. These deleterious effects of ibuprofen were not fully rescued after 5 days of drug withdrawal. LARGE SCALE DATA N/A. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION This study was performed in an experimental setting of human ovaries explants exposed to the drug in culture, which may not fully recapitulate the complexity of in vivo exposure and organ development. Inter-individual variability is also to be taken into account. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Whereas ibuprofen is currently only contra-indicated after 24 weeks of pregnancy, our results points to a deleterious effect of this drug on first trimester fetal ovaries ex vivo. These findings deserve to be considered in light of the present recommendations about ibuprofen consumption pregnancy, and reveal the urgent need for further investigations on the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the effect of ibuprofen on fetal ovary development. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Paracetamol effects on the human fetal ovary

National audienc

Characterisation of the effects of Ketoconazole and Diethylstilbestrol on the human fetal adrenal

International audienc

Paracetamol (acetaminophen) may interfere with the human fetal ovary development in an ex vivo model

International audienc

P08-11: Characterisation of the effects of Ketoconazole on the human fetal adrenal

International audienc

Polymer versus phosphine stabilized Rh nanoparticles as components of supported catalysts: implication in the hydrogenation of cyclohexene model molecule

International audienceThe solution synthesis of rhodium nanoparticles (Rh NPs) was achieved from the organometallic complex [Rh(η3-C3H5)3] under mild reaction conditions in the presence of a polymer (PVP), a monophosphine (PPh3) and a diphosphine (dppb) as a stabilizer, leading to very small Rh NPs of 2.2, 1.3 and 1.7 nm mean size, with PVP, PPh3 and dppb, respectively. The surface properties of these nanoparticles were compared using a model catalysis reaction namely, hydrogenation of cyclohexene, first under colloidal conditions and then under supported conditions after their immobilization onto an amino functionalized silica-coated magnetite support. PVP-stabilized Rh NPs were the most active catalyst whatever the catalytic conditions as a result of a strong coordination of the phosphine ligands at the metal surface that blocks some surface atoms even after several recycles of the supported nanocatalysts and limit the reactivity of the metallic surface

An organometallic approach for very small maghemite nanoparticles: Synthesis, characterization, and magnetic properties

Maghemite (gamma-Fe2O3) nanoparticles stabilized by long-alkyl-chain amines are synthesized by using an orgonometallic approach. This method consists of the hydrolysis and oxidation of an organometallic precursor, Fe[N(SiMe3)(2)](2), in the presence of amine ligands as stabilizing agent in an organic solvent, namely tetrohydrofuron or toluene. Whatever the experimental conditions, particles with a diameter of 2.8 nm are obtained. The use of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and wide-angle X-ray scattering, together with Mossbauer spectroscopy and SQuld magnetometry, allows a complete characterization of these particles. Herein, we show that their structure is composed of a well-ordered core surrounded by a more disordered shell. The size of the latter varies from 0.65 to 0.50 nm depending on the experimental conditions and is of prime importance for the understanding of the magnetic properties. We demonstrate that the shorter the alkyl chain length of the amine 1) the better the crystallinity of the particle's core and 2) the stronger the interparticle interactions