Radiology of postnatal skeletal development. Pt. 7

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Ogden, J.A.; Phillips, S.B.

1983-02-01

Twenty-four pairs of scapulae from fetal specimens and 35 pairs of scapulae from postnatal cadavers ranging in age from full-term neonates to 14 years, were studied morphologically and roentgenographically. Air-cartilage interfacing was used to demonstrate both the osseous and cartilaginous contours. When the entire chondro-osseous dimensions, rather than just the osseous dimensions, were measured, the scapula had a height-width ratio ranging from 1.36 to 1.52 (average 1.44) during most of fetal development. The exceptions were three stillborns with camptomelic, thanatophoric, and achondrogenic dwarfism in which the ratio averaged 0.6. At no time during fetal development was the glenoid cavity convex; it always had a concave articular surface. However, the osseous subchrondral countour was often flat or slightly convex. In the postnatal period the height-width ratio averaged 1.49. The ratio remained virtually unchanged throughout skeletal growth and maturation. In a patient with unilateral Sprengel's deformity the ratio for the normal side was 1.5, while the abnormal was 1.0. The cartilaginous glenoid cavity was always concave during postnatal development, even in the specimens with major structural deformities, although the subchondral osseous contour was usually flat or convex during the first few years of postnatal development. Ossification of the coracoid process began with the development of a primary center at three to four months. A bipolar physis was present between the primary coracoid center and the primary scapular center until late adolescence.

Radiology of postnatal skeletal development. Pt. 7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogden, J.A.; Phillips, S.B.

1983-01-01

Twenty-four pairs of scapulae from fetal specimens and 35 pairs of scapulae from postnatal cadavers ranging in age from full-term neonates to 14 years, were studied morphologically and roentgenographically. Air-cartilage interfacing was used to demonstrate both the osseous and cartilaginous contours. When the entire chondro-osseous dimensions, rather than just the osseous dimensions, were measured, the scapula had a height-width ratio ranging from 1.36 to 1.52 (average 1.44) during most of fetal development. The exceptions were three stillborns with camptomelic, thanatophoric, and achondrogenic dwarfism in which the ratio averaged 0.6. At no time during fetal development was the glenoid cavity convex; it always had a concave articular surface. However, the osseous subchrondral countour was often flat or slightly convex. In the postnatal period the height-width ratio averaged 1.49. The ratio remained virtually unchanged throughout skeletal growth and maturation. In a patient with unilateral Sprengel's deformity the ratio for the normal side was 1.5, while the abnormal was 1.0. The cartilaginous glenoid cavity was always concave during postnatal development, even in the specimens with major structural deformities, although the subchondral osseous contour was usually flat or convex during the first few years of postnatal development. Ossification of the coracoid process began with the development of a primary center at three to four months. A bipolar physis was present between the primary coracoid center and the primary scapular center until late adolescence. (orig.)

Bone matrix calcification during embryonic and postembryonic rat calvarial development assessed by SEM-EDX spectroscopy, XRD, and FTIR spectroscopy.

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Henmi, Akiko; Okata, Hiroshi; Anada, Takahisa; Yoshinari, Mariko; Mikami, Yasuto; Suzuki, Osamu; Sasano, Yasuyuki

2016-01-01

Bone mineral is constituted of biological hydroxyapatite crystals. In developing bone, the mineral crystal matures and the Ca/P ratio increases. However, how an increase in the Ca/P ratio is involved in maturation of the crystal is not known. The relationships among organic components and mineral changes are also unclear. The study was designed to investigate the process of calcification during rat calvarial bone development. Calcification was evaluated by analyzing the atomic distribution and concentration of Ca, P, and C with scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and changes in the crystal structure with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Histological analysis showed that rat calvarial bone formation started around embryonic day 16. The areas of Ca and P expanded, matching the region of the developing bone matrix, whereas the area of C became localized around bone. X-ray diffraction and FTIR analysis showed that the amorphous-like structure of the minerals at embryonic day 16 gradually transformed into poorly crystalline hydroxyapatite, whereas the proportion of mineral to protein increased until postnatal week 6. FTIR analysis also showed that crystallization of hydroxyapatite started around embryonic day 20, by which time SEM-EDX spectroscopy showed that the Ca/P ratio had increased and the C/Ca and C/P ratios had decreased significantly. The study suggests that the Ca/P molar ratio increases and the proportion of organic components such as proteins of the bone matrix decreases during the early stage of calcification, whereas crystal maturation continues throughout embryonic and postembryonic bone development.

Intrauterine Growth Restriction Alters the Postnatal Development of the Rat Cerebellum.

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McDougall, Annie R A; Wiradjaja, Vanny; Azhan, Aminath; Li, Anqi; Hale, Nadia; Wlodek, Mary E; Hooper, Stuart B; Wallace, Megan J; Tolcos, Mary

2017-01-01

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a major cause of antenatal brain injury. We aimed to characterize cerebellar deficits following IUGR and to investigate the potential underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. At embryonic day 18, pregnant rats underwent either sham surgery (controls; n = 23) or bilateral uterine vessel ligation to restrict blood flow to fetuses (IUGR; n = 20). Offspring were collected at postnatal day 2 (P2), P7, and P35. Body weights were reduced at P2, P7, and P35 in IUGR offspring (p < 0.05) compared with controls. At P7, the width of the external granule layer (EGL) was 30% greater in IUGR than control rats (p < 0.05); there was no difference in the width of the proliferative zone or in the density of Ki67-positive cells in the EGL. Bergmann glia were disorganized at P7 and P35 in IUGR pups, and by P35, there was a 10% decrease in Bergmann glial fiber density (p < 0.05) compared with controls. At P7, trophoblast antigen-2 (Trop2) mRNA and protein levels in the cerebellum were decreased by 88 and 40%, respectively, and astrotactin 1 mRNA levels were increased by 20% in the IUGR rats (p < 0.05) compared with controls; there was no difference in ASTN1 protein. The expressions of other factors known to regulate cerebellar development (astrotactin 2, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 4, neuregulin 1, sonic hedgehog and somatostatin) were not different between IUGR and control rats at P7 or P35. These data suggest that damage to the migratory scaffold (Bergmann glial fibers) and alterations in the genes that influence migration (Trop2 and Astn1) may underlie the deficits in postnatal cerebellar development following IUGR. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Thyroid hormone action in postnatal heart development

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Ming Li

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Thyroid hormone is a critical regulator of cardiac growth and development, both in fetal life and postnatally. Here we review the role of thyroid hormone in postnatal cardiac development, given recent insights into its role in stimulating a burst of cardiomyocyte proliferation in the murine heart in preadolescence; a response required to meet the massive increase in circulatory demand predicated by an almost quadrupling of body weight during a period of about 21 days from birth to adolescence. Importantly, thyroid hormone metabolism is altered by chronic diseases, such as heart failure and ischemic heart disease, as well as in very sick children requiring surgery for congenital heart diseases, which results in low T3 syndrome that impairs cardiovascular function and is associated with a poor prognosis. Therapy with T3 or thyroid hormone analogs has been shown to improve cardiac contractility; however, the mechanism is as yet unknown. Given the postnatal cardiomyocyte mitogenic potential of T3, its ability to enhance cardiac function by promoting cardiomyocyte proliferation warrants further consideration.

Function of JARID2 in bovines during early embryonic development

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Yao Fu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Histone lysine modifications are important epigenetic modifications in early embryonic development. JARID2, which is a member of the jumonji demethylase protein family, is a regulator of early embryonic development and can regulate mouse development and embryonic stem cell (ESC differentiation by modifying histone lysines. JARID2 can affect early embryonic development by regulating the methylation level of H3K27me3, which is closely related to normal early embryonic development. To investigate the expression pattern of JARID2 and the effect of JARID2-induced H3K27 methylation in bovine oocytes and early embryonic stages, JARID2 mRNA expression and localization were detected in bovine oocytes and early embryos via qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence in the present study. The results showed that JARID2 is highly expressed in the germinal vesicle (GV, MII, 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell, 16-cell and blastocyst stages, but the relative expression level of JARID2 in bovine GV oocytes is significantly lower than that at other oocyte/embryonic stages (p < 0.05, and JARID2 is expressed primarily in the nucleus. We next detected the mRNA expression levels of embryonic development-related genes (OCT4, SOX2 and c-myc after JARID2 knockdown through JARID2-2830-siRNA microinjection to investigate the molecularpathwayunderlying the regulation of H3K27me3 by JARID2 during early embryonic development. The results showed that the relative expression levels of these genes in 2-cell embryos weresignificantly higher than those in the blastocyst stage, and expression levels were significantly increased after JARID2 knockdown. In summary, the present study identified the expression pattern of JARID2 in bovine oocytes and at each early embryonic stage, and the results suggest that JARID2 plays a key role in early embryonic development by regulating the expression of OCT4, SOX2 and c-myc via modification of H3K27me3 expression. This work provides new data for improvements in the

Peculiarities of Embryonic and Post-Embryonic Development of Оesophagostomum dentatum (Nematoda, Strongylidae Larvae Cultured in Vitro

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Yevstafieva V. А.

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Morphometric peculiarities of the development of Оesophagostomum dentatum Rudolphi, 1803 from egg to infective larva were studied under laboratory conditions at various temperatures. The determined optimum temperature for embryonic and post-embryonic development of О. dentatum larvae from domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus Linnaeus, 1758 is 22 °С. At this temperature, 81 % of larvae develop to the third stage (L3 on the 10th day. Temperatures of 24 °С and 20 °С are less favorable for the development of the nematode, at those temperatures only 67 and 63 % of larvae, respectively, reached infective stage by the 10th day of cultivation. Embryonic development of О. dentatum eggs is characterized by their lengthening (by 8.87-9.50 %, р < 0.01 and widening (by 6.77-9.35 %, р < 0.05-0.01, and post-embryonic larval development is associated with lengthening (by 4.59-17.33 %, р < 0.01-0.001.

Multiple effects of theobromine on fetus development and postnatal status of the immune system.

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Chorostowska-Wynimko, J; Skopińska-Rózewska, E; Sommer, E; Rogala, E; Skopiński, P; Wojtasik, E

2004-01-01

Caffeine and its active derivative, theobromine, are probably the most frequently ingested pharmacologically active substances. Considering their uninhibited transport via the placental barrier as well as immature enzymatic activities and metabolic pathways in embryos and infants resulting in the longer half-life of methyloxanthines and their accumulation, unrestrained uptake of these substances might result in noticeably more pronounced biological effects during pregnancy and the postnatal period. Our previous studies have shown that methyloxanthines are significant inhibitors of angiogenic growth factors production and angiogenesis itself. We have hypothesized that increased uptake of these substances might affect embryonal angiogenesis and, later in the postnatal period, maturation and functional activity of the offspring's immune system. The study was performed on 2-month-old Balb/c mice fed theobromine 2 or 6 mg/day during pregnancy and lactation. On day 18 of pregnancy the number and weight of embryos were assessed as was their tissue angiogenic activity, using the cutaneous angiogenesis assay. In the group of 4-week-old sucklings, body and spleen were weighed together with the trunk, and tail and limb length were measured. Six weeks after birth the splenocytes' mitogen-induced activity and their ability to induce graft-versus-host reaction as well as the humoral response to SRBC antigen were evaluated. Content of theobromine in the embryos' tissue was estimated by high liquid performance chromatography (HPLC). Theobromine feeding resulted in significant inhibition of embryo growth as assessed by their weight and decreased angiogenic activity of their tissue. The theobromine content in embryo tissue from treated groups was higher than in the controls, and the difference was close to significant. In the postnatal period the discrepancies in the treated 4-week-old group's development were also observed in the significantly shorter limbs in comparison to the

Neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (smpd3) in the control of postnatal growth and development

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Stoffel, Wilhelm; Jenke, Britta; Blöck, Barbara; Zumbansen, Markus; Koebke, Jürgen

2005-01-01

Neutral sphingomyelinases sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase (SMPD)2 and -3 hydrolyze sphingomyelin to phosphocholine and ceramide. smpd2 is expressed ubiquitously, and smpd3 is expressed predominantly in neurons of the CNS. Their activation and the functions of the released ceramides have been associated with signaling pathways in cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. However, these cellular responses remain poorly understood. Here we describe the generation and characterization of the smpd3–/– and smpd2–/–smpd3–/– double mutant mouse, which proved to be devoid of neutral sphingomyelinase activity. SMPD3 plays a pivotal role in the control of late embryonic and postnatal development: the smpd3-null mouse develops a novel form of dwarfism and delayed puberty as part of a hypothalamus-induced combined pituitary hormone deficiency. Our studies suggest that SMPD3 is segregated into detergent-resistant subdomains of Golgi membranes of hypothalamic neurosecretory neurons, where its transient activation modifies the lipid bilayer, an essential step in the Golgi secretory pathway. The smpd3–/– mouse might mimic a form of human combined pituitary hormone deficiency. PMID:15764706

Essential role of the small GTPase Ran in postnatal pancreatic islet development.

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Fang Xia

Full Text Available The small GTPase Ran orchestrates pleiotropic cellular responses of nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling, mitosis and subcellular trafficking, but whether deregulation of these pathways contributes to disease pathogenesis has remained elusive. Here, we generated transgenic mice expressing wild type (WT Ran, loss-of-function Ran T24N mutant or constitutively active Ran G19V mutant in pancreatic islet β cells under the control of the rat insulin promoter. Embryonic pancreas and islet development, including emergence of insulin(+ β cells, was indistinguishable in control or transgenic mice. However, by one month after birth, transgenic mice expressing any of the three Ran variants exhibited overt diabetes, with hyperglycemia, reduced insulin production, and nearly complete loss of islet number and islet mass, in vivo. Deregulated Ran signaling in transgenic mice, adenoviral over-expression of WT or mutant Ran in isolated islets, or short hairpin RNA (shRNA silencing of endogenous Ran in model insulinoma INS-1 cells, all resulted in decreased expression of the pancreatic and duodenal homeobox transcription factor, PDX-1, and reduced β cell proliferation, in vivo. These data demonstrate that a finely-tuned balance of Ran GTPase signaling is essential for postnatal pancreatic islet development and glucose homeostasis, in vivo.

Myosin heavy chain expression in rabbit masseter muscle during postnatal development

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bredman, J. J.; Weijs, W. A.; Korfage, H. A.; Brugman, P.; Moorman, A. F.

1992-01-01

The expression of isoforms of myosin heavy chain (MHC) during postnatal development was studied in the masseter muscle of the rabbit. Evidence is presented that in addition to adult fast and slow myosin, the rabbit masseter contains neonatal and 'cardiac' alpha-MHC. During postnatal growth myosin

PTBP1 is required for embryonic development before gastrulation.

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Suckale, Jakob; Wendling, Olivia; Masjkur, Jimmy; Jäger, Melanie; Münster, Carla; Anastassiadis, Konstantinos; Stewart, A Francis; Solimena, Michele

2011-02-17

Polypyrimidine-tract binding protein 1 (PTBP1) is an important cellular regulator of messenger RNAs influencing the alternative splicing profile of a cell as well as its mRNA stability, location and translation. In addition, it is diverted by some viruses to facilitate their replication. Here, we used a novel PTBP1 knockout mouse to analyse the tissue expression pattern of PTBP1 as well as the effect of its complete removal during development. We found evidence of strong PTBP1 expression in embryonic stem cells and throughout embryonic development, especially in the developing brain and spinal cord, the olfactory and auditory systems, the heart, the liver, the kidney, the brown fat and cartilage primordia. This widespread distribution points towards a role of PTBP1 during embryonic development. Homozygous offspring, identified by PCR and immunofluorescence, were able to implant but were arrested or retarded in growth. At day 7.5 of embryonic development (E7.5) the null mutants were about 5x smaller than the control littermates and the gap in body size widened with time. At mid-gestation, all homozygous embryos were resorbed/degraded. No homozygous mice were genotyped at E12 and the age of weaning. Embryos lacking PTBP1 did not display differentiation into the 3 germ layers and cavitation of the epiblast, which are hallmarks of gastrulation. In addition, homozygous mutants displayed malformed ectoplacental cones and yolk sacs, both early supportive structure of the embryo proper. We conclude that PTBP1 is not required for the earliest isovolumetric divisions and differentiation steps of the zygote up to the formation of the blastocyst. However, further post-implantation development requires PTBP1 and stalls in homozygous null animals with a phenotype of dramatically reduced size and aberration in embryonic and extra-embryonic structures.

Effects of prenatal and postnatal maternal emotional stress on toddlers' cognitive and temperamental development.

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Lin, Yanfen; Xu, Jian; Huang, Jun; Jia, Yinan; Zhang, Jinsong; Yan, Chonghuai; Zhang, Jun

2017-01-01

Maternal stress is associated with impairments in the neurodevelopment of offspring; however, the effects of the timing of exposure to maternal stress on a child's neurodevelopment are unclear. In 2010, we studied 225 mother-child pairs in Shanghai, recruiting mothers in mid-to-late pregnancy and monitoring offspring from birth until 30 months of age. Maternal stress was assessed prenatally (at 28-36 weeks of gestation) and postnatally (at 24-30 months postpartum) using the Symptom-Checklist-90-Revised Scale (SCL-90-R) and Life-Event-Stress Scale to evaluate mothers' emotional stress and life event stress levels, respectively. Children's cognition and temperament were assessed at 24-30 months of age using the Gesell Development Scale and Toddler Temperament Scale, respectively. Multi-variable linear regression models were used to associate prenatal and postnatal stress with child cognitive and temperamental development. Maternal prenatal and postnatal Global Severity Index (GSI) of SCL-90-R were moderately correlated (ICC r=0.30, Ptoddlers' gross motor, fine motor, adaptive and social behavior development independently of postnatal GSI, while the increase in postnatal GSI was associated with changes in multiple temperament dimensions independently of prenatal GSI. The effects of prenatal and postnatal depression scores of SCL-90-R were similar to those of GSI. Relatively small sample size. Compared with postnatal exposure, children's cognitive development may be more susceptible to prenatal exposure to maternal emotional stress, whereas temperamental development may be more affected by postnatal exposure to maternal emotional stress compared with prenatal exposure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of myenteric cholinergic neurons in ChAT-Cre;R26R-YFP mice.

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Hao, Marlene M; Bornstein, Joel C; Young, Heather M

2013-10-01

Cholinergic neurons are the major excitatory neurons of the enteric nervous system (ENS), and include intrinsic sensory neurons, interneurons, and excitatory motor neurons. Cholinergic neurons have been detected in the embryonic ENS; however, the development of these neurons has been difficult to study as they are difficult to detect prior to birth using conventional immunohistochemistry. In this study we used ChAT-Cre;R26R-YFP mice to examine the development of cholinergic neurons in the gut of embryonic and postnatal mice. Cholinergic (YFP+) neurons were first detected at embryonic day (E)11.5, and the proportion of cholinergic neurons gradually increased during pre- and postnatal development. At birth, myenteric cholinergic neurons comprised less than half of their adult proportions in the small intestine (25% of myenteric neurons were YFP+ at P0 compared to 62% in adults). The earliest cholinergic neurons appear to mainly project anally. Projections into the presumptive circular muscle were first observed at E14.5. A subpopulation of cholinergic neurons coexpress calbindin through embryonic and postnatal development, but only a small proportion coexpressed neuronal nitric oxide synthase. Our study shows that cholinergic neurons in the ENS develop over a protracted period of time. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Are there factors preventing cancer development during embryonic life

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Einhorn, L.

1983-01-01

On the basis of the following literature observations, a hypothesis is advanced that the development of cancer is actively inhibited during embryonic life. Although the processes of cell differentiation and proliferation are - without comparison - most pronounced during embryonic life, cancer is rarely found in the newborn and is seldom a cause of neonatal death or spontaneous abortion. Attempts to induce cancer in early-stage animal embryos by irradiation or by transplacental chemical carcinogenesis have been unsuccessful, even when exposed animals have been observed throughout their lifetime. After the period of major organogenesis, however, the embryos become susceptible to carcinogenesis. In humans, the most common embryonic tumors arise in tissues which have an unusually late ongoing development and are still partly immature at or shortly before birth. For many human embryonic tumors the survival rates are higher, and spontaneous regression more frequent, in younger children, i.e. prognosis is age-dependent. Thus, although cancer generally appears in tissues capable of proliferation and differentiation, induction of malignancy in the developmentally most active tissues seems to be beset with difficulty. One possible explanation for this paradox could be that cancer is controlled by the regulators influencing development, regulators that are most active during embryonic life. (Auth.)

Endolymphatic potassium of the chicken vestibule during embryonic development.

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Masetto, Sergio; Zucca, Giampiero; Bottà, Luisa; Valli, Paolo

2005-08-01

The endolymph fills the lumen of the inner ear membranous labyrinth. Its ionic composition is unique in vertebrates as an extracellular fluid for its high-K(+)/low-Na(+) concentration. The endolymph is actively secreted by specialized cells located in the vestibular and cochlear epithelia. We have investigated the early phases of endolymph secretion by measuring the endolymphatic K(+) concentration in the chicken vestibular system during pre-hatching development. Measurements were done by inserting K(+)-selective microelectrodes in chicken embryo ampullae dissected at different developmental stages from embryonic day 9 up to embryonic day 21 (day of hatching). We found that the K(+) concentration is low (<10mM/L) up to embryonic day 11, afterward it increases steeply to reach a plateau level of about 140 mM/L at embryonic day 19--21. We have developed a short-term in vitro model of endolymph secretion by culturing vestibular ampullae dissected from embryonic day 11 chicken embryos for a few days. The preparation reproduced a double compartment system where the luminal K(+) concentration increased along with the days of culturing. This model could be important for (1) investigating the development of cellular mechanisms contributing to endolymph homeostasis and (2) testing compounds that influence those mechanisms.

Postnatal growth, age estimation and development of foraging ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

mothers. There was no significant difference in the growth pattern of the young maintained in captivity compared ..... interactions, and development of vocalizations in the vesper- ... Kunz T H and Hood W R 2000 Parental care and postnatal.

