Hydrallantois in a female dog: a case report

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M.A.R. Feliciano

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to describe the clinical, ultrasound and histological findings of hydrallantois in a Pug bitch. On the 56th day of pregnancy the patient presented pronounced abdominal distention, lethargy, anorexia and dyspnea. The ultrasound revealed the presence of abnormal fluid accumulation within the fetal membranes, especial in the allantois, which was incompatible with the 8th week of pregnancy in bitches. The macroscopic exam during the C-section, distention of the fetal membranes and accumulation of fluid within the allantois was observed. The precise amount of liquid could not be assessed due to the surgical procedure. All neonates of our case report were normal at the initial physical exam. The histologic exam revealed normal placenta. In conclusion, clinical and ultrasound assessment were able to diagnose hydrallantois in a canine patient.

A neonate with an intact congenital umbilical appendix: an alternative theory on the etiology of the appendico-umbilical fistula.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fuijkschot, J.; Wijnen, R.M.H.; Gerrits, G.P.J.M.; Dubois, S.V.; Rieu, P.N.M.A.

2006-01-01

Neonatal umbilical anomalies usually represent remains of the vitelline duct or the allantois. We describe a case of an umbilical appendix in a neonate. The vermiform appendix was found to be positioned in the umbilical cord. In a brief literature review we found eight other reports concerning

Extraembryonic origin of circulating endothelial cells.

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Luc Pardanaud

Full Text Available Circulating endothelial cells (CEC are contained in the bone marrow and peripheral blood of adult humans and participate to the revascularization of ischemic tissues. These cells represent attractive targets for cell or gene therapy aimed at improving ischemic revascularization or inhibition of tumor angiogenesis. The embryonic origin of CEC has not been addressed previously. Here we use quail-chick chimeras to study CEC origin and participation to the developing vasculature. CEC are traced with different markers, in particular the QH1 antibody recognizing only quail endothelial cells. Using yolk-sac chimeras, where quail embryos are grafted onto chick yolk sacs and vice-versa, we show that CEC are generated in the yolk sac. These cells are mobilized during wound healing, demonstrating their participation to angiogenic repair processes. Furthermore, we found that the allantois is also able to give rise to CEC in situ. In contrast to the yolk sac and allantois, the embryo proper does not produce CEC. Our results show that CEC exclusively originate from extra-embryonic territories made with splanchnopleural mesoderm and endoderm, while definitive hematopoietic stem cells and endothelial cells are of intra-embryonic origin.

Extraembryonic origin of circulating endothelial cells.

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Pardanaud, Luc; Eichmann, Anne

2011-01-01

Circulating endothelial cells (CEC) are contained in the bone marrow and peripheral blood of adult humans and participate to the revascularization of ischemic tissues. These cells represent attractive targets for cell or gene therapy aimed at improving ischemic revascularization or inhibition of tumor angiogenesis. The embryonic origin of CEC has not been addressed previously. Here we use quail-chick chimeras to study CEC origin and participation to the developing vasculature. CEC are traced with different markers, in particular the QH1 antibody recognizing only quail endothelial cells. Using yolk-sac chimeras, where quail embryos are grafted onto chick yolk sacs and vice-versa, we show that CEC are generated in the yolk sac. These cells are mobilized during wound healing, demonstrating their participation to angiogenic repair processes. Furthermore, we found that the allantois is also able to give rise to CEC in situ. In contrast to the yolk sac and allantois, the embryo proper does not produce CEC. Our results show that CEC exclusively originate from extra-embryonic territories made with splanchnopleural mesoderm and endoderm, while definitive hematopoietic stem cells and endothelial cells are of intra-embryonic origin.

Appendicoumbilical Fistula: A Rare Reason for Neonatal Umbilical Mass

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Cevik, M.; Boleken, M. E.; Kadıoglu, E.

2011-01-01

The normal umbilicus is a simple structure, but the intrauterine development of the umbilicus is highly complex. Neonatal umbilical mass anomalies usually represent failure of obliteration of the vitelline duct or the allantois which results in persistence of remnants, which can lead to a wide variety of disorders. In this paper, we present a case of an appendicoumbilical fistula in a neonate along with the differential diagnosis and management options. Embryologic explanation of the etiology...

Proteomic analysis of proteins secreted by the extra-embryonic membranes of the preimplantation sheep conceptus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, R.S.F.

