The PBDE-209 Exposure during Pregnancy and Lactation Impairs Immune Function in Rats

In the present study, we assessed the treatment effects of PBDE-209 administration on the immune function in rats during pregnancy and lactation. We harvested the blood and organs for flow cytometry, viability assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and histological evaluation. The results of this study were the PBDE-209 exposure during pregnancy and lactation impairs immune function in rats. The results may contribute to understanding the mechanism of PBDE-209 in immune function

Histone modifications in embryo implantation and placentation: insights from mouse models

Embryo implantation and placentation play pivotal roles in pregnancy by facilitating crucial maternal-fetal interactions. These dynamic processes involve significant alterations in gene expression profiles within the endometrium and trophoblast lineages. Epigenetics regulatory mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, and microRNA expression, act as regulatory switches to modulate gene activity, and have been implicated in establishing a successful pregnancy. Exploring the alterations in these epigenetic modifications can provide valuable insights for the development of therapeutic strategies targeting complications related to pregnancy. However, our current understanding of these mechanisms during key gestational stages remains incomplete. This review focuses on recent advancements in the study of histone modifications during embryo implantation and placentation, while also highlighting future research directions in this field

Maternal and fetal/neonatal outcomes of pregnancies complicated by pulmonary hypertension: a retrospective study of 154 patients

Objectives: To determine the main clinical and demographic outcomes related to Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) and adverse obstetric and fetal/neonatal outcomes. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the medical record data of 154 patients with PH who were admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University between January 2011 and December 2020. Results: According to the severity of elevated Pulmonary Artery Systolic Pressure (PASP), 82 women (53.2%) were included in the mild PH group, 34 (22.1%) were included in the moderate PH group, and 38 (24.7%) were included in the severe PH group. There were significant differences in the incidence of heart failure, premature delivery, Very-Low-Birth-Weight (VLBW) infants, and Small-for-Gestational-Age (SGA) infants among the three PH groups (p < 0.05). Five (3.2%) women died within 7-days after delivery, 7 (4.5%) fetuses died in utero, and 3 (1.9%) neonates died. The authors found that PASP was an independent risk factor for maternal mortality. After adjustment for age, gestational weeks, systolic blood pressure, Body Mass Index (BMI), mode of delivery, and anesthesia, the risk of maternal mortality in the severe PH group was 20.21 times higher than that in the mild-moderate PH group (OR = 21.21 [95% CI 1.7∼264.17]), p < 0.05. All 131 (85.1%) patients were followed up for 12 months postpartum. Conclusions: The authors found that the risk of maternal mortality in the severe PH group was significantly higher than that in the mild-moderate group, highlighting the importance of pulmonary artery pressure screening before pregnancy, early advice on contraception, and multidisciplinary care

The role of myeloid differentiation factor 88 on mitochondrial dysfunction of peritoneal leukocytes during polymicrobial sepsis

Objective: To investigate the role of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) on mitochondrial dysfunction of peritoneal leukocytes during polymicrobial sepsis. Material and methods Polymicrobial peritonitis, a clinically relevant mouse model of sepsis, was generated by cecum ligation and puncture (CLP) in both male C57BL/6J wild-type (WT) and MyD88 knockout (MyD88–/–) mice. Twenty-four hours after surgeries, peritoneal leukocytes were collected and four parameters of mitochondrial function, including total intracellular and mitochondrial ROS burst, mitochondrial membrane depolarization and ATP depletion, were measured by flow cytometry or ATP assay, and then compared. Results: Polymicrobial sepsis led to a marked mitochondrial dysfunction of peritoneal leukocytes with total intracellular and mitochondrial ROS overproduction, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and reduced intracellular ATP production. In comparison, there was no significant difference in the extent of mitochondrial dysfunction of peritoneal leukocytes between WT and MyD88–/– septic mice. Conclusions: MyD88 may be not sufficient to regulate mitochondrial dysfunction of peritoneal leukocytes during polymicrobial sepsis

Small Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Cervix in Pregnancy: A Case Report and Review

Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix is a rare subtype of cervical cancer. Here we report a case in which a 27-year-old female patient presented at 34-week gestation with abnormal vaginal bleeding, underwent normal labor, and gave birth to a healthy neonate. Her pregnancy was complicated with a cervical tumor which turned out to be small cell neuroendocrine cervical carcinoma. We reviewed and discussed the features, diagnosis, and prognosis of small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix

Pre-existing medical disorders as risk factors for preeclampsia: an exploratory case-control study

Objective: We sought to explore pre-existing medical disorders as risk factors for preeclampsia as thoroughly as possible. Methods: A case-control design. A group of 1,652 patients were identified as the preeclampsia group, and another randomly selected 4,500 patients were identified as the non-preeclampsia group. Results: Mature ovarian teratoma (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 7.69, 95% CI 1.58–37.53), uterine fibroids (adjusted OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.28–3.92) and pregestational hypothyroidism (adjusted OR 5.17, 95% CI 2.43–11.00), were significantly correlated with preeclampsia. Conclusions: Mature ovarian teratoma, uterine fibroids and pregestational hypothyroidism may also contribute to the incidence of preeclampsia

Role of dexmedetomidine in IL-4 and IFN-γ expression in rats with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome induced by postpartum bleeding

Bleeding-induced multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is one of the major causes of death in pregnant women. MODS is thought to result from an inappropriate generalized host inflammatory response to a variety of acute insults. In this study we established a MODS model in postpartum rats, in which MODS was induced by the combination of induced hypotension for 60 min and clamping of the superior mesenteric artery for a period of 40 min. We sacrificed all the rats 24 h after dexmedetomidine (DEX) treatment. Thymus, spleen, and mesenteric lymph node tissue were collected to detect interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) protein expression; lung and intestine tissue were collected to measure IFN-γ and IL-4 gene expression. In the present study, IFN-γ and IL-4 mRNA were increased in the lungs and intestines of the MODS rats. DEX administration decreased IFN-γ and IL-4 mRNA expression. IFN-γ and IL-4 expression for the thymus, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes were higher in the MODS postpartum rats relative to control rats, and these expression levels decreased upon DEX administration, But there were no significant differences between DEX doses. In conclusion DEX administration appeared to reduce IFN-γ and IL-4 protein expression in thymus, spleen, and mesenteric lymph node tissue and reduce IFN-γ and IL-4 gene expression in the lungs and intestines in the MODS postpartum rats but was not dose-dependent

Association of maternal depression and hypothyroidism with infant gastroschisis: a population-based cohort study in Canada

Abstract Gastroschisis has increased globally over recent decades, and this increase has not been explained by identified risk factors. We conducted a population-based study of infants born in Canada, 2004–2020. We used “winter” months (i.e., September through June) and northern areas of residence as indicators of less sunlight/less active lifestyle, while “summer” (i.e., July and August) and southern areas were considered as reference. Rate of gastroschisis for infants conceived in winter (3.4 per 10,000) was higher than for infants conceived in summer (2.2 per 10,000; p < 0.001). Exposure to winter, and northern area, hypothyroidism, substance or tobacco uses and depressive disorder were initially identified as risk factors for gastroschisis. There was a significant interaction between women < 24 years of age and 2-month conception intervals (rate ratio (RR): 1.42 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19–1.70). The association of maternal depression (mean ratio 2.19, 95% CI 0.87–3.50, p = 0.001) with infant gastroschisis was mediated by hypothyroidism (mean ratio 1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.07, p < 0.001), whereas substance use, hypothyroidism, tobacco smoking and gestational diabetes showed 5.5-, 3.1-, 2.7-, and 1.2-fold associations, respectively, with maternal depression. In contrast to the summer conception interval of low gastroschisis risk, an elevated risk of gastroschisis spans the other ten months in association with higher levels of stress adaptation, thermoregulation and metabolism, reproduction, and growth effector hormones. Our findings suggest that periconception depression with mediation by hypothyroidism, may play a causal role in offspring gastroschisis