Estimation of Total Glomerular Number Using an Integrated Disector Method in Embryonic and Postnatal Kidneys

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Michel G Arsenault

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Congenital Anomalies of the Kidney and Urinary Tract (CAKUT are a polymorphic group of clinical disorders comprising the major cause of renal failure in children. Included within CAKUT is a wide spectrum of developmental malformations ranging from renal agenesis, renal hypoplasia and renal dysplasia (maldifferentiation of renal tissue, each characterized by varying deficits in nephron number. First presented in the Brenner Hypothesis, low congenital nephron endowment is becoming recognized as an antecedent cause of adult-onset hypertension, a leading cause of coronary heart disease, stroke, and renal failure in North America. Genetic mouse models of impaired nephrogenesis and nephron endowment provide a critical framework for understanding the origins of human kidney disease. Current methods to quantitate nephron number include (i acid maceration (ii estimation of nephron number from a small number of tissue sections (iii imaging modalities such as MRI and (iv the gold standard physical disector/fractionator method. Despite its accuracy, the physical disector/fractionator method is rarely employed because it is labour-intensive, time-consuming and costly to perform. Consequently, less rigourous methods of nephron estimation are routinely employed by many laboratories. Here we present an updated, digitized version of the physical disector/fractionator method using free open source Fiji software, which we have termed the integrated disector method. This updated version of the gold standard modality accurately, rapidly and cost-effectively quantitates nephron number in embryonic and post-natal mouse kidneys, and can be easily adapted for stereological measurements in other organ systems.

Disproportionate cardiac hypertrophy during early postnatal development in infants born preterm.

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Aye, Christina Y L; Lewandowski, Adam J; Lamata, Pablo; Upton, Ross; Davis, Esther; Ohuma, Eric O; Kenworthy, Yvonne; Boardman, Henry; Wopperer, Samuel; Packham, Alice; Adwani, Satish; McCormick, Kenny; Papageorghiou, Aris T; Leeson, Paul

2017-07-01

BackgroundAdults born very preterm have increased cardiac mass and reduced function. We investigated whether a hypertrophic phenomenon occurs in later preterm infants and when this occurs during early development.MethodsCardiac ultrasound was performed on 392 infants (33% preterm at mean gestation 34±2 weeks). Scans were performed during fetal development in 137, at birth and 3 months of postnatal age in 200, and during both fetal and postnatal development in 55. Cardiac morphology and function was quantified and computational models created to identify geometric changes.ResultsAt birth, preterm offspring had reduced cardiac mass and volume relative to body size with a more globular heart. By 3 months, ventricular shape had normalized but both left and right ventricular mass relative to body size were significantly higher than expected for postmenstrual age (left 57.8±41.9 vs. 27.3±29.4%, P<0.001; right 39.3±38.1 vs. 16.6±40.8, P=0.002). Greater changes were associated with lower gestational age at birth (left P<0.001; right P=0.001).ConclusionPreterm offspring, including those born in late gestation, have a disproportionate increase in ventricular mass from birth up to 3 months of postnatal age. These differences were not present before birth. Early postnatal development may provide a window for interventions relevant to long-term cardiovascular health.

Postnatal development of the myenteric plexus in cat stomach.

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Lolova, I; Itsev, D

1983-01-01

The postnatal development of the myenteric plexus in cat stomach has been studied at birth, on the 14th, 30th, 45th and 180th postnatal days, using light- and electronmicroscopic methods. In newborn kittens the main network of the Auerbach plexus is well formed, but the myenteric ganglia are composed of nerve cells with different maturity and a scarce neuropile. During the first two postnatal weeks the dimensions of the ganglia increase owing to the increase of the nerve bodies and the rising number of glials cells and intercellular fibres. This is accompanied by a potentiation of the AChE-activity, mainly in the nerve cell bodies and to a lesser extent in the neuropile. Impregnation reveals different in calibre and form nerve fibres and terminals. Different ultrastructural types of neurones are identified on the 14th day. Later development is expressed in the formation of large compact ganglia and thick connecting strands. The number of AChE-positive fibres in the neuropile increases. Owing to the increase in the cell organelles and their more advanced maturity, it is possible to define the ultrastructural type of an ever increasing number of neurones.

Regulation of an antisense RNA with the transition of neonatal to IIb myosin heavy chain during postnatal development and hypothyroidism in rat skeletal muscle.

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Pandorf, Clay E; Jiang, Weihua; Qin, Anqi X; Bodell, Paul W; Baldwin, Kenneth M; Haddad, Fadia

2012-04-01

Postnatal development of fast skeletal muscle is characterized by a transition in expression of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms, from primarily neonatal MHC at birth to primarily IIb MHC in adults, in a tightly coordinated manner. These isoforms are encoded by distinct genes, which are separated by ∼17 kb on rat chromosome 10. The neonatal-to-IIb MHC transition is inhibited by a hypothyroid state. We examined RNA products [mRNA, pre-mRNA, and natural antisense transcript (NAT)] of developmental and adult-expressed MHC genes (embryonic, neonatal, I, IIa, IIx, and IIb) at 2, 10, 20, and 40 days after birth in normal and thyroid-deficient rat neonates treated with propylthiouracil. We found that a long noncoding antisense-oriented RNA transcript, termed bII NAT, is transcribed from a site within the IIb-Neo intergenic region and across most of the IIb MHC gene. NATs have previously been shown to mediate transcriptional repression of sense-oriented counterparts. The bII NAT is transcriptionally regulated during postnatal development and in response to hypothyroidism. Evidence for a regulatory mechanism is suggested by an inverse relationship between IIb MHC and bII NAT in normal and hypothyroid-treated muscle. Neonatal MHC transcription is coordinately expressed with bII NAT. A comparative phylogenetic analysis also suggests that bII NAT-mediated regulation has been a conserved trait of placental mammals for most of the eutherian evolutionary history. The evidence in support of the regulatory model implicates long noncoding antisense RNA as a mechanism to coordinate the transition between neonatal and IIb MHC during postnatal development.

The 'ventral organs' of Pycnogonida (Arthropoda) are neurogenic niches of late embryonic and post-embryonic nervous system development.

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Brenneis, Georg; Scholtz, Gerhard

2014-01-01

Early neurogenesis in arthropods has been in the focus of numerous studies, its cellular basis, spatio-temporal dynamics and underlying genetic network being by now comparably well characterized for representatives of chelicerates, myriapods, hexapods and crustaceans. By contrast, neurogenesis during late embryonic and/or post-embryonic development has received less attention, especially in myriapods and chelicerates. Here, we apply (i) immunolabeling, (ii) histology and (iii) scanning electron microscopy to study post-embryonic ventral nerve cord development in Pseudopallene sp., a representative of the sea spiders (Pycnogonida), the presumable sister group of the remaining chelicerates. During early post-embryonic development, large neural stem cells give rise to additional ganglion cell material in segmentally paired invaginations in the ventral ectoderm. These ectodermal cell regions - traditionally designated as 'ventral organs' - detach from the surface into the interior and persist as apical cell clusters on the ventral ganglion side. Each cluster is a post-embryonic neurogenic niche that features a tiny central cavity and initially still houses larger neural stem cells. The cluster stays connected to the underlying ganglionic somata cortex via an anterior and a posterior cell stream. Cell proliferation remains restricted to the cluster and streams, and migration of newly produced cells along the streams seems to account for increasing ganglion cell numbers in the cortex. The pycnogonid cluster-stream-systems show striking similarities to the life-long neurogenic system of decapod crustaceans, and due to their close vicinity to glomerulus-like neuropils, we consider their possible involvement in post-embryonic (perhaps even adult) replenishment of olfactory neurons - as in decapods. An instance of a potentially similar post-embryonic/adult neurogenic system in the arthropod outgroup Onychophora is discussed. Additionally, we document two transient posterior

FGF-2 signal promotes proliferation of cerebellar progenitor cells and their oligodendrocytic differentiation at early postnatal stage

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Naruse, Masae; Shibasaki, Koji; Ishizaki, Yasuki, E-mail: yasukiishizaki@gunma-u.ac.jp

2015-08-07

The origins and developmental regulation of cerebellar oligodendrocytes are largely unknown, although some hypotheses of embryonic origins have been suggested. Neural stem cells exist in the white matter of postnatal cerebellum, but it is unclear whether these neural stem cells generate oligodendrocytes at postnatal stages. We previously showed that cerebellar progenitor cells, including neural stem cells, widely express CD44 at around postnatal day 3. In the present study, we showed that CD44-positive cells prepared from the postnatal day 3 cerebellum gave rise to neurospheres, while CD44-negative cells prepared from the same cerebellum did not. These neurospheres differentiated mainly into oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, suggesting that CD44-positive neural stem/progenitor cells might generate oligodendrocytes in postnatal cerebellum. We cultured CD44-positive cells from the postnatal day 3 cerebellum in the presence of signaling molecules known as mitogens or inductive differentiation factors for oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Of these, only FGF-2 promoted survival and proliferation of CD44-positive cells, and these cells differentiated into O4+ oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, we examined the effect of FGF-2 on cerebellar oligodendrocyte development ex vivo. FGF-2 enhanced proliferation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and increased the number of O4+ and CC1+ oligodendrocytes in slice cultures. These results suggest that CD44-positive cells might be a source of cerebellar oligodendrocytes and that FGF-2 plays important roles in their development at an early postnatal stage. - Highlights: • CD44 is expressed in cerebellar neural stem/progenitor cells at postnatal day 3 (P3). • FGF-2 promoted proliferation of CD44-positive progenitor cells from P3 cerebellum. • FGF-2 promoted oligodendrocytic differentiation of CD44-positive progenitor cells. • FGF-2 increased the number of oligodendrocytes in P3 cerebellar slice culture.

FGF-2 signal promotes proliferation of cerebellar progenitor cells and their oligodendrocytic differentiation at early postnatal stage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naruse, Masae; Shibasaki, Koji; Ishizaki, Yasuki

2015-01-01

The origins and developmental regulation of cerebellar oligodendrocytes are largely unknown, although some hypotheses of embryonic origins have been suggested. Neural stem cells exist in the white matter of postnatal cerebellum, but it is unclear whether these neural stem cells generate oligodendrocytes at postnatal stages. We previously showed that cerebellar progenitor cells, including neural stem cells, widely express CD44 at around postnatal day 3. In the present study, we showed that CD44-positive cells prepared from the postnatal day 3 cerebellum gave rise to neurospheres, while CD44-negative cells prepared from the same cerebellum did not. These neurospheres differentiated mainly into oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, suggesting that CD44-positive neural stem/progenitor cells might generate oligodendrocytes in postnatal cerebellum. We cultured CD44-positive cells from the postnatal day 3 cerebellum in the presence of signaling molecules known as mitogens or inductive differentiation factors for oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Of these, only FGF-2 promoted survival and proliferation of CD44-positive cells, and these cells differentiated into O4+ oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, we examined the effect of FGF-2 on cerebellar oligodendrocyte development ex vivo. FGF-2 enhanced proliferation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and increased the number of O4+ and CC1+ oligodendrocytes in slice cultures. These results suggest that CD44-positive cells might be a source of cerebellar oligodendrocytes and that FGF-2 plays important roles in their development at an early postnatal stage. - Highlights: • CD44 is expressed in cerebellar neural stem/progenitor cells at postnatal day 3 (P3). • FGF-2 promoted proliferation of CD44-positive progenitor cells from P3 cerebellum. • FGF-2 promoted oligodendrocytic differentiation of CD44-positive progenitor cells. • FGF-2 increased the number of oligodendrocytes in P3 cerebellar slice culture

Low endogenous glucocorticoid allows induction of kidney cortical cyclooxygenase-2 during postnatal rat development

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Madsen, Kirsten; Stubbe, Jane; Skøtt, Ole

2004-01-01

COX-2 in these cells. Thus low plasma concentrations of corticosterone allowed for cortical and medullary COX-2 induction during postnatal kidney development. Increased circulating glucocorticoid in the postnatal period may damage late renal development through inhibition of COX-2.......In postnatal weeks 2-4, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is induced in the rat kidney cortex where it is critically involved in final stages of kidney development. We examined whether changes in circulating gluco- or mineralocorticosteroids or in their renal receptors regulate postnatal COX-2 induction....... Plasma corticosterone concentration peaked at birth, decreased to low levels at days 3-13, and increased to adult levels from day 22. Aldosterone peaked at birth and then stabilized at adult levels. Gluco- and mineralocorticoid receptor (GR and MR) mRNAs were expressed stably in kidney before, during...

Spatiotemporal distribution and function of N-cadherin in postnatal Schwann cells: A matter of adhesion?

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Corell, Mikael; Wicher, Grzegorz; Limbach, Christoph

2010-01-01

During embryonic development of the peripheral nervous system (PNS), the adhesion molecule neuronal cadherin (N-cadherin) is expressed by Schwann cell precursors and associated with axonal growth cones. N-cadherin expression levels decrease as precursors differentiate into Schwann cells. In this ......During embryonic development of the peripheral nervous system (PNS), the adhesion molecule neuronal cadherin (N-cadherin) is expressed by Schwann cell precursors and associated with axonal growth cones. N-cadherin expression levels decrease as precursors differentiate into Schwann cells....... In this study, we investigated the distribution of N-cadherin in the developing postnatal and adult rat peripheral nervous system. N-cadherin was found primarily in ensheathing glia throughout development, concentrated at neuron-glial or glial-glial contacts of the sciatic nerve, dorsal root ganglia (DRG......), and myenteric plexi. In the sciatic nerve, N-cadherin decreases with age and progress of myelination. In adult animals, N-cadherin was found exclusively in nonmyelinating Schwann cells. The distribution of N-cadherin in developing E17 DRG primary cultures is similar to what was observed in vivo. Functional...

Maternal deprivation decelerates postnatal morphological lung development of F344 rats.

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Hupa, Katharina Luise; Schmiedl, Andreas; Pabst, Reinhard; Von Hörsten, Stephan; Stephan, Michael

2014-02-01

Intensive medical care at premature born infants is often associated with separation of neonates from their mothers. Here, early artificial prolonged separation of rat pups from their dams (Maternal Deprivation, MD) was used to study potential impact on morphological lung maturation. Furthermore, we investigated the influence of an endogenous deficiency of the neuropeptide-cleaving dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP4), since the effects of MD are known to be partly mediated via neuropeptidergic effects, hypothesizing that MD will lead to a retardation of postnatal lung development, DPP4-dependendly. We used wild type and CD26/DPP4 deficient rats. For MD, the dam was placed each day into a separate cage for 2 h, while the pups remained in the nest on their own. Morphological lung maturation and cell proliferation at the postnatal days 7, 10, 14, and 21 were determined morphometrically. Maternally deprived wild types showed a retarded postnatal lung development compared with untreated controls in both substrains. During alveolarization, an increased thickness of alveolar septa and a decreased surface of septa about 50% were found. At the end of the morphological lung maturation, the surface of the alveolar septa was decreased at about 25% and the septal thickness remained increased about 20%. The proliferation rate was also decreased about 50% on day 14. However, the MD induced effects were less pronounced in DPP4-deficient rats, due to a significant deceleration already induced by DPP4-deficiency. Thus, MD as a model for postnatal stress experience influences remarkably postnatal development of rats, which is significantly modulated by the DPP4-system. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Melatonin regulates delayed embryonic development in the short-nosed fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx.

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Banerjee, Arnab; Meenakumari, K J; Udin, S; Krishna, A

2009-12-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the seasonal variation in serum melatonin levels and their relationship to the changes in the serum progesterone level, ovarian steroidogenesis, and embryonic development during two successive pregnancies of Cynopterus sphinx. Circulating melatonin concentrations showed two peaks; one coincided with the period of low progesterone synthesis and delayed embryonic development, whereas the second peak coincided with regressing corpus luteum. This finding suggests that increased serum melatonin level during November-December may be responsible for delayed embryonic development by suppressing progesterone synthesis. The study showed increased melatonin receptors (MTNR1A and MTNR1B) in the corpus luteum and in the utero-embryonic unit during the period of delayed embryonic development. The in vitro study showed that a high dose of melatonin suppressed progesterone synthesis, whereas a lower dose of melatonin increased progesterone synthesis by the ovary. The effects of melatonin on ovarian steroidogenesis are mediated through changes in the expression of peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor, P450 side chain cleavage enzyme, and LH receptor proteins. This study further showed a suppressive impact of melatonin on the progesterone receptor (PGR) in the utero-embryonic unit; this effect might contribute to delayed embryonic development in C. sphinx. The results of the present study thus suggest that a high circulating melatonin level has a dual contribution in retarding embryonic development in C. sphinx by impairing progesterone synthesis as well as by inhibiting progesterone action by reducing expression of PGR in the utero-embryonic unit.

Role of adiponectin in delayed embryonic development of the short-nosed fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx.

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Anuradha; Krishna, Amitabh

2014-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of adiponectin in the delayed embryonic development of Cynopterus sphinx. Adiponectin receptor (ADIPOR1) abundance was first observed to be lower during the delayed versus non-delayed periods of utero-embryonic unit development. The effects of adiponectin treatment on embryonic development were then evaluated during the period of delayed development. Exogenous treatment increased the in vivo rate of embryonic development, as indicated by an increase in weight, ADIPOR1 levels in the utero-embryonic unit, and histological changes in embryonic development. Treatment with adiponectin during embryonic diapause showed a significant increase in circulating progesterone and estradiol concentrations, and in production of their receptors in the utero-embryonic unit. The adiponectin-induced increase in estradiol synthesis was correlated with increased cell survival (BCL2 protein levels) and cell proliferation (PCNA protein levels) in the utero-embryonic unit, suggesting an indirect effect of adiponectin via estradiol synthesis by the ovary. An in vitro study further confirmed the in vivo findings that adiponectin treatment increases PCNA levels together with increased uptake of glucose by increasing the abundance of glucose transporter 8 (GLUT8) in the utero-embryonic unit. The in vitro study also revealed that adiponectin, together with estradiol but not alone, significantly increased ADIPOR1 protein levels. Thus, adiponectin works in concert with estradiol to increase glucose transport to the utero-embryonic unit and promote cell proliferation, which together accelerate embryonic development. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Low oxygen levels slow embryonic development of Limulus polyphemus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Funch, Peter; Wang, Tobias; Pertoldi, Cino

2016-01-01

The American horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus typically spawns in the upper intertidal zone, where the developing embryos are exposed to large variations in abiotic factors such as temperature, humidity, salinity, and oxygen, which affect the rate of development. It has been shown that embryonic...... pronounced hypoxia in later embryonic developmental stages, but also in earlier, previously unexplored, developmental stages....... development is slowed at both high and low salinities and temperatures, and that late embryos close to hatching tolerate periodic hypoxia. In this study we investigated the influence of hypoxia on both early and late embryonic development in L. polyphemus under controlled laboratory conditions. Embryos were...

Delayed embryonic development in the Indian short-nosed fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx.

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Meenakumari, Karukayil J; Krishna, Amitabh

2005-01-01

The unusual feature of the breeding cycle of Cynopterus sphinx at Varanasi is the significant variation in gestation length of the two successive pregnancies of the year. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the prolongation of the first pregnancy in C. sphinx is due to delayed embryonic development. The first (winter) pregnancy commences in late October and lasts until late March and has a gestation period of about 150 days. The second (summer) pregnancy commences in April and lasts until the end of July or early August with a gestation period of about 125 days. Changes in the size and weight of uterine cornua during the two successive pregnancies suggest retarded embryonic growth during November and December. Histological analysis during the period of retarded embryonic development in November and December showed a slow gastrulation process. The process of amniogenesis was particularly slow. When the embryos attained the early primitive streak stage, their developmental rate suddenly increased considerably. During the summer pregnancy, on the other hand, the process of gastrulation was much faster and proceeded quickly. A comparison of the pattern of embryonic development for 4 consecutive years consistently showed retarded or delayed embryonic development during November and December. The time of parturition and post-partum oestrus showed only a limited variation from 1 year to another. This suggests that delayed embryonic development in C. sphinx may function to synchronize parturition among females. The period of delayed embryonic development in this species clearly coincides with the period of fat deposition. The significance of this correlation warrants further investigation.

Altered glucose transport to utero-embryonic unit in relation to delayed embryonic development in the Indian short-nosed fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx.

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Arnab, Banerjee; Amitabh, Krishna

2011-02-10

The aim of this study was to compare the changes in concentration of glucose and glucose transporters (GLUTs) in the utero-embryonic unit, consisting of decidua, trophoblast and embryo, during delayed and non-delayed periods to understand the possible cause of delayed embryonic development in Cynopterus sphinx. The results showed a significantly decreased concentration of glucose in the utero-embryonic unit due to decline in the expression of insulin receptor (IR) and GLUT 3, 4 and 8 proteins in the utero-embryonic unit during delayed period. The in vitro study showed suppressive effect of insulin on expression of GLUTs 4 and 8 in the utero-embryonic unit and a significant positive correlation between the decreased amount of glucose consumed by the utero-embryonic unit and decreased expression of GLUTs 4 (r=0.99; psphinx. Increased supply of fatty acid to the delayed embryo may be responsible for its survival under low glucose condition but unable to promote embryonic development in C. sphinx. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The 'ventral organs' of Pycnogonida (Arthropoda are neurogenic niches of late embryonic and post-embryonic nervous system development.

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Georg Brenneis

Full Text Available Early neurogenesis in arthropods has been in the focus of numerous studies, its cellular basis, spatio-temporal dynamics and underlying genetic network being by now comparably well characterized for representatives of chelicerates, myriapods, hexapods and crustaceans. By contrast, neurogenesis during late embryonic and/or post-embryonic development has received less attention, especially in myriapods and chelicerates. Here, we apply (i immunolabeling, (ii histology and (iii scanning electron microscopy to study post-embryonic ventral nerve cord development in Pseudopallene sp., a representative of the sea spiders (Pycnogonida, the presumable sister group of the remaining chelicerates. During early post-embryonic development, large neural stem cells give rise to additional ganglion cell material in segmentally paired invaginations in the ventral ectoderm. These ectodermal cell regions - traditionally designated as 'ventral organs' - detach from the surface into the interior and persist as apical cell clusters on the ventral ganglion side. Each cluster is a post-embryonic neurogenic niche that features a tiny central cavity and initially still houses larger neural stem cells. The cluster stays connected to the underlying ganglionic somata cortex via an anterior and a posterior cell stream. Cell proliferation remains restricted to the cluster and streams, and migration of newly produced cells along the streams seems to account for increasing ganglion cell numbers in the cortex. The pycnogonid cluster-stream-systems show striking similarities to the life-long neurogenic system of decapod crustaceans, and due to their close vicinity to glomerulus-like neuropils, we consider their possible involvement in post-embryonic (perhaps even adult replenishment of olfactory neurons - as in decapods. An instance of a potentially similar post-embryonic/adult neurogenic system in the arthropod outgroup Onychophora is discussed. Additionally, we document two

Oxytocin receptor ligand binding in embryonic tissue and postnatal brain development of the C57BL/6J mouse

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Elizabeth eHammock

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Oxytocin (OXT has drawn increasing attention as a developmentally relevant neuropeptide given its role in the brain regulation of social behavior. It has been suggested that OXT plays an important role in the infant brain during caregiver attachment in nurturing familial contexts, but there is incomplete experimental evidence. Mouse models of OXT system genes have been particularly informative for the role of the OXT system in social behavior, however, the developing brain areas that could respond to ligand activation of the OXT receptor (OXTR have yet to be identified in this species. Here we report new data revealing dynamic ligand-binding distribution of OXTR in the developing mouse brain. Using male and female C57BL/6J mice at postnatal days (P 0, 7, 14, 21, 35, and 60 we quantified OXTR ligand binding in several brain areas which changed across development. Further, we describe OXTR ligand binding in select tissues of the near-term whole embryo at E18.5. Together, these data aid in the interpretation of findings in mouse models of the OXT system and generate new testable hypotheses for developmental roles for OXT in mammalian systems. We discuss our findings in the context of developmental disorders (including autism, attachment biology, and infant physiological regulation.