2001-01-01

The extraembryonic membranes (EEM) of the preimplantation sheep conceptus play a major role in the supply of nutrition to the embryo and subsequently participate in the formation of the placentomes. Such functions are likely to be mediated by proteins secreted by the EEM. These proteins may mediate maternal-embryonic interactions or provide the embryo with essential nutrients during the period of early organogenesis and rapid growth and differentiation of the EEM, leading up to implantation. Large format (40 x 40 cm) 2-D gels were used to analyze proteins secreted by the trophoblast, allantois and the yolk sac of day 17 or 18 conceptuses after incubation separately for 3h in the presence of [ 35 S]-methionine. Hundreds of proteins were detected, many of which have not been identified. Each of these EEM secreted different compositions of proteins, as did the two cell layers of the trophoblast. Several proteins that were secreted by the trophectoderm were absent in proteins secreted by the mesoderm layer of the trophoblast. Two of those were identified as interferon-τ and aldose reductase. The proteins secreted by the yolk sac differed markedly from those secreted by the allantois even though both of these membranes were derived from endodermal and mesodermal lineages and are both vascularized. Many of the yolk sac secretory proteins were glycoproteins similar to those found in serum that are normally synthesized by the adult liver; one of these was identified as transferrin. Northern analysis showed that the transferrin mRNA in the yolk sac was even more abundant than it was in adult liver. The similarity between the set of proteins secreted by the yolk sac and those in serum that are attributable to the liver suggests that the yolk sac performs in part, the function of the liver in the synthesis of these proteins. Many proteins secreted by the trophoblast and yolk Sac were detectable in the allantoic fluid even though these membranes were not in contact with the

A Rare Cause of Urachal Adenocarcinoma: Urachal Diverticle

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Tufan Çiçek

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Urachus is the remnant of the embryologic allantois and the fetal bladder, extending form the bladder roof to the umbilicus. It degenerates in the prenatal period into a tissue band known as the median umbilical ligament. Incomplete degeneration may lead to urachal diverticle development. It is difficult to diagnose unless it is considered in differential diagnosis and imaging modalities are employed. This paper describes a patient treated with partial cystectomy for urachal diverticle, and the pathologic examination revealed urachal adenocarcinoma.

Appendicoumbilical Fistula: A Rare Reason for Neonatal Umbilical Mass

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M. Cevik

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The normal umbilicus is a simple structure, but the intrauterine development of the umbilicus is highly complex. Neonatal umbilical mass anomalies usually represent failure of obliteration of the vitelline duct or the allantois which results in persistence of remnants, which can lead to a wide variety of disorders. In this paper, we present a case of an appendicoumbilical fistula in a neonate along with the differential diagnosis and management options. Embryologic explanation of the etiology was discussed with the possible association with different forms of malpositioning and rotation of the gut.

Appendicoumbilical fistula: a rare reason for neonatal umbilical mass.

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Cevik, M; Boleken, M E; Kadıoglu, E

2011-01-01

The normal umbilicus is a simple structure, but the intrauterine development of the umbilicus is highly complex. Neonatal umbilical mass anomalies usually represent failure of obliteration of the vitelline duct or the allantois which results in persistence of remnants, which can lead to a wide variety of disorders. In this paper, we present a case of an appendicoumbilical fistula in a neonate along with the differential diagnosis and management options. Embryologic explanation of the etiology was discussed with the possible association with different forms of malpositioning and rotation of the gut.

Visceral endoderm and the primitive streak interact to build the fetal-placental interface of the mouse gastrula.

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Rodriguez, Adriana M; Downs, Karen M

2017-12-01

Hypoblast/visceral endoderm assists in amniote nutrition, axial positioning and formation of the gut. Here, we provide evidence, currently limited to humans and non-human primates, that hypoblast is a purveyor of extraembryonic mesoderm in the mouse gastrula. Fate mapping a unique segment of axial extraembryonic visceral endoderm associated with the allantoic component of the primitive streak, and referred to as the "AX", revealed that visceral endoderm supplies the placentae with extraembryonic mesoderm. Exfoliation of the AX was dependent upon contact with the primitive streak, which modulated Hedgehog signaling. Resolution of the AX's epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by Hedgehog shaped the allantois into its characteristic projectile and individualized placental arterial vessels. A unique border cell separated the delaminating AX from the yolk sac blood islands which, situated beyond the limit of the streak, were not formed by an EMT. Over time, the AX became the hindgut lip, which contributed extensively to the posterior interface, including both embryonic and extraembryonic tissues. The AX, in turn, imparted antero-posterior (A-P) polarity on the primitive streak and promoted its elongation and differentiation into definitive endoderm. Results of heterotopic grafting supported mutually interactive functions of the AX and primitive streak, showing that together, they self-organized into a complete version of the fetal-placental interface, forming an elongated structure that exhibited A-P polarity and was composed of the allantois, an AX-derived rod-like axial extension reminiscent of the embryonic notochord, the placental arterial vasculature and visceral endoderm/hindgut. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Urachal adenocarcinoma: a rare case report

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Bo Bao

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Urachal carcinoma is a rare and aggressive form of bladder cancer involving the urachus, a fibrous remnant of the allantois that extends from the bladder to the umbilicus. We report this case of a 49-year-old women with primary urachal adenocarcinoma treated with partial cystectomy who relapsed 5 years after surgery with lung metastases. This patient with unremarkable medical history presented with abdominal discomfort and a palpable pelvic mass. Follow-up imaging reveals a large mass on the dome of the bladder extending from the urachus. Subsequent ultrasound-guided biopsy result was suggestive of an urachal mucinous adenocarcinoma. The patient was treated surgically with a partial cystectomy.

Avian models in teratology and developmental toxicology.

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Smith, Susan M; Flentke, George R; Garic, Ana

2012-01-01

The avian embryo is a long-standing model for developmental biology research. It also has proven utility for toxicology research both in ovo and in explant culture. Like mammals, avian embryos have an allantois and their developmental pathways are highly conserved with those of mammals, thus avian models have biomedical relevance. Fertile eggs are inexpensive and the embryo develops rapidly, allowing for high-throughput. The chick genome is sequenced and significant molecular resources are available for study, including the ability for genetic manipulation. The absence of a placenta permits the direct study of an agent's embryotoxic effects. Here, we present protocols for using avian embryos in toxicology research, including egg husbandry and hatch, toxicant delivery, and assessment of proliferation, apoptosis, and cardiac structure and function.

Utility of diffusion-weighted imaging in the presurgical diagnosis of an infected urachal cyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chouhan, Manil; Cuckow, Peter; Humphries, Paul D.

2011-01-01

Urachal cysts are one of a spectrum of urachal abnormalities that occur following failure of regression of the allantois and presumptive bladder between 4 weeks and 6 weeks of gestation. Infection is the most common complication of this rare congenital anomaly. The nonspecific presentation may mimic other pathological processes, underlining their clinical and radiological significance. Imaging investigations typically include US and CT, both of which are limited in their ability to characterize lesions. We report the case of a 5-year-old presenting with macroscopic haematuria in whom diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) suggested the diagnosis of an infected urachal cyst, which was confirmed surgically. We discuss the radiological findings in multiple imaging modalities and present the application of DWI in this context as a means of improving the radiological diagnostic yield. (orig.)

Urachal tumour: case report of a poorly understood carcinoma

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Vallarino Luigi

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Urachal carcinoma is an uncommon neoplasm associated with poor prognosis. Case presentation A 45-year-old man was admitted with complaints of abdominal pain and pollakisuria. A soft mass was palpable under his navel. TC-scan revealed a 11 × 6 cm tumor, which was composed of a cystic lesion arising from the urachus and a solid mass component at the urinary bladder dome. The tumor was removed surgically. Histological examination detected poor-differentiated adenocarcinoma, which had invaded the urinary bladder. The patient has been followed up without recurrence for 6 months. Conclusion The urachus is the embryological remnant of urogenital sinus and allantois. Involution usually happens before birth and urachus is present as a median umbilical ligament. The pathogenesis of urachal tumours is not fully understood. Surgery is the treatment of choice and role of adjuvant treatment is not clearly understood.

Ultrasound studies of the effects of certain poisonous plants on uterine function and fetal development in livestock.