Proteomic Analysis of Chicken Skeletal Muscle during Embryonic Development

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Hongjia Ouyang

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Embryonic growth and development of skeletal muscle is a major determinant of muscle mass, and has a significant effect on meat production in chicken. To assess the protein expression profiles during embryonic skeletal muscle development, we performed a proteomics analysis using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ in leg muscle tissues of female Xinghua chicken at embryonic age (E 11, E16, and 1-day post hatch (D1. We identified 3,240 proteins in chicken embryonic muscle and 491 of them were differentially expressed (fold change ≥ 1.5 or ≤ 0.666 and p < 0.05. There were 19 up- and 32 down-regulated proteins in E11 vs. E16 group, 238 up- and 227 down-regulated proteins in E11 vs. D1 group, and 13 up- and 5 down-regulated proteins in E16 vs. D1 group. Protein interaction network analyses indicated that these differentially expressed proteins were mainly involved in the pathway of protein synthesis, muscle contraction, and oxidative phosphorylation. Integrative analysis of proteome and our previous transcriptome data found 189 differentially expressed proteins that correlated with their mRNA level. The interactions between these proteins were also involved in muscle contraction and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. The lncRNA-protein interaction network found four proteins DMD, MYL3, TNNI2, and TNNT3 that are all involved in muscle contraction and may be lncRNA regulated. These results provide several candidate genes for further investigation into the molecular mechanisms of chicken embryonic muscle development, and enable us to better understanding their regulation networks and biochemical pathways.

Stepwise development of hematopoietic stem cells from embryonic stem cells.

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Kenji Matsumoto

Full Text Available The cellular ontogeny of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs remains poorly understood because their isolation from and their identification in early developing small embryos are difficult. We attempted to dissect early developmental stages of HSCs using an in vitro mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC differentiation system combined with inducible HOXB4 expression. Here we report the identification of pre-HSCs and an embryonic type of HSCs (embryonic HSCs as intermediate cells between ESCs and HSCs. Both pre-HSCs and embryonic HSCs were isolated by their c-Kit(+CD41(+CD45(- phenotype. Pre-HSCs did not engraft in irradiated adult mice. After co-culture with OP9 stromal cells and conditional expression of HOXB4, pre-HSCs gave rise to embryonic HSCs capable of engraftment and long-term reconstitution in irradiated adult mice. Blast colony assays revealed that most hemangioblast activity was detected apart from the pre-HSC population, implying the early divergence of pre-HSCs from hemangioblasts. Gene expression profiling suggests that a particular set of transcripts closely associated with adult HSCs is involved in the transition of pre-HSC to embryonic HSCs. We propose an HSC developmental model in which pre-HSCs and embryonic HSCs sequentially give rise to adult types of HSCs in a stepwise manner.

Postnatal TLR2 activation impairs learning and memory in adulthood.

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Madar, Ravit; Rotter, Aviva; Waldman Ben-Asher, Hiba; Mughal, Mohamed R; Arumugam, Thiruma V; Wood, W H; Becker, K G; Mattson, Mark P; Okun, Eitan

2015-08-01

Neuroinflammation in the central nervous system is detrimental for learning and memory, as evident form epidemiological studies linking developmental defects and maternal exposure to harmful pathogens. Postnatal infections can also induce neuroinflammatory responses with long-term consequences. These inflammatory responses can lead to motor deficits and/or behavioral disabilities. Toll like receptors (TLRs) are a family of innate immune receptors best known as sensors of microbial-associated molecular patterns, and are the first responders to infection. TLR2 forms heterodimers with either TLR1 or TLR6, is activated in response to gram-positive bacterial infections, and is expressed in the brain during embryonic development. We hypothesized that early postnatal TLR2-mediated neuroinflammation would adversely affect cognitive behavior in the adult. Our data indicate that postnatal TLR2 activation affects learning and memory in adult mice in a heterodimer-dependent manner. TLR2/6 activation improved motor function and fear learning, while TLR2/1 activation impaired spatial learning and enhanced fear learning. Moreover, developmental TLR2 deficiency significantly impairs spatial learning and enhances fear learning, stressing the involvement of the TLR2 pathway in learning and memory. Analysis of the transcriptional effects of TLR2 activation reveals both common and unique transcriptional programs following heterodimer-specific TLR2 activation. These results imply that adult cognitive behavior could be influenced in part, by activation or alterations in the TLR2 pathway at birth. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association between Prenatal and Postnatal Psychological Distress and Toddler Cognitive Development: A Systematic Review.

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Kingston, Dawn; McDonald, Sheila; Austin, Marie-Paule; Tough, Suzanne

2015-01-01

Maternal psychological distress is one of the most common perinatal complications, affecting up to 25% of pregnant and postpartum women. Research exploring the association between prenatal and postnatal distress and toddler cognitive development has not been systematically compiled. The objective of this systematic review was to determine the association between prenatal and postnatal psychological distress and toddler cognitive development. Articles were included if: a) they were observational studies published in English; b) the exposure was prenatal or postnatal psychological distress; c) cognitive development was assessed from 13 to 36 months; d) the sample was recruited in developed countries; and e) exposed and unexposed women were included. A university-based librarian conducted a search of electronic databases (Embase, CINAHL, Eric, PsycInfo, Medline) (January, 1990-March, 2014). We searched gray literature, reference lists, and relevant journals. Two reviewers independently evaluated titles/abstracts for inclusion, and quality using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network appraisal tool for observational studies. One reviewer extracted data using a standardized form. Thirteen of 2448 studies were included. There is evidence of an association between prenatal and postnatal distress and cognitive development. While variable effect sizes were reported for postnatal associations, most studies reported medium effect sizes for the association between prenatal psychological distress and cognitive development. Too few studies were available to determine the influence of the timing of prenatal exposure on cognitive outcomes. Findings support the need for early identification and treatment of perinatal mental health problems as a potential strategy for optimizing toddler cognitive development.

Association between Prenatal and Postnatal Psychological Distress and Toddler Cognitive Development: A Systematic Review.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dawn Kingston

Full Text Available Maternal psychological distress is one of the most common perinatal complications, affecting up to 25% of pregnant and postpartum women. Research exploring the association between prenatal and postnatal distress and toddler cognitive development has not been systematically compiled. The objective of this systematic review was to determine the association between prenatal and postnatal psychological distress and toddler cognitive development.Articles were included if: a they were observational studies published in English; b the exposure was prenatal or postnatal psychological distress; c cognitive development was assessed from 13 to 36 months; d the sample was recruited in developed countries; and e exposed and unexposed women were included. A university-based librarian conducted a search of electronic databases (Embase, CINAHL, Eric, PsycInfo, Medline (January, 1990-March, 2014. We searched gray literature, reference lists, and relevant journals. Two reviewers independently evaluated titles/abstracts for inclusion, and quality using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network appraisal tool for observational studies. One reviewer extracted data using a standardized form.Thirteen of 2448 studies were included. There is evidence of an association between prenatal and postnatal distress and cognitive development. While variable effect sizes were reported for postnatal associations, most studies reported medium effect sizes for the association between prenatal psychological distress and cognitive development. Too few studies were available to determine the influence of the timing of prenatal exposure on cognitive outcomes.Findings support the need for early identification and treatment of perinatal mental health problems as a potential strategy for optimizing toddler cognitive development.

Postnatal penile growth concurrent with mini-puberty predicts later sex-typed play behavior: Evidence for neurobehavioral effects of the postnatal androgen surge in typically developing boys.

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Pasterski, Vickie; Acerini, Carlo L; Dunger, David B; Ong, Ken K; Hughes, Ieuan A; Thankamony, Ajay; Hines, Melissa

2015-03-01

The masculinizing effects of prenatal androgens on human neurobehavioral development are well established. Also, the early postnatal surge of androgens in male infants, or mini-puberty, has been well documented and is known to influence physiological development, including penile growth. However, neurobehavioral effects of androgen exposure during mini-puberty are largely unknown. The main aim of the current study was to evaluate possible neurobehavioral consequences of mini-puberty by relating penile growth in the early postnatal period to subsequent behavior. Using multiple linear regression, we demonstrated that penile growth between birth and three months postnatal, concurrent with mini-puberty, significantly predicted increased masculine/decreased feminine behavior assessed using the Pre-school Activities Inventory (PSAI) in 81 healthy boys at 3 to 4years of age. When we controlled for other potential influences on masculine/feminine behavior and/or penile growth, including variance in androgen exposure prenatally and body growth postnally, the predictive value of penile growth in the early postnatal period persisted. More specifically, prenatal androgen exposure, reflected in the measurement of anogenital distance (AGD), and early postnatal androgen exposure, reflected in penile growth from birth to 3months, were significant predictors of increased masculine/decreased feminine behavior, with each accounting for unique variance. Our findings suggest that independent associations of PSAI with AGD at birth and with penile growth during mini-puberty reflect prenatal and early postnatal androgen exposures respectively. Thus, we provide a novel and readily available approach for assessing effects of early androgen exposures, as well as novel evidence that early postnatal aes human neurobehavioral development. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Changes in Laminin Chain Expression in Pre- and Postnatal Rat Pituitary Gland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramadhani, Dini; Tsukada, Takehiro; Fujiwara, Ken; Azuma, Morio; Kikuchi, Motoshi; Yashiro, Takashi

2014-01-01

Cell–matrix interaction is required for tissue development. Laminin, a major constituent of the basement membrane, is important for structural support and as a ligand in tissue development. Laminin has 19 isoforms, which are determined by combinational assembly of five α, three β, and three γ chains (eg, laminin 121 is α1, β2, and γ1). However, no report has identified the laminin isoforms expressed during pituitary development. We used in situ hybridization to investigate all laminin chains expressed during rat anterior pituitary development. The α5 chain was expressed during early pituitary development (embryonic day 12.5–15.5). Expression of α1 and α4 chains was noted in vasculature cells at embryonic day 19.5, but later diminished. The α1 chain was re-expressed in parenchymal cells of anterior lobe from postnatal day 10 (P10), while the α4 chain was present in vasculature cells from P30. The α2 and α3 chains were transiently expressed in vasculature cells and anterior lobe, respectively, only at P30. Widespread distribution of β and γ chains was also observed during development. These findings suggest that numerous laminin isoforms are involved in anterior pituitary gland development and that alteration of the expression pattern is required for proper development of the gland

The ‘Ventral Organs’ of Pycnogonida (Arthropoda) Are Neurogenic Niches of Late Embryonic and Post-Embryonic Nervous System Development

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Brenneis, Georg; Scholtz, Gerhard

2014-01-01

Early neurogenesis in arthropods has been in the focus of numerous studies, its cellular basis, spatio-temporal dynamics and underlying genetic network being by now comparably well characterized for representatives of chelicerates, myriapods, hexapods and crustaceans. By contrast, neurogenesis during late embryonic and/or post-embryonic development has received less attention, especially in myriapods and chelicerates. Here, we apply (i) immunolabeling, (ii) histology and (iii) scanning electron microscopy to study post-embryonic ventral nerve cord development in Pseudopallene sp., a representative of the sea spiders (Pycnogonida), the presumable sister group of the remaining chelicerates. During early post-embryonic development, large neural stem cells give rise to additional ganglion cell material in segmentally paired invaginations in the ventral ectoderm. These ectodermal cell regions – traditionally designated as ‘ventral organs’ – detach from the surface into the interior and persist as apical cell clusters on the ventral ganglion side. Each cluster is a post-embryonic neurogenic niche that features a tiny central cavity and initially still houses larger neural stem cells. The cluster stays connected to the underlying ganglionic somata cortex via an anterior and a posterior cell stream. Cell proliferation remains restricted to the cluster and streams, and migration of newly produced cells along the streams seems to account for increasing ganglion cell numbers in the cortex. The pycnogonid cluster-stream-systems show striking similarities to the life-long neurogenic system of decapod crustaceans, and due to their close vicinity to glomerulus-like neuropils, we consider their possible involvement in post-embryonic (perhaps even adult) replenishment of olfactory neurons – as in decapods. An instance of a potentially similar post-embryonic/adult neurogenic system in the arthropod outgroup Onychophora is discussed. Additionally, we document two transient

Effect of maternal excessive sodium intake on postnatal brain development in rat offspring.

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Shin, Jung-a; Ahn, Young-mo; Lee, Hye-ah; Park, Hyesook; Kim, Young-ju; Lee, Hwa-young

2015-04-01

Postnatal brain development is affected by the in utero environment. Modern people usually have a high sodium intake. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of sodium hyperingestion during pregnancy on the postnatal brain development of rat offspring. The sodium-overloaded rats received 1.8% NaCl in their drinking water for 7 days during the last week of gestation. Their body weight, urine, and blood levels of sodium and other parameters were measured. Some rats were sacrificed at pregnancy day 22 and the weight and length of the placenta and foetus were measured. The cerebral cortex and hippocampus were obtained from their offspring at postnatal day 1 and at postnatal weeks 1, 2, 4, and 8. Western blot analyses were conducted with brain tissue lysates. The sodium-overloaded animals had decreased weight gain in the last week of gestation as well as decreased food intake, increased water intake, urine volume, urine sodium, and serum sodium. There were no differences in placental weight and length. The foetuses of sodium-overloaded rats showed decreased body weight and size, and this difference was maintained postnatally for 2 weeks. In the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of the offspring, the protein levels of myelin basic protein, calmodulin/calcium-dependent protein kinase II, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor were decreased or aberrantly expressed. The present data suggest that increased sodium intake during pregnancy affects the brain development of the offspring.

Time--temperature relation of embryonic development in the northwestern salamander, Ambystoma gracile

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Brown, H A

1976-04-01

A field and laboratory study on temperature-related embryonic development of Ambystoma gracile was made on a population from northwestern Washington. Natural spawning began in the beaver pond during early March, and the duration of embryonic development (stages 1 to 46) was about 62 days. Average water temperature in the pond during embryonic development was 8.5/sup 0/C (range, 4.4 to 14.3/sup 0/C). The laboratory data of embryonic development at constant temperatures show that the limits of temperature tolerance are about 5 to 22.5/sup 0/C. Rate of development was measured by determining time required to develop from first cleavage (stage 2) to gill circulation (stage 37); representative rates are 12.7 days at 20/sup 0/C, 27 days at 12/sup 0/C, and 89 days at 7/sup 0/C. Embryos of A. gracile have the slowest rate of development when compared with embryos of four other species of Ambystoma (maculatum, mexicanum, tigrinum, and jeffersonianum) and with embryos of three Pacific Northwest frogs (Ascaphus truei, Rana aurora, and Hyla regilla).

Embryonic Lethality of Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier 1 Deficient Mouse Can Be Rescued by a Ketogenic Diet

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Krznar, Petra; Hörl, Manuel; Ammar, Zeinab; Montessuit, Sylvie; Pierredon, Sandra; Zamboni, Nicola; Martinou, Jean-Claude

2016-01-01

Mitochondrial import of pyruvate by the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) is a central step which links cytosolic and mitochondrial intermediary metabolism. To investigate the role of the MPC in mammalian physiology and development, we generated a mouse strain with complete loss of MPC1 expression. This resulted in embryonic lethality at around E13.5. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from mutant mice displayed defective pyruvate-driven respiration as well as perturbed metabolic profiles, and both defects could be restored by reexpression of MPC1. Labeling experiments using 13C-labeled glucose and glutamine demonstrated that MPC deficiency causes increased glutaminolysis and reduced contribution of glucose-derived pyruvate to the TCA cycle. Morphological defects were observed in mutant embryonic brains, together with major alterations of their metabolome including lactic acidosis, diminished TCA cycle intermediates, energy deficit and a perturbed balance of neurotransmitters. Strikingly, these changes were reversed when the pregnant dams were fed a ketogenic diet, which provides acetyl-CoA directly to the TCA cycle and bypasses the need for a functional MPC. This allowed the normal gestation and development of MPC deficient pups, even though they all died within a few minutes post-delivery. This study establishes the MPC as a key player in regulating the metabolic state necessary for embryonic development, neurotransmitter balance and post-natal survival. PMID:27176894

GLUT3 gene expression is critical for embryonic growth, brain development and survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Carayannopoulos, Mary O; Xiong, Fuxia; Jensen, Penny; Rios-Galdamez, Yesenia; Huang, Haigen; Lin, Shuo; Devaskar, Sherin U

2014-04-01

Glucose is the primary energy source for eukaryotic cells and the predominant substrate for the brain. GLUT3 is essential for trans-placental glucose transport and highly expressed in the mammalian brain. To further elucidate the role of GLUT3 in embryonic development, we utilized the vertebrate whole animal model system of Danio rerio as a tractable system for defining the cellular and molecular mechanisms altered by impaired glucose transport and metabolism related to perturbed expression of GLUT3. The comparable orthologue of human GLUT3 was identified and the expression of this gene abrogated during early embryonic development. In a dose-dependent manner embryonic brain development was disrupted resulting in a phenotype of aberrant brain organogenesis, associated with embryonic growth restriction and increased cellular apoptosis. Rescue of the morphant phenotype was achieved by providing exogenous GLUT3 mRNA. We conclude that GLUT3 is critically important for brain organogenesis and embryonic growth. Disruption of GLUT3 is responsible for the phenotypic spectrum of embryonic growth restriction to demise and neural apoptosis with microcephaly. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Postnatal fate of the ultimobranchial remnants in the rat thyroid gland.

Science.gov (United States)

Vázquez-Román, Victoria; Utrilla, José C; Fernández-Santos, José M; Conde, Esperanza; Bernabé, Reyes; Sampedro, Consuelo; Martín-Lacave, Inés

2013-07-01

The ultimobranchial follicles (UBFs) are considered embryonic remnants from the ultimobranchial body (UBB). They are follicular structures that vary in size and appearance depending on the age of the rat. The main objective of this article was to study the progressive changes in shape, size, and frequency of the UBFs in the postnatal rat, from birth to old-age. To accomplish that objective, a systematic morphometric and incidental study of the UBF has been carried out in 110 Wistar rats of different ages and both sexes, divided into three groups: 1) young rats (5-90-day-old); 2) adult rats (6-15-month-old), and 3) old rats (18-24-month-old). The glands were serially sectioned and immunostained for calcitonin at five equidistant levels. According to our results, UBFs were observed in all thyroid glands but a more exhaustive sampling was occasionally necessary in male rats. In young rats, immature UBFs predominantly appeared whereas in adult rats, mature UBFs with cystic appearance and variable luminal content prevailed. We frequently found spontaneous anomalous UBFs in old rats, which we have termed as "ultimobranchial cystadenomata." Additionally, in young rats, UBF areas significantly increased with age and they were larger when compared to that of normal thyroid follicles. Likewise, in adult rats, UBFs were significantly larger than normal thyroid follicles but only in female rats. In general, UBFs in females were also significantly larger than those found in male rats. Finally, all these differences related to UBFs together with a higher incidence in females of UB cystadenomata suggest a sexual dimorphism in regard to the destiny of these embryonic remnants during postnatal thyroid development. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Association between Prenatal and Postnatal Psychological Distress and Toddler Cognitive Development: A Systematic Review

OpenAIRE

Kingston, Dawn; McDonald, Sheila; Austin, Marie-Paule; Tough, Suzanne

2015-01-01

Purpose Maternal psychological distress is one of the most common perinatal complications, affecting up to 25% of pregnant and postpartum women. Research exploring the association between prenatal and postnatal distress and toddler cognitive development has not been systematically compiled. The objective of this systematic review was to determine the association between prenatal and postnatal psychological distress and toddler cognitive development. Methods Articles were included if: a) they ...

Effect of prenatal peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) agonism on postnatal development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palkar, Prajakta S.; Anderson, Cherie R.; Ferry, Christina H.; Gonzalez, Frank J.; Peters, Jeffrey M.

2010-01-01

Recent work indicates that PPARα is required for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)-induced postnatal lethality resulting from prenatal exposure. The present study tested the hypothesis that relatively modest activation of PPARα during prenatal development will cause postnatal lethality, similar to that observed with PFOA, a relatively low affinity PPARα agonist. Female wild-type and Pparα-null mice were mated overnight with males of the same genotype. The presence of a copulatory plug on the morning after mating was indicative of pregnancy and considered gestation day (GD) 0. Plugged female mice were fed either a control diet or one containing clofibrate (0.5%) or Wy-14,643 (0.005%) until GD18 or until parturition. Mice were examined on GD18 or on postnatal day (PND) 20 following the prenatal exposure period. Dietary administration of clofibrate or Wy-14,643 did not affect maternal weight or weight gain, the average number of implantations, the percentage of litter loss, the average number of live/dead fetuses, average crown-rump length, or the average fetal weight on GD18 in either genotype. An increase in relative maternal liver weight and elevated expression of PPARα target genes in maternal and fetal livers on GD18 were observed, indicative of PPARα-dependent changes in both the maternal and fetal compartments. However, no defects in postnatal development were observed by either clofibrate or Wy-14,643 in either genotype by PND20. These results demonstrate that relatively low level activation of PPARα by clofibrate or Wy-14,643 during prenatal development does not cause postnatal lethality.

The Post-Natal Development of the Reproductive Tract of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Post-Natal Development of the Reproductive Tract of the Springbok Ram Lamb Antidorcas Marsupialis Marsupialis Zimmermann. JD Skinner, J. H. M. Van Zyl. Abstract. A search of the literature has not revealed any reference to the development of the reproductive tract of the male springbok or any quantitative studies ...