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Bunch, T D; Panter, K E; James, L F

1992-05-01

Ingestion of locoweed (Astragalus spp. and Oxytropis spp.) by pregnant livestock may result in fetal malformations, delayed placentation, reduced placental and uterine vascular development, hydrops amnii, hydrops allantois, abnormal cotyledonary development, interruption of fetal fluid balance, and abortion. Ultrasonography of pregnant sheep fed locoweed demonstrated that abortion was first preceded by changes in fetal heart rate and strength of contraction and structural changes of the cotyledons, followed by increased accumulation of fetal fluid within the placental membranes and death of the fetus. During pregnancy the toxic agent in locoweed (swainsonine) apparently passes through the placental barrier to the fetus and during lactation through the milk to the neonate. Poison-hemlock (Conium maculatum), wild tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca), and lunara lupine (Lupinus formosus) all contain piperidine alkaloids and induce fetal malformations, including multiple congenital contractures and cleft palate in livestock. Ultrasonography studies of pregnant sheep and goats gavaged with these plants during 30 to 60 d of gestation suggests that the primary cause of multiple congenital contractures and cleft palate is the degree and the duration of the alkaloid-induced fetal immobilization.

The Evolutionary Economics of Embryonic-Sac Fluids in Squamate Reptiles.

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Bonnet, Xavier; Naulleau, Guy; Shine, Richard

2017-03-01

The parchment-shelled eggs of squamate reptiles take up substantial water from the nest environment, enabling the conversion of yolk into neonatal tissue and buffering the embryo against the possibility of subsequent dry weather. During development, increasing amounts of water are stored in the embryonic sacs (i.e., membranes around the embryo: amnion, allantois, and chorion). The evolution of viviparity (prolonged uterine retention of developing embryos) means that embryonic-sac fluid storage now imposes a cost (increased maternal burdening), confers less benefit (because the mother buffers fetal water balance), and introduces a potential conflict among uterine siblings (for access to finite water supplies). Our data on nine species of squamate reptiles and published information on three species show that the embryonic-sac fluids comprise around 33% of neonatal mass in viviparous species versus 94% in full-term eggs of oviparous squamates. Data on parturition in 149 vipers (Vipera aspis, a viviparous species) show that larger offspring store more fluids in their fetal sacs and that an increase in litter size is associated with a decrease in fluid-sac mass per offspring. Overall, the evolutionary transition from oviparity to viviparity may have substantially altered selective forces on offspring packaging and created competition among offspring for access to water reserves during embryonic development.

Nitrogen excretion during embryonic development of the green iguana, Iguana iguana (Reptilia; Squamata).

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Sartori, M R; Taylor, E W; Abe, A S

2012-10-01

Development within the cleidoic egg of birds and reptiles presents the embryo with the problem of accumulation of wastes from nitrogen metabolism. Ammonia derived from protein catabolism is converted into the less toxic product urea or relatively insoluble uric acid. The pattern of nitrogen excretion of the green iguana, Iguana iguana, was determined during embryonic development using samples from allantoic fluid and from the whole homogenized egg, and in hatchlings and adults using samples of blood plasma. Urea was the major excretory product over the course of embryonic development. It was found in higher concentrations in the allantoic sac, suggesting that there is a mechanism present on the allantoic membrane enabling the concentration of urea. The newly hatched iguana still produced urea while adults produced uric acid. The time course of this shift in the type of nitrogen waste was not determined but the change is likely to be related to the water relations associated with the terrestrial habit of the adult. The green iguana produces parchment-shelled eggs that double in mass during incubation due to water absorption; the eggs also accumulate 0.02 mM of urea, representing 82% of the total measured nitrogenous residues that accumulate inside the allantois. The increase in egg mass and urea concentration became significant after 55 days of incubation then were unchanged until hatching. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Morphological aspects of buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis umbilical cord Aspectos Morfológicos do cordão umbilical de búfalos (Bubalus bubalis