Designing, developing, and testing an app for parents being discharged early postnatally

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danbjørg, Dorthe Boe; Wagner, Lis; Clemensen, Jane

2014-01-01

In Denmark and internationally, earlier discharge of postnatal patients presents a challenge to find innovative ways of providing follow-up support to new mothers who may be discharged early. The purpose of this participatory design study is to describe the process of the design, development, and...... testing. •We designed, developed, and testet an app for the iPad.•The app was viable, but the app requires refinements and wider testing.•The app met the new families' needs for follow-up support.•There is a potential for ensuring postnatal security with the use of technology....

Clonidine treatment delays postnatal motor development and blocks short-term memory in young mice.

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Cristina Calvino-Núñez

Full Text Available During the development of the nervous system, the perinatal period is particularly sensitive as neuronal connections are still forming in the brain of the neonate. Alpha2-adrenergic receptors are overexpressed temporarily in proliferative zones in the developing brain, reaching a peak during the first postnatal week of life. Both stimulation and blocking of these receptors during this period alter the development of neural circuits, affecting synaptic connectivity and neuronal responses. They even affect motor and cognitive skills later on in the adult. It's especially important to look for the early neurological consequences resulting from such modifications, because they may go unnoticed. The main objective of the present study has been to reaffirm the importance of the maturation of alpha-adrenergic system in mice, by carrying out a comprehensive examination of motor, behavioral and cognitive effects in neonates, during early postnatal development, following chronic administration of the drug Clonidine, an alpha2 adrenergic system agonist. Our study shows that mice treated postnatally with clonidine present a temporal delay in the appearance of developmental markers, a slow execution of vestibular reflexes during first postnatal week of life and a blockade of the short term memory in the novel object recognition task. Shortly after the treatment the startle response is hyperreactive.

Arrested embryonic development: a review of strategies to delay hatching in egg-laying reptiles

Science.gov (United States)

Rafferty, Anthony R.; Reina, Richard D.

2012-01-01

Arrested embryonic development involves the downregulation or cessation of active cell division and metabolic activity, and the capability of an animal to arrest embryonic development results in temporal plasticity of the duration of embryonic period. Arrested embryonic development is an important reproductive strategy for egg-laying animals that provide no parental care after oviposition. In this review, we discuss each type of embryonic developmental arrest used by oviparous reptiles. Environmental pressures that might have directed the evolution of arrest are addressed and we present previously undiscussed environmentally dependent physiological processes that may occur in the egg to bring about arrest. Areas for future research are proposed to clarify how ecology affects the phenotype of developing embryos. We hypothesize that oviparous reptilian mothers are capable of providing their embryos with a level of phenotypic adaptation to local environmental conditions by incorporating maternal factors into the internal environment of the egg that result in different levels of developmental sensitivity to environmental conditions after they are laid. PMID:22438503

Effect of gamma irradiation on the hatchability and embryonic development of quail eggs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oroszlany, P.; Sinkovicsne Hlubik, I.

1979-01-01

The effect of different doses of gamma irradiation on the embryonic development of quail and hen's eggs was examined. The goals of the examinations were to determine the LD 50 and LD 100 values, to establish the effect of single and multiple irradiation on embryonic development and to get some information on the embryonation of eggs produced by quails and their progeny grown from irradiated eggs. It was shown that 200 rad dose has significant stimulation effect of the hatching results of quail eggs. The LD 50 and LD 100 values were about 800 to 850 rad and 1600 rad, respectively. Repeated irradiation on the progeny-generations proved to be unambiguously deleterious on embryonation. High doses changed the rhythm of embryonal mortality, showing a peak under the irradiation and in the first three days of incubation, and significantly enhanced the number of teratological types. (author)

The role of the pupal determinant broad during embryonic development of a direct-developing insect

Science.gov (United States)

Rynerson, Melody R.; Truman, James W.; Riddiford, Lynn M.

2010-01-01

Metamorphosis is one of the most common, yet dramatic of life history strategies. In insects, complete metamorphosis with morphologically distinct larval stages arose from hemimetabolous ancestors that were more direct developing. Over the past century, several ideas have emerged that suggest the holometabolous pupa is developmentally homologous to the embryonic stages of the hemimetabolous ancestor. Other theories consider the pupal stage to be a modification of a hemimetabolous nymph. To address this question, we have isolated an ortholog of the pupal determinant, broad (br), from the hemimetabolous milkweed bug and examined its role during embryonic development. We show that Oncopeltus fasciatus br (Of'br) is expressed in two phases. The first occurs during germ band invagination and segmentation when Of'br is expressed ubiquitously in the embryonic tissues. The second phase of Of'br expression appears during the pronymphal phase of embryogenesis and persists through nymphal differentiation to decline just before hatching. Knock-down of Of'br transcripts results in defects that range from posterior truncations in the least-affected phenotypes to completely fragmented embryonic tissues in the most severe cases. Analysis of the patterning genes engrailed and hunchback reveal loss of segments and a failure in neural differentiation after Of'br depletion. Finally, we show that br is constitutively expressed during embyrogenesis of the ametabolous firebrat, Thermobia domestica. This suggests that br expression is prominent during embryonic development of ametabolous and hemimetabolous insects but was lost with the emergence of the completely metamorphosing insects. PMID:20127251

ALTERATIONS IN THE DEVELOPING TESTIS TRANSCRIPTOME FOLLOWING EMBRYONIC VINCLOZOLIN EXPOSURE

OpenAIRE

Clement, Tracy M.; Savenkova, Marina I.; Settles, Matthew; Anway, Matthew D.; Skinner, Michael K.

2010-01-01

The current study investigates the direct effects of in utero vinclozolin exposure on the developing F1 generation rat testis transcriptome. Previous studies have demonstrated that exposure to vinclozolin during embryonic gonadal sex determination induces epigenetic modifications of the germ line and transgenerational adult onset disease states. Microarray analyses were performed to compare control and vinclozolin treated testis transcriptomes at embryonic day 13, 14 and 16. A total of 576 di...

The development of the cholinergic system in rat hippocampus following postnatal X-irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ben-Barak, J.

1981-01-01

Postnatal X-irradiation of the rat hippocampus results in a marked reduction in the number of the postnatally developing granular neurons in the dentate gyrus and also caused a marked increase in the specific activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and choline acetyltransferase (CAT) and a slight but consistent increase in the activity per whole hippocampus of AChE. The effect of irradiation on the granular neurons and on the cholinergic enzymes was found to be dose and age dependent. Drastic increase in specific enzymatic activities is also observed in the irradiated cerebellum whose granular neurons differentiate postnatally and to a lesser extent in the cerebral cortex in which cell formation is accomplished prior to birth. (Auth.)

How does blastomere removal affect embryonic development? : A time-lapse analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirkegaard, Kirstine; Hindkjær, Johnny Juhl; Ingerslev, Hans Jakob

of the 6-10 cell embryo. It has been argued that blastomere removal does not affect embryonic development, but few studies have focussed on safety of the procedure. Recently, time-lapse studies on mice have suggested that blastomere removal affects embryonic development. The present study was conducted...... to evaluate the effect of blastomere biopsy on early human embryonic development using time-lapse analysis. Materials and methods: Couples undergoing IVF treatment or PGD were requested permission to include embryos in the project. The diagnosis healthy/diseased was made by analysis of a single blastomere....... For PGD 56 human embryos were biopsied 68 hours after fertilisation, the majority at the eight cell stage. As controls 43 non-biopsied embryos at the 6-8 cell stage were selected. All embryos were cultured until 5 days after fertilisation in a time-lapse incubator (EmbryoScope™). Key events such as time...

A Nestin-cre transgenic mouse is insufficient for recombination in early embryonic neural progenitors

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Huixuan Liang

2012-09-01

Nestin-cre transgenic mice have been widely used to direct recombination to neural stem cells (NSCs and intermediate neural progenitor cells (NPCs. Here we report that a readily utilized, and the only commercially available, Nestin-cre line is insufficient for directing recombination in early embryonic NSCs and NPCs. Analysis of recombination efficiency in multiple cre-dependent reporters and a genetic mosaic line revealed consistent temporal and spatial patterns of recombination in NSCs and NPCs. For comparison we utilized a knock-in Emx1cre line and found robust recombination in NSCs and NPCs in ventricular and subventricular zones of the cerebral cortices as early as embryonic day 12.5. In addition we found that the rate of Nestin-cre driven recombination only reaches sufficiently high levels in NSCs and NPCs during late embryonic and early postnatal periods. These findings are important when commercially available cre lines are considered for directing recombination to embryonic NSCs and NPCs.

Postnatal exposure to methyl mercury from fish consumption: a review and new data from the Seychelles Child Development Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, Gary J; Thurston, Sally W; Pearson, Alexander T; Davidson, Philip W; Cox, Christopher; Shamlaye, Conrad F; Cernichiari, Elsa; Clarkson, Thomas W

2009-05-01

Fish is an important source of nutrition worldwide. Fish contain both the neurotoxin methyl mercury (MeHg) and nutrients important for brain development. The developing brain appears to be most sensitive to MeHg toxicity and mothers who consume fish during pregnancy expose their fetus prenatally. Although brain development is most dramatic during fetal life, it continues for years postnatally and additional exposure can occur when a mother breast feeds or the child consumes fish. This raises the possibility that MeHg might influence brain development after birth and thus adversely affect children's developmental outcomes. We reviewed postnatal MeHg exposure and the associations that have been published to determine the issues associated with it and then carried out a series of analyses involving alternative metrics of postnatal MeHg exposure in the Seychelles Child Development Study (SCDS) Main Cohort. The SCDS is a prospective longitudinal evaluation of prenatal MeHg exposure from fish consumption. The Main Cohort includes 779 subjects on whom recent postnatal exposure data were collected at the 6-, 19-, 29-, 66-, and 107-month evaluations. We examined the association of recent postnatal MeHg exposure with multiple 66- and 107-month outcomes and then used three types of alternative postnatal exposure metrics to examine their association with the children's intelligence quotient (IQ) at 107 months of age. Recent postnatal exposure at 107 months of age was adversely associated with four endpoints, three in females only. One alternative postnatal metric was beneficially associated with 9-year IQ in males only. We found several associations between postnatal MeHg biomarkers and children's developmental endpoints. However, as has been the case with prenatal MeHg exposure in the SCDS Main Cohort study, no consistent pattern of associations emerged to support a causal relationship.

Postnatal development of the hippocampal dentate gyrus under normal and experimental conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altman, J.; Bayer, S.

Studies on postnatal maturation of the dentate gyrus are reviewed. Some topics discussed are: normal development of the dentate gyrus, cytogenesis, morphogenesis, synaptogenesis, gleogenesis, myelogenesis, development of the gyrus under experimental conditions, and effects of x radiation on cytogenesis and morphogenesis

Development of striatal patch/matrix organization in organotypic co-cultures of perinatal striatum, cortex and substantia nigra.

Science.gov (United States)

Snyder-Keller, A; Costantini, L C; Graber, D J

2001-01-01

Organotypic cultures of fetal or early postnatal striatum were used to assess striatal patch formation and maintenance in the presence or absence of dopaminergic and glutamatergic influences. Vibratome-cut slices of the striatum prepared from embryonic day 19 to postnatal day 4 rat pups were maintained in static culture on clear membrane inserts in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium/F12 (1:1) with 20% horse serum. Some were co-cultured with embryonic day 12-16 ventral mesencephalon and/or embryonic day 19 to postnatal day 4 cortex, which produced a dense dopaminergic innervation and a modest cortical innervation. Donors of striatal and cortical tissue were previously injected with bromo-deoxyuridine (BrdU) on embryonic days 13 and 14 in order to label striatal neurons destined to populate the patch compartment of the striatum. Patches of BrdU-immunoreactive cells were maintained in organotypic cultures of late prenatal (embryonic days 20-22) or early postnatal striatum in the absence of nigral dopaminergic or cortical glutamatergic influences. In slices taken from embryonic day 19 fetuses prior to the time of in vivo patch formation, patches were observed to form after 10 days in vitro, in 39% of nigral-striatal co-cultures compared to 6% of striatal slices cultured alone or in the presence of cortex only. Patches of dopaminergic fibers, revealed by tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity, were observed in the majority of nigral-striatal co-cultures. Immunostaining for the AMPA-type glutamate receptor GluR1 revealed a dense patch distribution in nearly all cultures, which developed in embryonic day 19 cultures after at least six days in vitro. These findings indicate that striatal patch/matrix organization is maintained in organotypic culture, and can be induced to form in vitro in striatal slices removed from fetuses prior to the time of in vivo patch formation. Furthermore, dopaminergic innervation from co-cultured pieces of ventral mesencephalon enhances patch

Postnatal growth rates covary weakly with embryonic development rates and do not explain adult mortality probability among songbirds on four continents.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Thomas E; Oteyza, Juan C; Mitchell, Adam E; Potticary, Ahva L; Lloyd, Penn

2015-03-01

Growth and development rates may result from genetic programming of intrinsic processes that yield correlated rates between life stages. These intrinsic rates are thought to affect adult mortality probability and longevity. However, if proximate extrinsic factors (e.g., temperature, food) influence development rates differently between stages and yield low covariance between stages, then development rates may not explain adult mortality probability. We examined these issues based on study of 90 songbird species on four continents to capture the diverse life-history strategies observed across geographic space. The length of the embryonic period explained little variation (ca. 13%) in nestling periods and growth rates among species. This low covariance suggests that the relative importance of intrinsic and extrinsic influences on growth and development rates differs between stages. Consequently, nestling period durations and nestling growth rates were not related to annual adult mortality probability among diverse songbird species within or among sites. The absence of a clear effect of faster growth on adult mortality when examined in an evolutionary framework across species may indicate that species that evolve faster growth also evolve physiological mechanisms for ameliorating costs on adult mortality. Instead, adult mortality rates of species in the wild may be determined more strongly by extrinsic environmental causes.

Impaired embryonic development in mice overexpressing the RNA-binding protein TIAR.

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Yacine Kharraz

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: TIA-1-related (TIAR protein is a shuttling RNA-binding protein involved in several steps of RNA metabolism. While in the nucleus TIAR participates to alternative splicing events, in the cytoplasm TIAR acts as a translational repressor on specific transcripts such as those containing AU-Rich Elements (AREs. Due to its ability to assemble abortive pre-initiation complexes coalescing into cytoplasmic granules called stress granules, TIAR is also involved in the general translational arrest observed in cells exposed to environmental stress. However, the in vivo role of this protein has not been studied so far mainly due to severe embryonic lethality upon tiar invalidation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To examine potential TIAR tissue-specificity in various cellular contexts, either embryonic or adult, we constructed a TIAR transgenic allele (loxPGFPloxPTIAR allowing the conditional expression of TIAR protein upon Cre recombinase activity. Here, we report the role of TIAR during mouse embryogenesis. We observed that early TIAR overexpression led to low transgene transmission associated with embryonic lethality starting at early post-implantation stages. Interestingly, while pre-implantation steps evolved correctly in utero, in vitro cultured embryos were very sensitive to culture medium. Control and transgenic embryos developed equally well in the G2 medium, whereas culture in M16 medium led to the phosphorylation of eIF2alpha that accumulated in cytoplasmic granules precluding transgenic blastocyst hatching. Our results thus reveal a differential TIAR-mediated embryonic response following artificial or natural growth environment. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This study reports the importance of the tightly balanced expression of the RNA-binding protein TIAR for normal embryonic development, thereby emphasizing the role of post-transcriptional regulations in early embryonic programming.

The embryonic development of the central American wandering spider Cupiennius salei

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Hilbrant Maarten

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The spider Cupiennius salei (Keyserling 1877 has become an important study organism in evolutionary and developmental biology. However, the available staging system for its embryonic development is difficult to apply to modern studies, with strong bias towards the earliest developmental stages. Furthermore, important embryonic events are poorly understood. We address these problems, providing a new description of the embryonic development of C. salei. The paper also discusses various observations that will improve our understanding of spider development. Results Conspicuous developmental events were used to define numbered stages 1 to 21. Stages 1 to 9 follow the existing staging system for the spider Achaearanea tepidariorum, and stages 10 to 21 provide a high-resolution description of later development. Live-embryo imaging shows cell movements during the earliest formation of embryonic tissue in C. salei. The imaging procedure also elucidates the encircling border between the cell-dense embryo hemisphere and the hemisphere with much lower cell density (a structure termed 'equator' in earlier studies. This border results from subsurface migration of primordial mesendodermal cells from their invagination site at the blastopore. Furthermore, our detailed successive sequence shows: 1 early differentiation of the precheliceral neuroectoderm; 2 the morphogenetic process of inversion and 3 initial invaginations of the opisthosomal epithelium for the respiratory system. Conclusions Our improved staging system of development in C. salei development should be of considerable value to future comparative studies of animal development. A dense germ disc is not evident during development in C. salei, but we show that the gastrulation process is similar to that in spider species that do have a dense germ disc. In the opisthosoma, the order of appearance of precursor epithelial invaginations provides evidence for the non-homology of the

Ultrastructure, development, and homology of insect embryonic cuticles

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Konopová, Barbora; Zrzavý, Jan

2005-01-01

Roč. 264, č. 3 (2005), s. 339-362 ISSN 0362-2525 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GD206/03/H034 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50070508 Keywords : embryonic development * cuticle * metamorphosis Subject RIV: EA - Cell Biology Impact factor: 1.421, year: 2005

Combinatorial binding in human and mouse embryonic stem cells identifies conserved enhancers active in early embryonic development.

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Jonathan Göke

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Transcription factors are proteins that regulate gene expression by binding to cis-regulatory sequences such as promoters and enhancers. In embryonic stem (ES cells, binding of the transcription factors OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG is essential to maintain the capacity of the cells to differentiate into any cell type of the developing embryo. It is known that transcription factors interact to regulate gene expression. In this study we show that combinatorial binding is strongly associated with co-localization of the transcriptional co-activator Mediator, H3K27ac and increased expression of nearby genes in embryonic stem cells. We observe that the same loci bound by Oct4, Nanog and Sox2 in ES cells frequently drive expression in early embryonic development. Comparison of mouse and human ES cells shows that less than 5% of individual binding events for OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG are shared between species. In contrast, about 15% of combinatorial binding events and even between 53% and 63% of combinatorial binding events at enhancers active in early development are conserved. Our analysis suggests that the combination of OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG binding is critical for transcription in ES cells and likely plays an important role for embryogenesis by binding at conserved early developmental enhancers. Our data suggests that the fast evolutionary rewiring of regulatory networks mainly affects individual binding events, whereas "gene regulatory hotspots" which are bound by multiple factors and active in multiple tissues throughout early development are under stronger evolutionary constraints.

Toward Development of Pluripotent Porcine Stem Cells by Road Mapping Early Embryonic Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petkov, Stoyan; Freude, Kristine; Mashayekhi-Nezamabadi, Kaveh

2017-01-01

The lack in production of bona fide porcine pluripotent stem cells has definitely been hampered by a lack of research into porcine embryo development. Embryonic development in mammals is the extraordinary transition of a single-celled fertilized zygote into a complex fetus, which occurs...... in the uterus of the maternal adult during the early stages of gestation. Biomedical pig models could serve as genetic backgrounds for establishment of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or other pluripotent stem cells (such as iPSC), which may be used to model and study diseases in vitro. This chapter provides...... insight into the current knowledge of pluripotent states in the developing pig embryo and the current status in establishment of bona fide porcine ESC (pESC) and piPSCs. It reflects the potential causes underlying the difficulty in establishing pluripotent stem cells and reviews recent data on global...

Activation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Interferes with Early Embryonic Development

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Manolis Gialitakis

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The transcriptional program of early embryonic development is tightly regulated by a set of well-defined transcription factors that suppress premature expression of differentiation genes and sustain the pluripotent identity. It is generally accepted that this program can be perturbed by environmental factors such as chemical pollutants; however, the precise molecular mechanisms remain unknown. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR is a widely expressed nuclear receptor that senses environmental stimuli and modulates target gene expression. Here, we have investigated the AHR interactome in embryonic stem cells by mass spectrometry and show that ectopic activation of AHR during early differentiation disrupts the differentiation program via the chromatin remodeling complex NuRD (nucleosome remodeling and deacetylation. The activated AHR/NuRD complex altered the expression of differentiation-specific genes that control the first two developmental decisions without affecting the pluripotency program. These findings identify a mechanism that allows environmental stimuli to disrupt embryonic development through AHR signaling.

Cognition and behavioural development in early childhood: the role of birth weight and postnatal growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Cheng; Martorell, Reynaldo; Ren, Aiguo; Li, Zhiwen

2013-02-01

We evaluate the relative importance of birth weight and postnatal growth for cognition and behavioural development in 8389 Chinese children, 4-7 years of age. Method Weight was the only size measure available at birth. Weight, height, head circumference and intelligence quotient (IQ) were measured between 4 and 7 years of age. Z-scores of birth weight and postnatal conditional weight gain to 4-7 years, as well as height and head circumference at 4-7 years of age, were the exposure variables. Z-scores of weight at 4-7 years were regressed on birth weight Z-scores, and the residual was used as the measure of postnatal conditional weight gain. The outcomes were child's IQ, measured by the Chinese Wechsler Young Children Scale of Intelligence, as well as internalizing behavioural problems, externalizing behavioural problems and other behavioural problems, evaluated by the Child Behavior Checklist 4-18. Multivariate regressions were conducted to investigate the relationship of birth weight and postnatal growth variables with the outcomes, separately for preterm children and term children. Both birth weight and postnatal weight gain were associated with IQ among term children; 1 unit increment in Z-score of birth weight (∼450 g) was associated with an increase of 1.60 [Confidence interval (CI): 1.18-2.02; P < 0.001] points in IQ, and 1 unit increment in conditional postnatal weight was associated with an increase of 0.46 (CI: 0.06-0.86; P = 0.02) points in IQ, after adjustment for confounders; similar patterns were observed when Z-scores of postnatal height and head circumference at age 4-7 years were used as alternative measurements of postnatal growth. Effect sizes of relationships with IQ were smaller than 0.1 of a standard deviation in all cases. Neither birth weight nor postnatal growth indicators were associated with behavioural outcomes among term children. In preterm children, neither birth weight nor postnatal growth measures were associated with IQ or

Epiphyseal abnormalities, trabecular bone loss and articular chondrocyte hypertrophy develop in the long bones of postnatal Ext1-deficient mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Sgariglia, Federica; Candela, Maria Elena; Huegel, Julianne; Jacenko, Olena; Koyama, Eiki; Yamaguchi, Yu; Pacifici, Maurizio; Enomoto-Iwamoto, Motomi

2013-11-01

Long bones are integral components of the limb skeleton. Recent studies have indicated that embryonic long bone development is altered by mutations in Ext genes and consequent heparan sulfate (HS) deficiency, possibly due to changes in activity and distribution of HS-binding/growth plate-associated signaling proteins. Here we asked whether Ext function is continuously required after birth to sustain growth plate function and long bone growth and organization. Compound transgenic Ext1(f/f);Col2CreERT mice were injected with tamoxifen at postnatal day 5 (P5) to ablate Ext1 in cartilage and monitored over time. The Ext1-deficient mice exhibited growth retardation already by 2weeks post-injection, as did their long bones. Mutant growth plates displayed a severe disorganization of chondrocyte columnar organization, a shortened hypertrophic zone with low expression of collagen X and MMP-13, and reduced primary spongiosa accompanied, however, by increased numbers of TRAP-positive osteoclasts at the chondro-osseous border. The mutant epiphyses were abnormal as well. Formation of a secondary ossification center was significantly delayed but interestingly, hypertrophic-like chondrocytes emerged within articular cartilage, similar to those often seen in osteoarthritic joints. Indeed, the cells displayed a large size and round shape, expressed collagen X and MMP-13 and were surrounded by an abundant Perlecan-rich pericellular matrix not seen in control articular chondrocytes. In addition, ectopic cartilaginous outgrowths developed on the lateral side of mutant growth plates over time that resembled exostotic characteristic of children with Hereditary Multiple Exostoses, a syndrome caused by Ext mutations and HS deficiency. In sum, the data do show that Ext1 is continuously required for postnatal growth and organization of long bones as well as their adjacent joints. Ext1 deficiency elicits defects that can occur in human skeletal conditions including trabecular bone loss

Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase (MELK: A Novel Regulator in Cell Cycle Control, Embryonic Development, and Cancer

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Pengfei Jiang

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK functions as a modulator of intracellular signaling and affects various cellular and biological processes, including cell cycle, cell proliferation, apoptosis, spliceosome assembly, gene expression, embryonic development, hematopoiesis, and oncogenesis. In these cellular processes, MELK functions by binding to numerous proteins. In general, the effects of multiple protein interactions with MELK are oncogenic in nature, and the overexpression of MELK in kinds of cancer provides some evidence that it may be involved in tumorigenic process. In this review, our current knowledge of MELK function and recent discoveries in MELK signaling pathway were discussed. The regulation of MELK in cancers and its potential as a therapeutic target were also described.

Postnatal Development of CB1 Receptor Expression in Rodent Somatosensory Cortex

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Deshmukh, Suvarna; Onozuka, Kaori; Bender, Kevin J.; Bender, Vanessa A.; Lutz, Beat; Mackie, Ken; Feldman, Daniel E.

2007-01-01

Endocannabinoids are powerful modulators of synaptic transmission that act on presynaptic cannabinoid receptors. Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) is the dominant receptor in the CNS, and is present in many brain regions, including sensory cortex. To investigate the potential role of CB1 receptors in cortical development, we examined the developmental expression of CB1 in rodent primary somatosensory (barrel) cortex, using immunohistochemistry with a CB1-specific antibody. We found that before postnatal day (P) 6, CB1 receptor staining was present exclusively in the cortical white matter, and that CB1 staining appeared in the grey matter between P6 and P20 in a specific laminar pattern. CB1 staining was confined to axons, and was most prominent in cortical layers 2/3, 5a, and 6. CB1 null (−/−) mice showed altered anatomical barrel maps in layer 4, with enlarged inter-barrel septa, but normal barrel size. These results indicate that CB1 receptors are present in early postnatal development and influence development of sensory maps. PMID:17210229

Supplementation with fish oil and coconut fat prevents prenatal stress-induced changes in early postnatal development.

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Borsonelo, Elizabethe C; Suchecki, Deborah; Calil, Helena Maria; Galduróz, José Carlos F

2011-08-01

Adequate development of the central nervous system depends on prenatal and postnatal factors. On one hand, prenatal stress (PNS) has been implicated in impaired development of the offspring. On other hand, nutritional factors during pregnancy and lactation can influence fetal and postnatal growth. This study assessed the postnatal development of rat offspring exposed to PNS, which consisted of restraint and bright lights, 3 times/day, from days 14 to 20 of pregnancy, whose mothers were fed different diets during pregnancy and lactation: regular diet, diet supplemented with coconut fat or fish oil. When pregnancy was confirmed, they were distributed into control (CTL) or PNS groups. At birth, PNS males and females weighed less than those in the group CTL. At 21 days of age, this alteration was no longer observed with fish oil and coconut fat groups. PNS and coconut fat diet induced increased locomotor activity in 13 day old male and female pups, and this effect was prevented by fish oil supplementation only in females. In conclusion, postnatal development from birth to weaning was influenced by PNS and diet and some of those alterations were prevented by coconut fat and fish oil. Copyright © 2011 ISDN. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Performance of prenatal diagnosis and postnatal development of congenital lung malformations].

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Desseauve, D; Dugué-Marechaud, M; Maurin, S; Gatibelza, M-È; Vequeau-Goua, V; Mergy-Laurent, M; Levard, G; Pierre, F

2015-04-01

For many diseases, the comparison of prenatal diagnosis with a histopathological reality is not always possible. Fetal lung pathology, with its high rate of surgery in postnatal, allows this assessment. This study proposes an approach to the reliability of prenatal diagnosis and analysis of the postnatal development of all children in care for congenital pulmonary malformation (CPM). This is a retrospective study of all cases of CPM diagnosed in Poitiers University Hospital from 1995 to 2011. Cases diagnosed prenatally were identified and the diagnostic accuracy was studied by histology when cases had surgery. The postnatal development of prenatally diagnosed cases is described and compared to children who did not receive prenatal diagnosis. Among the 45 cases of CPM supported at the Poitiers University Hospital, 30 had received prenatal diagnosis of isolated CPM. The diagnostic concordance between antenatal ultrasound and the final diagnosis is κ=0.67 (CI95% [0.38 to 0.94]). The sensitivity of ultrasound was 90% (CI95% [55-99.7]) in our series for the diagnosis of CAMP (cystic adenomatoid malformation pulmonary). We found a sonographic disappearance of lesions in 4 children, 1 child in regression, stable lesions in 21 cases. Four children showed an increase in volume of the malformation, with signs of poor tolerance in 3 cases. After birth, children who received a prenatal diagnosis were no more symptomatic than those whose diagnosis was made postnatal: 21 (70%) versus 11 (73%; P=1) respectively. Similarly, they often received prophylactic surgery: 18 (60%) versus 2 (13%) respectively (P<0.01) and less often suffered post-surgery complication: 3 (10%) versus 10 (67%) respectively (P<0.01). The number of children monitored was not significantly different in the two groups. Prenatal diagnosis allows for the precise nature of the lesion in 90% of cases in 2013 and had no impact on symptomatology at birth. When prenatal diagnosis is possible, preventive

Consequences of prenatal radiation exposure on perinatal and postnatal development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konermann, G.

1982-01-01

Acute and long-term teratogenic effects were studied in X-irradiated mice. There is evidence of a maximum susceptibility for intrauterine irradiation damage during early organogenesis with the accumulation of several processes of organ induction. Dose response curves are compared for the irradiation days 7, 10 and 13 post conceptionem based on the incidence of skeletal defects. Exposures during advanced stages of prenatal development promote the manifestation of long-term maturation defects. Corresponding postnatal phenomena and dose-relationships are described for pre- and perinatally irradiated mice. The data include late proliferative effects on liver and brain, lipid synthesis during the premyelination in brain, cerebral tigroid formation, insulin synthesis (histochemical data) in the Islands of Langerhans cells as well as disorders in the neuronal process formation. It is demonstrated that postnatal teratogenesis manifests itself as an elongated chain of interdependent processes of retardation and stabilization, the predominance of each depending on the irradiation dose and its time of application during development. In view of the generally fluctuating character of long-term maturation defects, an extended period of observation seems to be of great practical importance. (orig.)

Early postnatal docosahexaenoic acid levels and improved preterm brain development

OpenAIRE

Tam, Emily W.Y.; Chau, Vann; Barkovich, A. James; Ferriero, Donna M.; Miller, Steven P.; Rogers, Elizabeth E.; Grunau, Ruth E.; Synnes, Anne R.; Xu, Duan; Foong, Justin; Brant, Rollin; Innis, Sheila M.

2016-01-01

Background Preterm birth has a dramatic impact on polyunsaturated fatty acid exposures for the developing brain. This study examined the association between postnatal fatty acid levels and measures of brain injury and development, as well as outcomes. Methods A cohort of 60 preterm newborns (24?32 weeks GA) was assessed using early and near-term MRI studies. Red blood cell fatty acid composition was analyzed coordinated with each scan. Outcome at a mean of 33 months corrected age was assessed...

Secretin Modulates the Postnatal Development of Mouse Cerebellar Cortex Via PKA- and ERK-dependent Pathways

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Lei Wang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Postnatal development of the cerebellum is critical for its intact function such as motor coordination and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. We previously reported that deprivation of secretin (SCT from cerebellar Purkinje neurons impaired motor coordination and motor learning function, while leaving the potential role of SCT in cerebellar development to be determined. SCT and its receptor (SCTR were constitutively expressed in the postnatal cerebellum in a temporal and cell-specific manner. Using a SCT knockout mouse model, we provided direct evidence showing altered developmental patterns of Purkinje cells (PCs and granular cells (GCs. SCT deprivation reduced the PC density, impaired the PC dendritic formation, induced accelerated GC migration and potentiated cerebellar apoptosis. Furthermore, our results indicated the involvement of protein kinase A (PKA and extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK signaling pathways in SCT-mediated protective effects against neuronal apoptosis. Results of this study illustrated a novel function of SCT in the postnatal development of cerebellum, emphasizing the necessary role of SCT in cerebellar-related functions.

Odorant responsiveness of embryonic mouse olfactory sensory neurons expressing the odorant receptors S1 or MOR23.

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Lam, Rebecca S; Mombaerts, Peter

2013-07-01

The mammalian olfactory system has developed some functionality by the time of birth. There is behavioral and limited electrophysiological evidence for prenatal olfaction in various mammalian species. However, there have been no reports, in any mammalian species, of recordings from prenatal olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) that express a given odorant receptor (OR) gene. Here we have performed patch-clamp recordings from mouse OSNs that express the OR gene S1 or MOR23, using the odorous ligands 2-phenylethyl alcohol or lyral, respectively. We found that, out of a combined total of 20 OSNs from embryos of these two strains at embryonic day (E)16.5 or later, all responded to a cognate odorous ligand. By contrast, none of six OSNs responded to the ligand at E14.5 or E15.5. The kinetics of the odorant-evoked electrophysiological responses of prenatal OSNs are similar to those of postnatal OSNs. The S1 and MOR23 glomeruli in the olfactory bulb are formed postnatally, but the axon terminals of OSNs expressing these OR genes may be synaptically active in the olfactory bulb at embryonic stages. The upper limit of the acquisition of odorant responsiveness for S1 and MOR23 OSNs at E16.5 is consistent with the developmental expression patterns of components of the olfactory signaling pathway. © 2013 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Mouse oocytes nucleoli rescue embryonic development of porcine enucleolated oocytes.

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Morovic, Martin; Strejcek, Frantisek; Nakagawa, Shoma; Deshmukh, Rahul S; Murin, Matej; Benc, Michal; Fulka, Helena; Kyogoku, Hirohisa; Pendovski, Lazo; Fulka, Josef; Laurincik, Jozef

2017-12-01

It is well known that nucleoli of fully grown mammalian oocytes are indispensable for embryonic development. Therefore, the embryos originated from previously enucleolated (ENL) oocytes undergo only one or two cleavages and then their development ceases. In our study the interspecies (mouse/pig) nucleolus transferred embryos (NuTE) were produced and their embryonic development was analyzed by autoradiography, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and immunofluorescence (C23 and upstream binding factor (UBF)). Our results show that the re-injection of isolated oocyte nucleoli, either from the pig (P + P) or mouse (P + M), into previously enucleolated and subsequently matured porcine oocytes rescues their development after parthenogenetic activation and some of these develop up to the blastocyst stage (P + P, 11.8%; P + M, 13.5%). In nucleolus re-injected 8-cell and blastocyst stage embryos the number of nucleoli labeled with C23 in P + P and P + M groups was lower than in control (non-manipulated) group. UBF was localized in small foci within the nucleoli of blastocysts in control and P + P embryos, however, in P + M embryos the labeling was evenly distributed in the nucleoplasm. The TEM and autoradiographic evaluations showed the formation of functional nucleoli and de novo rRNA synthesis at the 8-cell stage in both, control and P + P group. In the P + M group the formation of comparable nucleoli was delayed. In conclusion, our results indicate that the mouse nucleolus can rescue embryonic development of enucleolated porcine oocytes, but the localization of selected nucleolar proteins, the timing of transcription activation and the formation of the functional nucleoli in NuTE compared with control group show evident aberrations.

Can physics help to explain embryonic development? An overview.

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Fleury, V

2013-10-01

Recent technical advances including digital imaging and particle image velocimetry can be used to extract the full range of embryonic movements that constitute the instantaneous 'morphogenetic fields' of a developing animal. The final shape of the animal results from the sum over time (integral) of the movements that make up the velocity fields of all the tissue constituents. In vivo microscopy can be used to capture the details of vertebrate development at the earliest embryonic stages. The movements thus observed can be quantitatively compared to physical models that provide velocity fields based on simple hypotheses about the nature of living matter (a visco-elastic gel). This approach has cast new light on the interpretation of embryonic movement, folding, and organisation. It has established that several major discontinuities in development are simple physical changes in boundary conditions. In other words, with no change in biology, the physical consequences of collisions between folds largely explain the morphogenesis of the major structures (such as the head). Other discontinuities result from changes in physical conditions, such as bifurcations (changes in physical behaviour beyond specific yield points). For instance, beyond a certain level of stress, a tissue folds, without any new gene being involved. An understanding of the physical features of movement provides insights into the levers that drive evolution; the origin of animals is seen more clearly when viewed under the light of the fundamental physical laws (Newton's principle, action-reaction law, changes in symmetry breaking scale). This article describes the genesis of a vertebrate embryo from the shapeless stage (round mass of tissue) to the development of a small, elongated, bilaterally symmetric structure containing vertebral precursors, hip and shoulder enlarges, and a head. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Role of leptin in delayed embryonic development in the Indian short-nosed fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx.

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Banerjee, A; Meenakumari, K J; Krishna, A

2010-08-01

An adiposity-associated rise in leptin occurs at the time of delayed embryonic development in Cynopterus sphinx. The aim of present study was to examine the mechanism by which leptin may inhibit progesterone, and therefore could be responsible for delayed development. The study showed a significant increase in circulating leptin level during the period of increased fat accumulation, which coincided with significant decrease in serum progesterone level and delayed embryonic development in C. sphinx. The study showed increased Ob-R expression in the corpus luteum and in the utero-embryonic unit during the period of delayed embryonic development. The in vitro study showed suppressive effect of leptin on progesterone synthesis. The effect of high dose of leptin on ovarian steroidogenesis was found to be mediated through decreased expression of StAR and LH-R proteins in the ovary. The treatment with leptin caused increased expression of STAT 3 and iNOS proteins in the ovary, which correlated with decreased expression of StAR protein in the ovary. The inhibitory effects of leptin on progesterone synthesis in the ovary are thus mediated through STAT 3 and iNOS-NO signaling pathways. This study further demonstrated low expression of PCNA coinciding with the increased concentration of the leptin receptor in the utero-embryonic unit and high circulating leptin level during November. In conclusion, adiposity associated increased leptin level during November-December might play role in suppressing progesterone synthesis in the corpus luteum as well as suppressing the rate of cell-proliferation in the utero-embryonic unit thereby causing delayed embryonic development in C. sphinx. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationship between delayed embryonic development and metabolic factors and fat deposition in fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx.

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Banerjee, Arnab; Meenakumari, K J; Krishna, Amitabh

2007-01-01

The present study was undertaken in the fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx, which breeds twice in quick succession at Varanasi, India. Its gestation period varies significantly in the two successive pregnancies of the year owing to delayed embryonic development during the first (winter) pregnancy. The primary aim of the present study was to determine the role of metabolic factors in delayed embryonic development in the fruit bat C. sphinx. Variation in bodyweight, fat deposition, oxygen (O(2)) consumption rate, basal metabolic rate (BMR), body temperature (Tb) and hepatic succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, along with circulating levels of thyroid hormones (tri-iodothyronine and thyroxine), were examined as metabolic factors during the two successive pregnancies in C. sphinx. The increase in bodyweight observed in November was due to accumulation of white adipose tissue in the posterior abdominal region. A significant decline in O(2) consumption rate, BMR, Tb and SDH activity was found in early winter in November-December, which coincides closely with the period of fat accumulation and with the period of delayed embryonic development in C. sphinx. A significantly higher O(2) consumption rate, BMR, Tb and SDH activity was noted during the second pregnancy in, when embryonic development was relatively faster. Thyroid hormone levels were high during the period of embryonic delay compared with levels during the remaining months. The results of the present study suggest that the delayed embryonic development in C. sphinx during early winter may be due to a low O(2) consumption rate, BMR, Tb and SDH activity in November-December. The energy saved by suppressing embryonic development in this species may be advantageous for fat accumulation. Increased thyroid hormone levels during the early winter period might facilitate fat accumulation in C. sphinx.

Paternal identity impacts embryonic development for two species of freshwater fish.

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Siddique, Mohammad Abdul Momin; Linhart, Otomar; Krejszeff, Sławomir; Żarski, Daniel; Pitcher, Trevor E; Politis, Sebastian Nikitas; Butts, Ian Anthony Ernest

2017-05-01

Paternal, compared to maternal, contributions were believed to have only a limited influence on embryonic development and larval fitness traits in fishes. Therefore, the perspective of male influence on early life history traits has come under scrutiny. This study was conducted to determine parental effects on the rate of eyed embryos of Ide Leuciscus idus and Northern pike Esox lucius. Five sires and five dams from each species were crossed using a quantitative genetic breeding design and the resulting 25 sib groups of each species were reared to the embryonic eyed stage. We then partition variation in embryonic phenotypic performance to maternal, paternal, and parental interactions using the Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) model. Results showed that paternal, maternal, and the paternal×maternal interaction terms were highly significant for both species; clearly demonstrating that certain family combinations were more compatible than others. Paternal effects explained 20.24% of the total variance, which was 2-fold higher than the maternal effects (10.73%) in Ide, while paternal effects explained 18.9% of the total variance, which was 15-fold higher than the maternal effects (1.3%) in Northern pike. Together, these results indicate that male effects are of major importance during embryonic development for these species. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that genetic compatibility between sires and dams plays an important role and needs to be taken into consideration for reproduction of these and likely other economically important fish species. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In vitro translation of RNA to lactase during postnatal development of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The in vitro translation products of RNA detected by Western blot analysis using brush border lactase antibodies showed several isoforms of lactase antigen with molecular weight ranging from 100–220 kDa. Analysed at days 7 and 30 of postnatal development, lactase isoforms of molecular weight 130 kDa and 220 kDa ...

Stage specific requirement of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α in embryonic development.

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Chen Qian

Full Text Available Platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα is a cell-surface receptor tyrosine kinase for platelet-derived growth factors. Correct timing and level of Pdgfra expression is crucial for embryo development, and deletion of Pdgfra caused developmental defects of multiple endoderm and mesoderm derived structures, resulting in a complex phenotypes including orofacial cleft, spina bifida, rib deformities, and omphalocele in mice. However, it is not clear if deletion of Pdgfra at different embryonic stages differentially affects these structures.To address the temporal requirement of Pdgfra in embryonic development.We have deleted the Pdgfra in Pdgfra-expressing tissues at different embryonic stages in mice, examined and quantified the developmental anomalies.Current study showed that (i conditional deletion of Pdgfra at different embryonic days (between E7.5 and E10.5 resulted in orofacial cleft, spina bifida, rib cage deformities, and omphalocele, and (ii the day of Pdgfra deletion influenced the combinations, incidence and severities of these anomalies. Deletion of Pdgfra caused apoptosis of Pdgfra-expressing tissues, and developmental defects of their derivatives.Orofacial cleft, spina bifida and omphalocele are among the commonest skeletal and abdominal wall defects of newborns, but their genetic etiologies are largely unknown. The remarkable resemblance of our conditional Pdgfra knockout embryos to theses human congenital anomalies, suggesting that dysregulated PDGFRA expression could cause these anomalies in human. Future work should aim at defining (a the regulatory elements for the expression of the human PDGFRA during embryonic development, and (b if mutations / sequence variations of these regulatory elements cause these anomalies.

Protective effects of resveratrol on ethanol-induced apoptosis in embryonic stem cells and disruption of embryonic development in mouse blastocysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, L.-H.; Shiao, N.-H.; Hsuuw, Y.-D.; Chan, W.-H.

2007-01-01

Previous studies have established that ethanol induces apoptosis, but the precise molecular mechanisms are currently unclear. Here, we show that 0.3-1.0% (w/v) ethanol induces apoptosis in mouse blastocysts and that resveratrol, a grape-derived phytoalexin with known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, prevents ethanol-induced apoptosis and inhibition of cell proliferation. Moreover, ethanol-treated blastocysts show normal levels of implantation on culture dishes in vitro but a reduced ability to reach the later stages of embryonic development. Pretreatment with resveratrol prevented ethanol-induced disruption of embryonic development in vitro and in vivo. In an in vitro cell-based assay, we further found that ethanol increases the production of reactive oxygen species in ESC-B5 embryonic stem cells, leading to an increase in the intracellular concentrations of cytoplasmic free Ca 2+ and NO, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial release of cytochrome c, activation of caspase-9 and -3, and apoptosis. These changes were blocked by pretreatment with resveratrol. Based on these results, we propose a model for the protective effect of resveratrol on ethanol-induced cell injury in blastocysts and ESC-B5 cells

Synchronized Progression of Prestin Expression and Auditory Brainstem Response during Postnatal Development in Rats

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Jianfeng Hang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Prestin is the motor protein expressed in the cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs of mammalian inner ear. The electromotility of OHCs driven by prestin is responsible for the cochlear amplification which is required for normal hearing in adult animals. Postnatal expression of prestin and activity of OHCs may contribute to the maturation of hearing in rodents. However, the temporal and spatial expression of prestin in cochlea during the development is not well characterized. In the present study, we examined the expression and function of prestin from the OHCs in apical, middle, and basal turns of the cochleae of postnatal rats. Prestin first appeared at postnatal day 6 (P6 for basal turn, P7 in middle turn, and P9 for apical turn of cochlea. The expression level increased progressively over the next few days and by P14 reached the mature level for all three segments. By comparison with the time course of the development of auditory brainstem response for different frequencies, our data reveal that prestin expression synchronized with the hearing development. The present study suggests that the onset time of hearing may require the expression of prestin and is determined by the mature function of OHCs.