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Guilherme J. Ferreira

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Buffalo is an important livestock resource, with a great participation in agricultural systems, providing milk, meat, and work power. Umbilical cord is responsible for maternal-fetal nutrients exchange during pregnancy, and its alterations can compromise the fetal development. We investigated ten pregnant uteruses collected from cross-bread buffaloes in different stages of gestation. Pregnancy and fetal age was determined by measuring the apex sacral length and development period was calculated by previously published formula. Umbilical cords were measured for length determination. Umbilical cord vascular net and anastomosis were observed by injection of Neoprene latex. Histological sections of the umbilical cord were studied after stain with HE, picrossirius, toluidine blue, orceine, and PAS reaction. Buffaloes' umbilical cord was formed by two central arteries, an allantois duct and two peripheral veins. The artery wall was composed by large quantity of collagen, elastic fibers, fibroblasts and large number of vasa vasorum. The allantois duct was located between the arteries and presented a great number of small nourishing vessels. Small nourishing vessels should be carefully considered to avoid to be mistaken to the arterials and veins vasa vasorum. Medium length of umbilical cord from buffalos was 11.8cm (minimum of 6.8cm and maximum of 17.4cm.Búfalo é uma importante fonte de recurso nos rebanhos animais, apresentando uma grande participação na agropecuária, provendo leite, carne e força de trabalho. O Cordão umbilical é responsável pela troca de nutrientes materno-fetais durante a gestação, e suas alterações podem comprometer o desenvolvimento fetal. Nós investigamos dez úteros gravídicos de búfalos de raças cruzadas em fases diferentes de gestação. O período de gestação e a idade fetal foram determinados pelo comprimento ápice sacral, aplicando fórmulas previamente estabelecidas. Posteriormente mediu-se o

Cell lineage of timed cohorts of Tbx6-expressing cells in wild-type and Tbx6 mutant embryos

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Daniel Concepcion

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Tbx6 is a T-box transcription factor with multiple roles in embryonic development as evidenced by dramatic effects on mesoderm cell fate determination, left/right axis determination, and somite segmentation in mutant mice. The expression of Tbx6 is restricted to the primitive streak and presomitic mesoderm, but some of the phenotypic features of mutants are not easily explained by this expression pattern. We have used genetically-inducible fate mapping to trace the fate of Tbx6-expressing cells in wild-type and mutant embryos to explain some of the puzzling features of the mutant phenotype. We created an inducible Tbx6-creERT2 transgenic mouse in which cre expression closely recapitulates endogenous Tbx6 expression both temporally and spatially. Using a lacZ-based Cre reporter and timed tamoxifen injections, we followed temporally overlapping cohorts of cells that had expressed Tbx6 and found contributions to virtually all mesodermally-derived embryonic structures as well as the extraembryonic allantois. Contribution to the endothelium of major blood vessels may account for the embryonic death of homozygous mutant embryos. In mutant embryos, Tbx6-creERT2-traced cells contributed to the abnormally segmented anterior somites and formed the characteristic ectopic neural tubes. Retention of cells in the mutant tail bud indicates a deficiency in migratory behavior of the mutant cells and the presence of Tbx6-creERT2-traced cells in the notochord, a node derivative provides a possible explanation for the heterotaxia seen in mutant embryos.

Epidermal growth factor-like domain 7 is a marker of the endothelial lineage and active angiogenesis.

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Bambino, Kathryn; Lacko, Lauretta A; Hajjar, Katherine A; Stuhlmann, Heidi

2014-07-01

Epidermal growth factor-like domain 7 (Egfl7) expression in the developing embryo is largely restricted to sites of mesodermal progenitors of angioblasts/hemangioblasts and the vascular endothelium. We hypothesize that Egfl7 marks the endothelial lineage during embryonic development, and can be used to define the emergence of endothelial progenitor cells, as well as to visualize newly-forming vasculature in the embryo and during the processes of physiologic and pathologic angiogenesis in the adult. We have generated a transgenic mouse strain that expresses enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) under the control of a minimal Egfl7 regulatory sequence (Egfl7:eGFP). Expression of the transgene recapitulated that of endogenous Egfl7 at sites of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis in the allantois, yolk sac, and in the embryo proper. The transgene was not expressed in the quiescent endothelium of most adult organs. However, the uterus and ovary, which undergo vascular growth and remodeling throughout the estrus cycle, expressed high levels of Egfl7:eGFP. Importantly, expression of the Egfl7:eGFP transgene was induced in adult neovasculature. We also found that increased Egfl7 expression contributed to pathologic revascularization in the mouse retina. To our knowledge, this is the first mouse model that enables monitoring of endothelial cells at sites of active vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. This model also facilitated the isolation and characterization of EGFL7(+) endothelial cell populations by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). Together, our results demonstrate that the Egfl7:eGFP reporter mouse is a valuable tool that can be used to elucidate the mechanisms by which blood vessels form during development and under pathologic circumstances. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.