Alterations in the developing testis transcriptome following embryonic vinclozolin exposure.

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Clement, Tracy M; Savenkova, Marina I; Settles, Matthew; Anway, Matthew D; Skinner, Michael K

2010-11-01

The current study investigates the direct effects of in utero vinclozolin exposure on the developing F1 generation rat testis transcriptome. Previous studies have demonstrated that exposure to vinclozolin during embryonic gonadal sex determination induces epigenetic modifications of the germ line and transgenerational adult onset disease states. Microarray analyses were performed to compare control and vinclozolin treated testis transcriptomes at embryonic days 13, 14 and 16. A total of 576 differentially expressed genes were identified and the major cellular functions and pathways associated with these altered transcripts were examined. The sets of regulated genes at the different development periods were found to be transiently altered and distinct. Categorization by major known functions of altered genes was performed. Specific cellular process and pathway analyses suggest the involvement of Wnt and calcium signaling, vascular development and epigenetic mechanisms as potential mediators of the direct F1 generation actions of vinclozolin. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nuclei pulposi formation from the embryonic notochord occurs normally in GDF-5-deficient mice.

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Maier, Jennifer A; Harfe, Brian D

2011-11-15

The transition of the mouse embryonic notochord into nuclei pulposi was determined ("fate mapped") in vivo in growth and differentiating factor-5 (GDF-5)-null mice using the Shhcre and R26R alleles. To determine whether abnormal nuclei pulposi formation from the embryonic notochord was responsible for defects present in adult nuclei pulposi of Gdf-5-null mice. The development, maintenance, and degeneration of the intervertebral disc are not understood. Previously, we demonstrated that all cells in the adult nucleus pulposus of normal mice are derived from the embryonic notochord. Gdf-5-null mice have been reported to contain intervertebral discs in which the nucleus pulposus is abnormal. It is currently unclear if disc defects in Gdf-5-null mice arise during the formation of nuclei pulposi from the notochord during embryogenesis or result from progressive postnatal degeneration of nuclei pulposi. Gdf-5 messenger RNA expression was examined in the discs of wild-type embryos by RNA in situ hybridization to determine when and where this gene was expressed. To examine nucleus pulposus formation in Gdf-5-null mice, intervertebral discs in which embryonic notochord cells were marked were analyzed in newborn and 24-week-old mice. Our Gdf-5 messenger RNA in situ experiments determined that this gene is localized to the annulus fibrosus and not the nucleus pulposus in mouse embryos. Notochord fate-mapping experiments revealed that notochord cells in Gdf-5-null mice correctly form nuclei pulposi. Our data suggest that the defects reported in the nucleus pulposus of adult Gdf-5-null mice do not result from abnormal patterning of the embryonic notochord. The use of mouse alleles to mark cells that produce all cell types that reside in the adult nucleus pulposus will allow for a detailed examination of disc formation in other mouse mutants that have been reported to contain disc defects.

Spaceflight Affects Postnatal Development of the Aortic Wall in Rats

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Shin-ichiro Katsuda

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We investigated effect of microgravity environment during spaceflight on postnatal development of the rheological properties of the aorta in rats. The neonate rats were randomly divided at 7 days of age into the spaceflight, asynchronous ground control, and vivarium control groups (8 pups for one dam. The spaceflight group rats at 9 days of age were exposed to microgravity environment for 16 days. A longitudinal wall strip of the proximal descending thoracic aorta was subjected to stress-strain and stress-relaxation tests. Wall tensile force was significantly smaller in the spaceflight group than in the two control groups, whereas there were no significant differences in wall stress or incremental elastic modulus at each strain among the three groups. Wall thickness and number of smooth muscle fibers were significantly smaller in the spaceflight group than in the two control groups, but there were no significant differences in amounts of either the elastin or collagen fibers among the three groups. The decreased thickness was mainly caused by the decreased number of smooth muscle cells. Plastic deformation was observed only in the spaceflight group in the stress-strain test. A microgravity environment during spaceflight could affect postnatal development of the morphological and rheological properties of the aorta.

Identification of estrogen target genes during zebrafish embryonic development through transcriptomic analysis.

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Ruixin Hao

Full Text Available Estrogen signaling is important for vertebrate embryonic development. Here we have used zebrafish (Danio rerio as a vertebrate model to analyze estrogen signaling during development. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to 1 µM 17β-estradiol (E2 or vehicle from 3 hours to 4 days post fertilization (dpf, harvested at 1, 2, 3 and 4 dpf, and subjected to RNA extraction for transcriptome analysis using microarrays. Differentially expressed genes by E2-treatment were analyzed with hierarchical clustering followed by biological process and tissue enrichment analysis. Markedly distinct sets of genes were up and down-regulated by E2 at the four different time points. Among these genes, only the well-known estrogenic marker vtg1 was co-regulated at all time points. Despite this, the biological functional categories targeted by E2 were relatively similar throughout zebrafish development. According to knowledge-based tissue enrichment, estrogen responsive genes were clustered mainly in the liver, pancreas and brain. This was in line with the developmental dynamics of estrogen-target tissues that were visualized using transgenic zebrafish containing estrogen responsive elements driving the expression of GFP (Tg(5xERE:GFP. Finally, the identified embryonic estrogen-responsive genes were compared to already published estrogen-responsive genes identified in male adult zebrafish (Gene Expression Omnibus database. The expressions of a few genes were co-regulated by E2 in both embryonic and adult zebrafish. These could potentially be used as estrogenic biomarkers for exposure to estrogens or estrogenic endocrine disruptors in zebrafish. In conclusion, our data suggests that estrogen effects on early embryonic zebrafish development are stage- and tissue- specific.

A structure-based extracellular matrix expansion mechanism of fibrous tissue growth.

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Kalson, Nicholas S; Lu, Yinhui; Taylor, Susan H; Starborg, Tobias; Holmes, David F; Kadler, Karl E

2015-05-20

Embryonic growth occurs predominately by an increase in cell number; little is known about growth mechanisms later in development when fibrous tissues account for the bulk of adult vertebrate mass. We present a model for fibrous tissue growth based on 3D-electron microscopy of mouse tendon. We show that the number of collagen fibrils increases during embryonic development and then remains constant during postnatal growth. Embryonic growth was explained predominately by increases in fibril number and length. Postnatal growth arose predominately from increases in fibril length and diameter. A helical crimp structure was established in embryogenesis, and persisted postnatally. The data support a model where the shape and size of tendon is determined by the number and position of embryonic fibroblasts. The collagen fibrils that these cells synthesise provide a template for postnatal growth by structure-based matrix expansion. The model has important implications for growth of other fibrous tissues and fibrosis.

Forkhead box transcription factors in embryonic heart development and congenital heart disease.

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Zhu, Hong

2016-01-01

Embryonic heart development is a very complicated process regulated precisely by a network composed of many genes and signaling pathways in time and space. Forkhead box (Fox, FOX) proteins are a family of transcription factors characterized by the presence of an evolutionary conserved "forkhead"or "winged-helix" DNA-binding domain and able to organize temporal and spatial gene expression during development. They are involved in a wide variety of cellular processes, such as cell cycle progression, proliferation, differentiation, migration, metabolism and DNA damage response. An abundance of studies in model organisms and systems has established that Foxa2, Foxc1/c2, Foxh1 and Foxm1, Foxos and Foxps are important components of the signaling pathways that instruct cardiogenesis and embryonic heart development, playing paramount roles in heart development. The previous studies also have demonstrated that mutations in some of the forkhead box genes and the aberrant expression of forkhead box gene are heavily implicated in the congenital heart disease (CHD) of humans. This review primarily focuses on the current understanding of heart development regulated by forkhead box transcription factors and molecular genetic mechanisms by which forkhead box factors modulate heart development during embryogenesis and organogenesis. This review also summarizes human CHD related mutations in forkhead box genes as well as the abnormal expression of forkhead box gene, and discusses additional possible regulatory mechanisms of the forkhead box genes during embryonic heart development that warrant further investigation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Postnatal ablation of Foxm1 from cardiomyocytes causes late onset cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis without exacerbating pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling.

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Craig Bolte

Full Text Available Heart disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the industrialized world. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common genetic cardiovascular disorder and the most common cause of sudden cardiac death. Foxm1 transcription factor (also known as HFH-11B, Trident, Win or MPP2 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of various cancers and is a critical mediator of post-injury repair in multiple organs. Foxm1 has been previously shown to be essential for heart development and proliferation of embryonic cardiomyocytes. However, the role of Foxm1 in postnatal heart development and in cardiac injury has not been evaluated. To delete Foxm1 in postnatal cardiomyocytes, αMHC-Cre/Foxm1(fl/fl mice were generated. Surprisingly, αMHC-Cre/Foxm1(fl/fl mice exhibited normal cardiomyocyte proliferation at postnatal day seven and had no defects in cardiac structure or function but developed cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis late in life. The development of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and cardiac fibrosis in aged Foxm1-deficient mice was associated with reduced expression of Hey2, an important regulator of cardiac homeostasis, and increased expression of genes critical for cardiac remodeling, including MMP9, αSMA, fibronectin and vimentin. We also found that following aortic constriction Foxm1 mRNA and protein were induced in cardiomyocytes. However, Foxm1 deletion did not exacerbate cardiac hypertrophy or fibrosis following chronic pressure overload. Our results demonstrate that Foxm1 regulates genes critical for age-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and cardiac fibrosis.

Integrative Temporo-Spatial, Mineralogic, Spectroscopic, and Proteomic Analysis of Postnatal Enamel Development in Teeth with Limited Growth

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Mirali Pandya

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Tooth amelogenesis is a complex process beginning with enamel organ cell differentiation and enamel matrix secretion, transitioning through changes in ameloblast polarity, cytoskeletal, and matrix organization, that affects crucial biomineralization events such as mineral nucleation, enamel crystal growth, and enamel prism organization. Here we have harvested the enamel organ including the pliable enamel matrix of postnatal first mandibular mouse molars during the first 8 days of tooth enamel development to conduct a step-wise cross-sectional analysis of the changes in the mineral and protein phase. Mineral phase diffraction pattern analysis using single-crystal, powder sample X-ray diffraction analysis indicated conversion of calcium phosphate precursors to partially fluoride substituted hydroxyapatite from postnatal day 4 (4 dpn onwards. Attenuated total reflectance spectra (ATR revealed a substantial elevation in phosphate and carbonate incorporation as well as structural reconfiguration between postnatal days 6 and 8. Nanoscale liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC-MS/MS demonstrated highest protein counts for ECM/cell surface proteins, stress/heat shock proteins, and alkaline phosphatase on postnatal day 2, high counts for ameloblast cytoskeletal proteins such as tubulin β5, tropomyosin, β-actin, and vimentin on postnatal day 4, and elevated levels of cofilin-1, calmodulin, and peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase on day 6. Western blot analysis of hydrophobic enamel proteins illustrated continuously increasing amelogenin levels from 1 dpn until 8 dpn, while enamelin peaked on days 1 and 2 dpn, and ameloblastin on days 1–5 dpn. In summary, these data document the substantial changes in the enamel matrix protein and mineral phase that take place during postnatal mouse molar amelogenesis from a systems biological perspective, including (i relatively high levels of matrix protein expression during the early

Embryonic development rates of northern grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae): implications for climate change and habitat management

Science.gov (United States)

Temperature-dependent rates of embryonic development are a primary determinant of the life cycle of many species of grasshoppers which, in cold climates, spend two winters in the egg stage. Knowledge of embryonic developmental rates is important for an assessment of the effects of climate change and...

Dual effects of fluoxetine on mouse early embryonic development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Chang-Woon; Choe, Changyong; Kim, Eun-Jin; Lee, Jae-Ik; Yoon, Sook-Young; Cho, Young-Woo; Han, Sunkyu; Tak, Hyun-Min; Han, Jaehee; Kang, Dawon

2012-01-01

Fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, regulates a variety of physiological processes, such as cell proliferation and apoptosis, in mammalian cells. Little is known about the role of fluoxetine in early embryonic development. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of fluoxetine during mouse early embryonic development. Late two-cell stage embryos (2-cells) were cultured in the presence of various concentrations of fluoxetine (1 to 50 μM) for different durations. When late 2-cells were incubated with 5 μM fluoxetine for 6 h, the percentage that developed into blastocysts increased compared to the control value. However, late 2-cells exposed to fluoxetine (5 μM) over 24 h showed a reduction in blastocyst formation. The addition of fluoxetine (5 μM) together with KN93 or KN62 (calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) inhibitors) failed to increase blastocyst formation. Fluoxetine treatment inhibited TREK-1 and TREK-2, members of the two-pore domain K + channel family expressed in mouse embryos, activities, indicating that fluoxetine-induced membrane depolarization in late 2-cells might have resulted from TREK inhibition. In addition, long-term exposure to fluoxetine altered the TREK mRNA expression levels. Furthermore, injection of siRNA targeting TREKs significantly decreased blastocyst formation by ∼ 30% compared to injection of scrambled siRNA. Long-term exposure of fluoxetine had no effect on blastocyst formation of TREK deficient embryos. These results indicate that low-dose and short-term exposures of late 2-cells to fluoxetine probably increase blastocyst formation through activation of CaMKII-dependent signal transduction pathways, whereas long-term exposure decreases mouse early embryonic development through inhibition of TREK channel gating. Highlights: ► Short-term exposure of 2-cells to fluoxetine enhances mouse blastocyst formation. ► The enhancive effect of fluoxetine is resulted from CaMKII activation

Dual effects of fluoxetine on mouse early embryonic development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Chang-Woon [Department of Physiology and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju 660-751 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University, Changwon 630-723 (Korea, Republic of); Choe, Changyong [National Institute of Animal Science, RDA, Cheonan 330-801 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Eun-Jin [Department of Physiology and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju 660-751 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jae-Ik [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju 660-702 (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Sook-Young [Fertility Center of CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University, Seoul 135-081 (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Young-Woo; Han, Sunkyu; Tak, Hyun-Min; Han, Jaehee [Department of Physiology and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju 660-751 (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Dawon, E-mail: dawon@gnu.ac.kr [Department of Physiology and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju 660-751 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-11-15

Fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, regulates a variety of physiological processes, such as cell proliferation and apoptosis, in mammalian cells. Little is known about the role of fluoxetine in early embryonic development. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of fluoxetine during mouse early embryonic development. Late two-cell stage embryos (2-cells) were cultured in the presence of various concentrations of fluoxetine (1 to 50 μM) for different durations. When late 2-cells were incubated with 5 μM fluoxetine for 6 h, the percentage that developed into blastocysts increased compared to the control value. However, late 2-cells exposed to fluoxetine (5 μM) over 24 h showed a reduction in blastocyst formation. The addition of fluoxetine (5 μM) together with KN93 or KN62 (calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) inhibitors) failed to increase blastocyst formation. Fluoxetine treatment inhibited TREK-1 and TREK-2, members of the two-pore domain K{sup +} channel family expressed in mouse embryos, activities, indicating that fluoxetine-induced membrane depolarization in late 2-cells might have resulted from TREK inhibition. In addition, long-term exposure to fluoxetine altered the TREK mRNA expression levels. Furthermore, injection of siRNA targeting TREKs significantly decreased blastocyst formation by ∼ 30% compared to injection of scrambled siRNA. Long-term exposure of fluoxetine had no effect on blastocyst formation of TREK deficient embryos. These results indicate that low-dose and short-term exposures of late 2-cells to fluoxetine probably increase blastocyst formation through activation of CaMKII-dependent signal transduction pathways, whereas long-term exposure decreases mouse early embryonic development through inhibition of TREK channel gating. Highlights: ► Short-term exposure of 2-cells to fluoxetine enhances mouse blastocyst formation. ► The enhancive effect of fluoxetine is resulted from Ca

Ovarian activity and early embryonic development in the rusty bat ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The reproductive pattern of the female rusty bat, Pipistrellus rusticus, was investigated by means of a histological examination of the ovarian follicles as well as early embryonic development. Bats were collected from two localities in Limpopo Province. Female rusty bats are seasonal monestrous breeders, initiating ...

Perinatal and early postnatal changes in the expression of monocarboxylate transporters MCT1 and MCT2 in the rat forebrain.

Science.gov (United States)

Baud, Olivier; Fayol, Laurence; Gressens, Pierre; Pellerin, Luc; Magistretti, Pierre; Evrard, Philippe; Verney, Catherine

2003-10-20

In addition to glucose, monocarboxylates including lactate represent a major source of energy for the brain, especially during development. We studied the immunocytochemical expression of the monocarboxylate transporters MCT1 and MCT2 in the rat brain between embryonic day (E) 16 and postnatal day (P) 14. At E16-18, MCT1-like immunoreactivity was found throughout the cortical anlage, being particularly marked medially in the hippocampal anlage next to the ventricle. In a complementary pattern, MCT2-like immunoreactivity was expressed along the medial and ventral border of the ventricle in the medial septum and habenula before birth. The hypothalamic area exhibited MCT2 and MCT1 positive areas from E18 on. These transient labelings revealed four main sites of monocarboxylate and/or glucose exchange: the brain parenchyma, the epithelial cells, the ependymocytes, and the glia limitans. During the first postnatal week, MCT1 immunoreactivity extended massively to the vessel walls and moderately to the developing astrocytes in the cortex. In contrast, MCT2 immunoreactivity was faint in blood vessels but massive in developing astrocytes from P3 to P7. Neither MCT2 nor MCT1 colocalized with neuronal, microglial, or oligodendrocytic markers during the first postnatal week. At P14, a part of the scattered punctate MCT2 staining could be associated with astrocytes and postsynaptic dendritic labeling. The transient pattern of expression of MCTs throughout the perinatal period suggests a potential relationship with the maturation of the blood-brain barrier. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Luteal cell steroidogenesis in relation to delayed embryonic development in the Indian short-nosed fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx.

Science.gov (United States)

Meenakumari, Karukayil J; Banerjee, Arnab; Krishna, Amitabh

2009-01-01

The primary aim of this study was to determine the possible cause of slow or delayed embryonic development in Cynopterus sphinx by investigating morphological and steroidogenic changes in the corpus luteum (CL) and circulating hormone concentrations during two pregnancies of a year. This species showed delayed post-implantational embryonic development during gastrulation of the first pregnancy. Morphological features of the CL showed normal luteinization during both pregnancies. The CL did not change significantly in luteal cell size during the delay period of the first pregnancy as compared with the second pregnancy. The circulating progesterone and 17beta-estradiol concentrations were significantly lower during the period of delayed embryonic development as compared with the same stage of embryonic development during the second pregnancy. We also showed a marked decline in the activity of 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, P450 side chain cleavage enzyme, and steroidogenic acute regulatory peptide in the CL during the delay period. This may cause low circulating progesterone and estradiol synthesis and consequently delay embryonic development. What causes the decrease in steroidogenic factors in the CL during the period of delayed development in C. sphinx is under investigation.

Dynamic changes in DNA demethylation in the tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri chinensis) brain during postnatal development and aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Shu; Hua, Hai-Rong; Chen, Qian-Quan; Zhang, Ying; Chen, Fei; Li, Shu-Qing; Li, Fan; Li, Jia-Li

2017-03-18

Brain development and aging are associated with alterations in multiple epigenetic systems, including DNA methylation and demethylation patterns. Here, we observed that the levels of the 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) ten-eleven translocation (TET) enzyme-mediated active DNA demethylation products were dynamically changed and involved in postnatal brain development and aging in tree shrews ( Tupaia belangeri chinensis ). The levels of 5hmC in multiple anatomic structures showed a gradual increase throughout postnatal development, whereas a significant decrease in 5hmC was found in several brain regions in aged tree shrews, including in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, but not the cerebellum. Active changes in Tet mRNA levels indicated that TET2 and TET3 predominantly contributed to the changes in 5hmC levels. Our findings provide new insight into the dynamic changes in 5hmC levels in tree shrew brains during postnatal development and aging processes.

Color photographic index of fall Chinook salmon embryonic development and accumulated thermal units.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James W Boyd

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the relationship between accumulated thermal units and developmental stages of Chinook salmon embryos can be used to determine the approximate date of egg fertilization in natural redds, thus providing insight into oviposition timing of wild salmonids. However, few studies have documented time to different developmental stages of embryonic Chinook salmon and no reference color photographs are available. The objectives of this study were to construct an index relating developmental stages of hatchery-reared fall Chinook salmon embryos to time and temperature (e.g., degree days and provide high-quality color photographs of each identified developmental stage. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Fall Chinook salmon eggs were fertilized in a hatchery environment and sampled approximately every 72 h post-fertilization until 50% hatch. Known embryonic developmental features described for sockeye salmon were used to describe development of Chinook salmon embryos. A thermal sums model was used to describe the relationship between embryonic development rate and water temperature. Mean water temperature was 8.0 degrees C (range; 3.9-11.7 degrees C during the study period. Nineteen stages of embryonic development were identified for fall Chinook salmon; two stages in the cleavage phase, one stage in the gastrulation phase, and sixteen stages in the organogenesis phase. The thermal sums model used in this study provided similar estimates of fall Chinook salmon embryonic development rate in water temperatures varying from 3.9-11.7 degrees C (mean=8 degrees C to those from several other studies rearing embryos in constant 8 degrees C water temperature. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The developmental index provides a reasonable description of timing to known developmental stages of Chinook salmon embryos and was useful in determining developmental stages of wild fall Chinook salmon embryos excavated from redds in the Columbia River. This index

Transcriptomic profiling of bovine IVF embryos revealed candidate genes and pathways involved in early embryonic development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yandell Brian S

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Early embryonic loss is a large contributor to infertility in cattle. Although genetic factors are known to affect early embryonic development, the discovery of such factors has been a serious challenge. The objective of this study was to identify genes differentially expressed between blastocysts and degenerative embryos at early stages of development. Results Using microarrays, genome-wide RNA expression was profiled and compared for in vitro fertilization (IVF - derived blastocysts and embryos undergoing degenerative development up to the same time point. Surprisingly similar transcriptomic profiles were found in degenerative embryos and blastocysts. Nonetheless, we identified 67 transcripts that significantly differed between these two groups of embryos at a 15% false discovery rate, including 33 transcripts showing at least a two-fold difference. Several signaling and metabolic pathways were found to be associated with the developmental status of embryos, among which were previously known important steroid biosynthesis and cell communication pathways in early embryonic development. Conclusions This study presents the first direct and comprehensive comparison of transcriptomes between IVF blastocysts and degenerative embryos, providing important information for potential genes and pathways associated with early embryonic development.

Kisspeptin regulates ovarian steroidogenesis during delayed embryonic development in the fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx.

Science.gov (United States)

Anuradha; Krishna, Amitabh

2017-11-01

Cynopterus sphinx, a fruit bat, undergoes delayed embryonic development during the winter months, a period that corresponds to low levels of progesterone and estradiol synthesis by the ovary. Kisspeptins (KPs) are a group of neuropeptide hormones that act via G-protein coupled receptor 54 (GPR54) to stimulate hypothalamic secretion of Gonadotropin-releasing hormone, thereby regulating ovarian steroidogenesis, folliculogenesis, and ovulation. GPR54 is also expressed in the ovary, suggesting a direct role for KPs in ovarian steroidogenesis. The aim of present study was to determine if a low serum level of KP is responsible for reduced progesterone and estradiol levels during the period of delayed embryonic development in C. sphinx. Indeed, low serum KP abundance corresponded to reduced expression of GPR54 in ovarian luteal cells during the period of delayed development compared to normal development. In vitro and in vivo treatment with KP increased GPR54 abundance, via Extracellular signal regulated kinase and its downstream mediators, leading to increased progesterone synthesis in the ovary during delayed embryonic development. KP treatment also increased cholesterol uptake and elevated expression of Luteinizing hormone receptor and Steroid acute regulatory protein in the ovary, suggesting that elevation in circulating KP during delayed embryonic development may reactivate luteal activity. KPs may also enhance cell survival (BCL-2, reduced Caspase 3 activity) and angiogenesis (Vascular endothelium growth factor) during this period. The findings of this study thus demonstrate a regulatory role for KPs in the maintenance of luteal steroidogenesis during pregnancy in C. sphinx. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Subretinally transplanted embryonic stem cells rescue photoreceptor cells from degeneration in the RCS rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Schraermeyer, U; Thumann, G; Luther, T; Kociok, N; Armhold, S; Kruttwig, K; Andressen, C; Addicks, K; Bartz-Schmidt, K U

2001-01-01

The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat is an animal model for retinal degeneration such as the age-related macular degeneration. The RCS rat undergoes a progressive retinal degeneration during the early postnatal period. A potential treatment to prevent this retinal degeneration is the transplantation into the subretinal space of cells that would replace functions of the degenerating retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells or may form neurotrophic factors. In this study we have investigated the potential of subretinally transplanted embryonic stem cells to prevent the genetically determined photoreceptor cell degeneration in the RCS rat. Embryonic stem cells from the inner cell mass of the mouse blastocyst were allowed to differentiate to neural precursor cells in vitro and were then transplanted into the subretinal space of 20-day-old RCS rats. Transplanted and sham-operated rats were sacrificed 2 months following cell transplantation. The eyes were enucleated and photoreceptor degeneration was quantified by analyzing and determining the thickness of the outer nuclear layer by light and electron microscopy. In the eyes transplanted with embryonic cells up to 8 rows of photoreceptor cell nuclei were observed, whereas in nontreated control eyes the outer nuclear layer had degenerated completely. Transplantation of embryonic stem cells appears to delay photoreceptor cell degeneration in RCS rats.

Maternal postnatal mental health and later emotional-behavioural development of children: the mediating role of parenting behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Giallo, R; Cooklin, A; Wade, C; D'Esposito, F; Nicholson, J M

2014-05-01

Maternal postnatal mental health difficulties have been associated with poor outcomes for children. One mechanism by which parent mental health can impact on children's outcomes is via its effects on parenting behaviour. The longitudinal relationships between maternal postnatal distress, parenting warmth, hostility and child well-being at age seven were examined for 2200 families participating in a population-based longitudinal study of Australian children. The relationship between postnatal distress and children's later emotional-behavioural development was mediated by parenting hostility, but not parenting warmth, even after accounting for concurrent maternal mental health. Postnatal distress was more strongly associated with lower parenting warmth for mothers without a past history of depression compared with mothers with a past history of depression. These findings underscore the contribution of early maternal well-being to later parenting and child outcomes, highlighting the importance of mental health and parenting support in the early parenting years. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Subtype-dependent postnatal development of taste receptor cells in mouse fungiform taste buds.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohtubo, Yoshitaka; Iwamoto, Masafumi; Yoshii, Kiyonori

2012-06-01

Taste buds contain two types of taste receptor cells, inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor type 3-immunoreactive cells (type II cells) and synaptosomal-associating protein-25-immunoreactive cells (type III cells). We investigated their postnatal development in mouse fungiform taste buds immunohistochemically and electrophysiologically. The cell density, i.e. the number of cells per taste bud divided by the maximal area of the horizontal cross-section of the taste bud, of type II cells increased by postnatal day (PD)49, where as that of type III cells was unchanged throughout the postnatal observation period and was equal to that of the adult cells at PD1. The immunoreactivity of taste bud cell subtypes was the same as that of their respective subtypes in adult mice throughout the postnatal observation period. Almost all type II cells were immunoreactive to gustducin at PD1, and then the ratio of gustducin-immunoreactive type II cells to all type II cells decreased to a saturation level, ∼60% of all type II cells, by PD15. Type II and III cells generated voltage-gated currents similar to their respective adult cells even at PD3. These results show that infant taste receptor cells are as excitable as those of adults and propagate in a subtype-dependent manner. The relationship between the ratio of each taste receptor cell subtype to all cells and taste nerve responses are discussed. © 2012 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience © 2012 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Myocardial phospholipid remodeling under different types of load imposed during early postnatal development

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Novák, F.; Kolář, František; Hamplová, B.; Mrnka, L.; Pelouch, Václav; Ošťádal, Bohuslav; Nováková, O.

2009-01-01

Roč. 58, Suppl.2 (2009), S13-S32 ISSN 0862-8408 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 1M0510 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Keywords : phospholipids * myocardium * postnatal development Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 1.430, year: 2009

Postnatal development of the atlas and axis: CT study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byun, Sung Su; Kim, Hyung Jin; Lim, Myung Kwan; Kim, Won Hong; Jeon, Yong Sun; Kim, Jeong Ho; Kim, Sung Tae

2003-01-01

To evaluate normal postnatal development of the atlas and axis by means of CT scanning. We prospectively analyzed CT scans of the developing atlas and axis of 200 normal children aged less than 14, investigating the CT appearance of these regions with particular attenuation to two synchondroses related to the atlas and four synchondroses and one ossification center related to the axis. Fusion varying was categorized as either low (grade1-5) or high (grade4-5), according to the varying degrees of fusion at each synchondrosis of ossification center. Neurocentral synchondrosis of the atlas was low grade in all children less than five, and high grade in all aged nine or more, while posterior synchondrosis of the atlas was low grade in 97% of children less than three and high grade in 99% aged three or more. As for the axis, neurocentral synchondrosis was low grade in all children less than three, and high grade in 97% of children aged five or more. PS of the axis was low grade in both children less than 6 months, and high grade in all aged two years or more. Dentocentral synchondrosis of the axis was low grade in 93% of children less than three and high grade in 96% of those aged at least five. Intradental axial synchondrosis was high grade in all children. Fusion of the terminal ossicle with the remainder of the dens was low in all children less than five and high in 97% of those aged nine of more. CT can help determine the parameters of normal postnatal development of the atlas and axis. A knowledge of normal ossification patterns of these regions may help provide an understanding of developmental anomalies and also help prevent confusion with fractures

Area-specific development of distinct projection neuron subclasses is regulated by postnatal epigenetic modifications

Science.gov (United States)

Harb, Kawssar; Magrinelli, Elia; Nicolas, Céline S; Lukianets, Nikita; Frangeul, Laura; Pietri, Mariel; Sun, Tao; Sandoz, Guillaume; Grammont, Franck; Jabaudon, Denis; Studer, Michèle; Alfano, Christian

2016-01-01

During cortical development, the identity of major classes of long-distance projection neurons is established by the expression of molecular determinants, which become gradually restricted and mutually exclusive. However, the mechanisms by which projection neurons acquire their final properties during postnatal stages are still poorly understood. In this study, we show that the number of neurons co-expressing Ctip2 and Satb2, respectively involved in the early specification of subcerebral and callosal projection neurons, progressively increases after birth in the somatosensory cortex. Ctip2/Satb2 postnatal co-localization defines two distinct neuronal subclasses projecting either to the contralateral cortex or to the brainstem suggesting that Ctip2/Satb2 co-expression may refine their properties rather than determine their identity. Gain- and loss-of-function approaches reveal that the transcriptional adaptor Lmo4 drives this maturation program through modulation of epigenetic mechanisms in a time- and area-specific manner, thereby indicating that a previously unknown genetic program postnatally promotes the acquisition of final subtype-specific features. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09531.001 PMID:26814051

How the embryonic chick brain twists

OpenAIRE

Chen, Zi; Guo, Qiaohang; Dai, Eric; Forsch, Nickolas; Taber, Larry A.

2016-01-01

During early development, the tubular embryonic chick brain undergoes a combination of progressive ventral bending and rightward torsion, one of the earliest organ-level left–right asymmetry events in development. Existing evidence suggests that bending is caused by differential growth, but the mechanism for the predominantly rightward torsion of the embryonic brain tube remains poorly understood. Here, we show through a combination of in vitro experiments, a physical model of the embryonic m...

Prolactin modulates luteal activity in the short-nosed fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx during delayed embryonic development.

Science.gov (United States)

Anuradha; Krishna, Amitabh

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of prolactin as a modulator of luteal steroidogenesis during the period of delayed embryonic development in Cynopterus sphinx. A marked decline in circulating prolactin levels was noted during the months of November through December coinciding with the period of decreased serum progesterone and delayed embryonic development. The seasonal changes in serum prolactin levels correlated positively with circulating progesterone (P) level, but inversely with circulating melatonin level during first pregnancy showing delayed development in Cynopterus sphinx. The results also showed decreased expression of prolactin receptor-short form (PRL-RS) both in the corpus luteum and in the utero-embryonic unit during the period of delayed embryonic development. Bats treated in vivo with prolactin during the period of delayed development showed significant increase in serum progesterone and estradiol levels together with significant increase in the expression of PRL-RS, luteinizing hormone receptor (LH-R), steroidogenic acute receptor protein (STAR) and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) in the ovary. Prolactin stimulated ovarian angiogenesis (vascular endothelial growth factor) and cell survival (B-cell lymphoma 2) in vivo. Significant increases in ovarian progesterone production and the expression of prolactin-receptor, LH-R, STAR and 3β-HSD proteins were noted following the exposure of LH or prolactin in vitro during the delayed period. In conclusion, short-day associated increased melatonin level may be responsible for decreased prolactin release during November-December. The decline in prolactin level might play a role in suppressing P and estradiol-17β (E2) estradiol levels thereby causing delayed embryonic development in C. sphinx. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Importance of the pluripotency factor LIN28 in the mammalian nucleolus during early embryonic development.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogt, Edgar J; Meglicki, Maciej; Hartung, Kristina Ilka; Borsuk, Ewa; Behr, Rüdiger

2012-12-01

The maternal nucleolus is required for proper activation of the embryonic genome (EGA) and early embryonic development. Nucleologenesis is characterized by the transformation of a nucleolar precursor body (NPB) to a mature nucleolus during preimplantation development. However, the function of NPBs and the involved molecular factors are unknown. We uncover a novel role for the pluripotency factor LIN28, the biological significance of which was previously demonstrated in the reprogramming of human somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Here, we show that LIN28 accumulates at the NPB and the mature nucleolus in mouse preimplantation embryos and embryonic stem cells (ESCs), where it colocalizes with the nucleolar marker B23 (nucleophosmin 1). LIN28 has nucleolar localization in non-human primate (NHP) preimplantation embryos, but is cytoplasmic in NHP ESCs. Lin28 transcripts show a striking decline before mouse EGA, whereas LIN28 protein localizes to NPBs at the time of EGA. Following knockdown with a Lin28 morpholino, the majority of embryos arrest between the 2- and 4-cell stages and never develop to morula or blastocyst. Lin28 morpholino-injected embryos arrested at the 2-cell stage were not enriched with nucleophosmin at presumptive NPB sites, indicating that functional NPBs were not assembled. Based on these results, we propose that LIN28 is an essential factor of nucleologenesis during early embryonic development.

Development of the New Zealand White Rabbit Eye: I. Pre- and Postnatal Development of Eye Tunics.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdo, M; Haddad, S; Emam, M

2017-10-01

The New Zealand white (NZW) rabbit has been and is right now regularly utilized in ophthalmic surgery evaluation. Inside NZW rabbit eye, the visibility of ocular structures throughout surgical procedure is fantastic. Younger rabbits are used in different ages for the evaluation of ophthalmic surgery. Complete studies of ocular development in the NZW rabbits have not been reported previously. The aim of the present investigation was to describe the major landmarks and the time course of the pre- and post-natal development of the complete eye tunics of the NZW rabbit to give a superb model as well as a fruitful area for further ophthalmological investigations. Serial histological sections of NZW rabbit prenatal (E13-E28) and post-natal (P1-P14) stages were examined, respectively. The eye of the NZW rabbit developed in a similar manner to that of the human and domestic animals eyes; the principal differences were at the time of occurrence of certain developmental events, absence of pigmentation which represent an exploited benefit for ophthalmic surgery, remarkable Bowman's membrane at E25, poor developed ciliary stroma and juvenile retinal layer until P9. In human, the basic morphogenetic processes of the development of eye tunics are completed towards the end of the first half of gestation period. However, the latter represents the beginning stage of the development of eye tunics in the rabbit. Thus, allowing various extensive ophthalmic researches to be performed. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Characterization of piRNAs across postnatal development in mouse brain

KAUST Repository

Ghosheh, Yanal; Seridi, Loqmane; Ryu, Tae Woo; Takahashi, Hazuki; Orlando, Valerio; Carninci, Piero; Ravasi, Timothy

2016-01-01

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are responsible for maintaining the genome stability by silencing retrotransposons in germline tissues– where piRNAs were first discovered and thought to be restricted. Recently, novel functions were reported for piRNAs in germline and somatic cells. Using deep sequencing of small RNAs and CAGE of postnatal development of mouse brain, we identified piRNAs only in adult mouse brain. These piRNAs have similar sequence length as those of MILI-bound piRNAs. In addition, we predicted novel candidate regulators and putative targets of adult brain piRNAs.

Characterization of piRNAs across postnatal development in mouse brain

KAUST Repository

Ghosheh, Yanal

2016-04-26

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are responsible for maintaining the genome stability by silencing retrotransposons in germline tissues– where piRNAs were first discovered and thought to be restricted. Recently, novel functions were reported for piRNAs in germline and somatic cells. Using deep sequencing of small RNAs and CAGE of postnatal development of mouse brain, we identified piRNAs only in adult mouse brain. These piRNAs have similar sequence length as those of MILI-bound piRNAs. In addition, we predicted novel candidate regulators and putative targets of adult brain piRNAs.

Effects of prenatal exposure to xylene on postnatal development and behavior in rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hass, Ulla; Lund, S. P.; Simonsen, L.

1995-01-01

The effects of prenatal exposure to the organic solvent xylene (dimethylbenzene, GAS-no 1330-20-7) on postnatal development and behavior in rats were studied. Pregnant rats (Mol:WIST) were exposed to 500 ppm technical xylene 6 h per day on gestation days 7-20. The dose level was selected so as no...

Periconceptional maternal one-carbon biomarkers are associated with embryonic development according to the Carnegie stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Parisi, F; Rousian, M; Koning, A H J; Willemsen, S P; Cetin, I; Steegers-Theunissen, R P M

2017-03-01

Is periconceptional maternal one-carbon (I-C) metabolism associated with embryonic morphological development in non-malformed ongoing pregnancies? Serum vitamin B12, red blood cell (RBC) folate and plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) are associated with embryonic development according to the Carnegie stages. Derangements in maternal I-C metabolism affect reproductive and pregnancy outcomes, as well as future health of the offspring. Between 2010 and 2014, women with singleton ongoing pregnancies were enrolled in a prospective periconceptional cohort study. A total of 234 pregnancies, including 138 spontaneous or IUI pregnancies with strict pregnancy dating and 96 pregnancies derived from IVF, ICSI or cryopreserved embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI pregnancies), underwent longitudinal transvaginal three-dimensional ultrasound (3D US) scans from 6+0 up to 10+2 weeks of gestation. Carnegie stages were defined using internal and external morphologic criteria in a virtual reality system. Maternal venous blood samples were collected at enrollment for serum vitamin B12, RBC folate and plasma tHcy assessment. Associations between biomarker concentrations and longitudinal Carnegie stages were investigated using linear mixed models. We performed a median of three 3D US scans per pregnancy (range 1-5) resulting in 600 good quality data sets for the Carnegie stage annotation (80.5%). Vitamin B12 was positively associated with embryonic development in the total study population (β = 0.001 (95% CI: 0.000; 0.002), P Carnegie stages only in IVF/ICSI pregnancies (β = 0.001 (95% CI: 0.0005; 0.0015), P < 0.05). In this group, low RBC folate concentrations (-2SD, 875.4 nmol/l) were associated with a 1.8-day delay (95% CI: 1.7-1.8) in development compared with high concentrations (+2SD, 2119.9 nmol/l). tHcy was negatively associated with embryonic development in the total study population (β = -0.08 (95% CI: -0.14; -0.02), P < 0.01), as well as in the IVF/ICSI subgroup (β = -0.08 (95% CI: -0

Proximate effects of temperature versus evolved intrinsic constraints for embryonic development times among temperate and tropical songbirds

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Ton, Riccardo; Martin, Thomas E.

2017-01-01

The relative importance of intrinsic constraints imposed by evolved physiological trade-offs versus the proximate effects of temperature for interspecific variation in embryonic development time remains unclear. Understanding this distinction is important because slow development due to evolved trade-offs can yield phenotypic benefits, whereas slow development from low temperature can yield costs. We experimentally increased embryonic temperature in free-living tropical and north temperate songbird species to test these alternatives. Warmer temperatures consistently shortened development time without costs to embryo mass or metabolism. However, proximate effects of temperature played an increasingly stronger role than intrinsic constraints for development time among species with colder natural incubation temperatures. Long development times of tropical birds have been thought to primarily reflect evolved physiological trade-offs that facilitate their greater longevity. In contrast, our results indicate a much stronger role of temperature in embryonic development time than currently thought.

Cell-type-specific expression of NFIX in the developing and adult cerebellum.

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Fraser, James; Essebier, Alexandra; Gronostajski, Richard M; Boden, Mikael; Wainwright, Brandon J; Harvey, Tracey J; Piper, Michael

2017-07-01

Transcription factors from the nuclear factor one (NFI) family have been shown to play a central role in regulating neural progenitor cell differentiation within the embryonic and post-natal brain. NFIA and NFIB, for instance, promote the differentiation and functional maturation of granule neurons within the cerebellum. Mice lacking Nfix exhibit delays in the development of neuronal and glial lineages within the cerebellum, but the cell-type-specific expression of this transcription factor remains undefined. Here, we examined the expression of NFIX, together with various cell-type-specific markers, within the developing and adult cerebellum using both chromogenic immunohistochemistry and co-immunofluorescence labelling and confocal microscopy. In embryos, NFIX was expressed by progenitor cells within the rhombic lip and ventricular zone. After birth, progenitor cells within the external granule layer, as well as migrating and mature granule neurons, expressed NFIX. Within the adult cerebellum, NFIX displayed a broad expression profile, and was evident within granule cells, Bergmann glia, and interneurons, but not within Purkinje neurons. Furthermore, transcriptomic profiling of cerebellar granule neuron progenitor cells showed that multiple splice variants of Nfix are expressed within this germinal zone of the post-natal brain. Collectively, these data suggest that NFIX plays a role in regulating progenitor cell biology within the embryonic and post-natal cerebellum, as well as an ongoing role within multiple neuronal and glial populations within the adult cerebellum.

Retinol improves bovine embryonic development in vitro

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Edwards J Lannett

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Retinoids are recognized as important regulators of vertebrate development, cell differentiation, and tissue function. Previous studies, performed both in vivo and in vitro, indicate that retinoids influence several reproductive events, including follicular development, oocyte maturation and early embryonic development. The present study evaluated in vitro effects of retinol addition to media containing maturing bovine oocytes and developing embryos in both a low oxygen atmosphere (7% and under atmospheric oxygen conditions (20%. In the first experiment, abbatoir collected bovine oocytes were matured in the presence or absence of varying concentrations of retinol. After a 22–24 hour maturation period the oocytes were fertilized, denuded 18 hours later and cultured in a modified synthetic oviductal fluid (mSOF in a humidified atmosphere at 38.5 degrees C, 5% CO2, 7% O2 and 88% N2. Cleavage rates did not differ among control and retinol-treated oocytes in all three experiments. Addition of 5 micromolar retinol to the maturation medium (IVM tended (p

Deletion of Munc18-1 in 5-HT neurons results in rapid degeneration of the 5-HT system and early postnatal lethality.

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Jacobus J Dudok

Full Text Available The serotonin (5-HT system densely innervates many brain areas and is important for proper brain development. To specifically ablate the 5-HT system we generated mutant mice carrying a floxed Munc18-1 gene and Cre recombinase driven by the 5-HT-specific serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT promoter. The majority of mutant mice died within a few days after birth. Immunohistochemical analysis of brains of these mice showed that initially 5-HT neurons are formed and the cortex is innervated with 5-HT projections. From embryonic day 16 onwards, however, 5-HT neurons started to degenerate and at postnatal day 2 hardly any 5-HT projections were present in the cortex. The 5-HT system of mice heterozygous for the floxed Munc18-1 allele was indistinguishable from control mice. These data show that deletion of Munc18-1 in 5-HT neurons results in rapid degeneration of the 5-HT system and suggests that the 5-HT system is important for postnatal survival.

Foxa2 and Pdx1 cooperatively regulate postnatal maturation of pancreatic β-cells

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Aimée Bastidas-Ponce

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: The transcription factors (TF Foxa2 and Pdx1 are key regulators of beta-cell (β-cell development and function. Mutations of these TFs or their respective cis-regulatory consensus binding sites have been linked to maturity diabetes of the young (MODY, pancreas agenesis, or diabetes susceptibility in human. Although Foxa2 has been shown to directly regulate Pdx1 expression during mouse embryonic development, the impact of this gene regulatory interaction on postnatal β-cell maturation remains obscure. Methods: In order to easily monitor the expression domains of Foxa2 and Pdx1 and analyze their functional interconnection, we generated a novel double knock-in homozygous (FVFPBFDHom fluorescent reporter mouse model by crossing the previously described Foxa2-Venus fusion (FVF with the newly generated Pdx1-BFP (blue fluorescent protein fusion (PBF mice. Results: Although adult PBF homozygous animals exhibited a reduction in expression levels of Pdx1, they are normoglycemic. On the contrary, despite normal pancreas and endocrine development, the FVFPBFDHom reporter male animals developed hyperglycemia at weaning age and displayed a reduction in Pdx1 levels in islets, which coincided with alterations in β-cell number and islet architecture. The failure to establish mature β-cells resulted in loss of β-cell identity and trans-differentiation towards other endocrine cell fates. Further analysis suggested that Foxa2 and Pdx1 genetically and functionally cooperate to regulate maturation of adult β-cells. Conclusions: Our data show that the maturation of pancreatic β-cells requires the cooperative function of Foxa2 and Pdx1. Understanding the postnatal gene regulatory network of β-cell maturation will help to decipher pathomechanisms of diabetes and identify triggers to regenerate dedifferentiated β-cell mass. Keywords: Foxa2, Pdx1, β-Cell maturation, β-Cell identity, Trans-differentiation

Embryonic and larval development of Brycon amazonicus (SPIX & AGASSIZ, 1829

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A. C. S. Sampaio Nakauth

Full Text Available Abstract The objective of this study was to describe the embryonic and larval development of Brycon amazonicus, featuring the main events up to 50 hours after fertilization (AF. The material was provided by the Aquaculture Training, Technology and Production Center, Presidente Figueiredo (AM. The characterization was based on stereomicroscopic examination of the morphology of eggs, embryos and larvae and comparison with the literature. Matrinxã eggs are free, transparent, and spherical, with a perivitelline space of 0.56 ± 0.3 mm. The successive divisions give rise to cells with 64 blastomeres during the first hour AF. The gastrula stage, beginning 02 h 40 min AF, was characterized by progressive regression cells and the formation of the embryonic axis, leading to differentiation of the head and tail 05 h 30 min AF. From 06 to 09 h AF the somites, notochord, otic and optic vesicles and otoliths were observed, in addition to heart rate and the release of the tail. The larvae hatched at 10 h 30 min AF (29.9 °C, with a total length of 3.56 ± 0.46 mm. Between 19 and 30 h AF, we observed 1 pigmentation and gut formation, 2 branchial arches, 3 pectoral fins, 4 a mouth opening and 5 teeth. Cannibalism was initiated earlier (34 h AF which was associated with rapid yolk absorption (more than 90% until 50 h AF, signaling the need for an exogenous nutritional source. The environmental conditions (especially temperature influenced the time course of some events throughout the embryonic and larval development, suggesting the need for further studies on this subject.

Expression and function of scleraxis in the developing auditory system.

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Zoe F Mann

Full Text Available A study of genes expressed in the developing inner ear identified the bHLH transcription factor Scleraxis (Scx in the developing cochlea. Previous work has demonstrated an essential role for Scx in the differentiation and development of tendons, ligaments and cells of chondrogenic lineage. Expression in the cochlea has been shown previously, however the functional role for Scx in the cochlea is unknown. Using a Scx-GFP reporter mouse line we examined the spatial and temporal patterns of Scx expression in the developing cochlea between embryonic day 13.5 and postnatal day 25. Embryonically, Scx is expressed broadly throughout the cochlear duct and surrounding mesenchyme and at postnatal ages becomes restricted to the inner hair cells and the interdental cells of the spiral limbus. Deletion of Scx results in hearing impairment indicated by elevated auditory brainstem response (ABR thresholds and diminished distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE amplitudes, across a range of frequencies. No changes in either gross cochlear morphology or expression of the Scx target genes Col2A, Bmp4 or Sox9 were observed in Scx(-/- mutants, suggesting that the auditory defects observed in these animals may be a result of unidentified Scx-dependent processes within the cochlea.

Early detection and treatment of postnatal depression in primary care.

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Davies, Bronwen R; Howells, Sarah; Jenkins, Meryl

2003-11-01

Postnatal depression has a relatively high incidence and gives rise to considerable morbidity. There is sound evidence supporting the use of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale as a screening tool for possible postnatal depression. This paper reports on a project developed by two health visitors and a community mental health nurse working in the United Kingdom. The aim of the project was to improve the early detection and treatment of postnatal depression in the population of the general practice to which they were attached. The health visitors screened for postnatal depression in the course of routine visits on four occasions during the first postpartum year. Women identified as likely to be suffering from postnatal depression were offered 'listening visits' as a first-line intervention, with referral on to the general practitioner and/or community mental health nurse if indicated. Data collected over 3 years showed that the project succeeded in its aim of enhancing early detection and treatment of postnatal depression. These findings replicate those of other studies. The data also showed that a substantial number of women were identified for the first time as likely to be suffering from postnatal depression at 12 months postpartum. Women screened for the first time at 12 months were at greater risk than those who had been screened earlier than this. Health visitors should screen for postnatal depression throughout the period of their contact with mothers, not solely in the immediate postnatal period. It is particularly important to screen women who, for whatever reason, were not screened when their child was younger. The knowledge and skills needed to use the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and provide first-line intervention and onward referral can be developed at practitioner level through close collaborative working.

Medullary 5-HT neurons: Switch from tonic respiratory drive to chemoreception during postnatal development

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Cerpa, Veronica J.; Wu, Yuanming; Bravo, Eduardo; Teran, Frida A.; Flynn, Rachel S.; Richerson, George B.

2016-01-01

Serotonin (5-HT) neurons contribute to respiratory chemoreception in adult mice, but it is unclear whether they play a similar role in neonatal mice. We studied breathing during development in Lmx1bf/f/p mice, which lack 5-HT neurons. From postnatal days 1–7 (P1–P7), ventilation of Lmx1bf/f/p mice breathing room air was 50% of WT mice (p acidosis until 12 days in vitro (DIV), after which their response increased to reach a plateau around 25 DIV. Neonatal Lmx1bf/f/p mice displayed high mortality and decreased growth rate, and this worsened in hypoxia. Mortality was decreased in hyperoxia. These results indicate that maturation of 5-HT neurons contributes to development of respiratory CO2/pH chemoreception during the first few weeks of life in mice in vivo. A defect in the 5-HT system in early postnatal life decreases survival due in part to hypoxia. PMID:27619736

Tritium toxicity in postnatally developing brain: Effects of single administration on nucleic acids and protein

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Bhatia, A.L.; Saraswat, A.

1988-01-01

The brains of postnatally developing mice were studied at one, two, three, four, five and six weeks of age after injecting one day old neonates (1.95 ± 0.35 g) with 11.1 kBq and 111 kBq/ml of bondy water. The HTO-exposed developing animals though do not show any significant decline in their brain and body weight, their DNA concentration was found significantly depleted at one week by 19% after the treatment with 111 kBq dose and subsequently recovered by six week reaching 93% of the control. Protein concentration showed significant deficit in both the dose groups at all the postnatal invervals. Protein/DNA ratio increased in one and two weeks old mice and reduced from weeks onward. RNA/DNA ratio has also been found consistently low in irradiated groups. (orig.) [de

The Role of Endothelin System in Renal Structure and Function during the Postnatal Development of the Rat Kidney.

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Albertoni Borghese, María F; Ortiz, María C; Balonga, Sabrina; Moreira Szokalo, Rocío; Majowicz, Mónica P

2016-01-01

Renal development in rodents, unlike in humans, continues during early postnatal period. We aimed to evaluate whether the pharmacological inhibition of Endothelin system during this period affects renal development, both at structural and functional level in male and female rats. Newborn rats were treated orally from postnatal day 1 to 20 with vehicle or bosentan (Actelion, 20 mg/kg/day), a dual endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA). The animals were divided in 4 groups: control males, control females, ERA males and ERA females. At day 21, we evaluated renal function, determined the glomerular number by a maceration method and by morphometric analysis and evaluated possible structural renal alterations by three methods: 〈alpha〉-Smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) immunohistochemistry, Masson's trichrome and Sirius red staining. The pharmacological inhibition of Endothelin system with a dual ERA during the early postnatal period of the rat did not leads to renal damage in the kidneys of male and female rats. However, ERA administration decreased the number of glomeruli, the juxtamedullary filtration surface area and the glomerular filtration rate and increased the proteinuria. These effects could predispose to hypertension or renal diseases in the adulthood. On the other hand, these effects were more pronounced in male rats, suggesting that there are sex differences that could be greater later in life. These results provide evidence that Endothelin has an important role in rat renal postnatal development. However these results do not imply that the same could happen in humans, since human renal development is complete at birth.

Redeployment of germ layers related TFs shows regionalized expression during two non-embryonic developments.

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Ricci, Lorenzo; Cabrera, Fabien; Lotito, Sonia; Tiozzo, Stefano

2016-08-01

In all non-vertebrate metazoan phyla, species that evolved non-embryonic developmental pathways as means of propagation or regeneration can be found. In this context, new bodies arise through asexual reproduction processes (such as budding) or whole body regeneration, that lack the familiar temporal and spatial cues classically associated with embryogenesis, like maternal determinants, or gastrulation. The molecular mechanisms underlying those non-embryonic developments (i.e., regeneration and asexual reproduction), and their relationship to those deployed during embryogenesis are poorly understood. We have addressed this question in the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri, which undergoes an asexual reproductive process via palleal budding (PB), as well as a whole body regeneration by vascular budding (VB). We identified early regenerative structures during VB and then followed the fate of differentiating tissues during both non-embryonic developments (PB and VB) by monitoring the expression of genes known to play key functions in germ layer specification with well conserved expression patterns in solitary ascidian embryogenesis. The expression patterns of FoxA1, GATAa, GATAb, Otx, Bra, Gsc and Tbx2/3 were analysed during both PB and VB. We found that the majority of these transcription factors were expressed during both non-embryonic developmental processes, revealing a regionalization of the palleal and vascular buds. Knockdown of GATAa by siRNA in palleal buds confirmed that preventing the correct development of one of these regions blocks further tissue specification. Our results indicate that during both normal and injury-induced budding, a similar alternative developmental program operates via early commitment of epithelial regions. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Paternal identity impacts embryonic development for two species of freshwater fish

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Siddique, Mohammad Abdul Momin; Linhart, Otomar; Krejszeff, Sławomir

2017-01-01

then partition variation in embryonic phenotypic performance to maternal, paternal, and parental interactions using the Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) model. Results showed that paternal, maternal, and the paternal. ×. maternal interaction terms were highly significant for both species; clearly......Paternal, compared to maternal, contributions were believed to have only a limited influence on embryonic development and larval fitness traits in fishes. Therefore, the perspective of male influence on early life history traits has come under scrutiny. This study was conducted to determine...... demonstrating that certain family combinations were more compatible than others. Paternal effects explained 20.24% of the total variance, which was 2-fold higher than the maternal effects (10.73%) in Ide, while paternal effects explained 18.9% of the total variance, which was 15-fold higher than the maternal...

Deregulated Cardiac Specific MicroRNAs in Postnatal Heart Growth

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Pujiao Yu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The heart is recognized as an organ that is terminally differentiated by adulthood. However, during the process of human development, the heart is the first organ with function in the embryo and grows rapidly during the postnatal period. MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs, as regulators of gene expression, play important roles during the development of multiple systems. However, the role of miRNAs in postnatal heart growth is still unclear. In this study, by using qRT-PCR, we compared the expression of seven cardiac- or muscle-specific miRNAs that may be related to heart development in heart tissue from mice at postnatal days 0, 3, 8, and 14. Four miRNAs—miR-1a-3p, miR-133b-3p, miR-208b-3p, and miR-206-3p—were significantly decreased while miR-208a-3p was upregulated during the postnatal heart growth period. Based on these results, GeneSpring GX was used to predict potential downstream targets by performing a 3-way comparison of predictions from the miRWalk, PITA, and microRNAorg databases. Gene Ontology (GO and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG analysis were used to identify potential functional annotations and signaling pathways related to postnatal heart growth. This study describes expression changes of cardiac- and muscle-specific miRNAs during postnatal heart growth and may provide new therapeutic targets for cardiovascular diseases.

The ontogenetic development of neurons containing calcium-binding proteins in the septum of the guinea pig: Late onset of parvalbumin immunoreactivity versus calbindin and calretinin.

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Hermanowicz-Sobieraj, Beata; Robak, Anna

2017-01-01

The study describes the immunoreactivity of calbindin (CB), calretinin (CR) and parvalbumin (PV), their distribution pattern and the co-distribution of CB and CR as well as CB and PV in the septum of the guinea pig during development. Immunohistochemistry was conducted on embryonic (E40, E50, E60), newborn (P0) and postnatal (P5, P10, P20, P40, P100) guinea pig brains. The presence of both CB and CR was detected at E40, while PV began to be observed at E60. Immunoreactivity for CB was constant throughout ontogeny. In contrast to CR immunoreactivity, PV immunoreactivity was higher in the postnatal stages than in the prenatal and newborn stages. Double immunostaining showed that CB co-localized with CR from E40 onwards, while with PV from P5 onwards, suggesting that CB co-operates with these proteins in the guinea pig septum during different periods of ontogeny. Our results also indicate that among the studied CaBPs, CB exhibited the highest immunoreactivity during both embryonic and postnatal development. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Changes in fine structure of pericytes and novel desmin-immunopositive perivascular cells during postnatal development in rat anterior pituitary gland.

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Jindatip, Depicha; Fujiwara, Ken; Horiguchi, Kotaro; Tsukada, Takehiro; Kouki, Tom; Yashiro, Takashi

2013-09-01

Pericytes are perivascular cells associated with capillaries. We previously demonstrated that pericytes, identified by desmin immunohistochemistry, produce type I and III collagens in the anterior pituitary gland of adult rats. In addition, we recently used desmin immunoelectron microscopy to characterize a novel type of perivascular cell, dubbed a desmin-immunopositive perivascular cell, in the anterior pituitary. These two types of perivascular cells differ in fine structure. The present study attempted to characterize the morphological features of pituitary pericytes and novel desmin-immunopositive perivascular cells during postnatal development, in particular their role in collagen synthesis. Desmin immunostaining revealed numerous perivascular cells at postnatal day 5 (P5) and P10. Transmission electron microscopy showed differences in the fine structure of the two cell types, starting at P5. Pericytes had well-developed rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus at P5 and P10. The novel desmin-immunopositive perivascular cells exhibited dilated cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum at P5-P30. In addition, during early postnatal development in the gland, a number of type I and III collagen-expressing cells were observed, as were high expression levels of these collagen mRNAs. We conclude that pituitary pericytes and novel desmin-immunopositive perivascular cells contain well-developed cell organelles and that they actively synthesize collagens during the early postnatal period.

Fe(III Is Essential for Porcine Embryonic Development via Mitochondrial Function Maintenance.

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Ming-Hui Zhao

Full Text Available Iron is an important trace element involved in several biological processes. The role of iron in porcine early embryonic development remains unknown. In the present study, we depleted iron (III, Fe3+ with deferoxamine (DFM, a specific Fe3+ chelator, in cultured porcine parthenotes and monitored embryonic development, apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential, and ATP production. Results showed biphasic function of Fe3+ in porcine embryo development. 0.5 μM DFM obviously increased blastocyst formation (57.49 ± 2.18% vs. control, 43.99 ± 1.72%, P < 0.05 via reduced (P < 0.05 production of reactive oxygen species (ROS, further increased mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP production in blastocysts (P < 0.05. 0.5 μM DFM decreased mRNA expression of Caspase 3 (Casp3 and increased Bcl-xL. However, results showed a significant reduction in blastocyst formation in the presence of 5.0 μM DFM compared with the control group (DFM, 21.62 ± 3.92% vs. control, 43.99 ± 1.73%, P < 0.05. Fe3+ depletion reduced the total (DFM, 21.10 ± 8.78 vs. control, 44.09 ± 13.65, P < 0.05 and increased apoptotic cell number (DFM, 11.10 ± 5.24 vs. control, 2.64 ± 1.43, P < 0.05 in the blastocyst. An obvious reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP level after 5.0 μM DFM treatment was observed. Co-localization between mitochondria and cytochrome c was reduced after high concentration of DFM treatment. In conclusion, Fe3+ is essential for porcine embryonic development via mitochondrial function maintenance, but redundant Fe3+ impairs the function of mitochondria.

Pluripotent Stem Cell Studies Elucidate the Underlying Mechanisms of Early Embryonic Development

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Lingyu Li

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Early embryonic development is a multi-step process that is intensively regulated by various signaling pathways. Because of the complexity of the embryo and the interactions between the germ layers, it is very difficult to fully understand how these signals regulate embryo patterning. Recently, pluripotent stem cell lines derived from different developmental stages have provided an in vitro system for investigating molecular mechanisms regulating cell fate decisions. In this review, we summarize the major functions of the BMP, FGF, Nodal and Wnt signaling pathways, which have well-established roles in vertebrate embryogenesis. Then, we highlight recent studies in pluripotent stem cells that have revealed the stage-specific roles of BMP，FGF and Nodal pathways during neural differentiation. These findings enhance our understanding of the stepwise regulation of embryo patterning by particular signaling pathways and provide new insight into the mechanisms underlying early embryonic development.

Failure of post-natal ductus arteriosus closure in prostaglandin transporter-deficient mice

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Chang, Hee-Yoon; Locker, Joseph; Lu, Run; Schuster, Victor L.

2010-01-01

Background Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) plays a major role both in maintaining patency of the fetal ductus arteriosus (DA) and in closure of the DA after birth. The rate- limiting step in PGE2 signal termination is PGE2 uptake by the transporter PGT. Methods and results To determine the role of PGT in DA closure, we used a gene-targeting strategy to produce mice in which PGT exon 1 was flanked by loxP sites. Successful targeting was obtained since neither mice hypomorphic at the PGT allele (PGT Neo/Neo) nor global PGT knockout mice (PGT −/−) exhibited PGT protein expression; moreover, embryonic fibroblasts isolated from targeted mice failed to exhibit carrier-mediated PGE2 uptake. Although born in a normal Mendelian ratio, no PGT −/− mice survived past post-natal day 1, and no PGT Neo/Neo mice survived past post-natal day 2. Necropsy revealed patent DA with normal intimal thickening but with dilated cardiac chambers. Both PGT Neo/Neo and PGT −/− mice could be rescued through the post-natal period by giving the mother indomethacin before birth. Rescued mice grew normally and had no abnormalities by gross and microscopic post-mortem analysis. In accord with PGT’s known role in metabolizing PGE2, rescued adult PGT −/− mice had lower plasma PGE2 metabolite levels, and higher urinary PGE2 excretion rates, than wild type mice. Conclusions PGT plays a critical role in closure of the DA after birth by ensuring a reduction in local and/or circulating PGE2 concentrations. PMID:20083684

Modulation of ovarian steroidogenesis by adiponectin during delayed embryonic development of Cynopterus sphinx.

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Anuradha; Krishna, Amitabh

2014-09-01

The aim of present study was to evaluate role of adiponectin in ovarian steroidogenesis during delayed embryonic development of Cynopterus sphinx. This study showed significantly low circulating adiponectin level and a decline in expression of adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1) in the ovary during the period of delayed embryonic development as compared with the normal development. The adiponectin treatment in vivo during the period of delayed development caused significantly increased in circulating progesterone and estradiol levels together with increased expression of AdipoR1 in the ovary. The in vitro study confirmed the stimulatory effect of adiponectin on progesterone synthesis. Both in vivo and in vitro studies showed that the effects of adiponectin on ovarian steroidogenesis were mediated through increased expression of luteinizing hormone-receptor, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and 3β-hydroxyl steroid dehydrogenase enzyme. The adiponectin treatment may also promote progesterone synthesis by modulating ovarian angiogenesis, cell survival and rate of apoptosis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vitamin K2 biosynthetic enzyme, UBIAD1 is essential for embryonic development of mice.

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Nakagawa, Kimie; Sawada, Natsumi; Hirota, Yoshihisa; Uchino, Yuri; Suhara, Yoshitomo; Hasegawa, Tomoka; Amizuka, Norio; Okamoto, Tadashi; Tsugawa, Naoko; Kamao, Maya; Funahashi, Nobuaki; Okano, Toshio

2014-01-01

UbiA prenyltransferase domain containing 1 (UBIAD1) is a novel vitamin K2 biosynthetic enzyme screened and identified from the human genome database. UBIAD1 has recently been shown to catalyse the biosynthesis of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in zebrafish and human cells. To investigate the function of UBIAD1 in vivo, we attempted to generate mice lacking Ubiad1, a homolog of human UBIAD1, by gene targeting. Ubiad1-deficient (Ubiad1(-/-)) mouse embryos failed to survive beyond embryonic day 7.5, exhibiting small-sized body and gastrulation arrest. Ubiad1(-/-) embryonic stem (ES) cells failed to synthesize vitamin K2 but were able to synthesize CoQ9, similar to wild-type ES cells. Ubiad1(+/-) mice developed normally, exhibiting normal growth and fertility. Vitamin K2 tissue levels and synthesis activity were approximately half of those in the wild-type, whereas CoQ9 tissue levels and synthesis activity were similar to those in the wild-type. Similarly, UBIAD1 expression and vitamin K2 synthesis activity of mouse embryonic fibroblasts prepared from Ubiad1(+/-) E15.5 embryos were approximately half of those in the wild-type, whereas CoQ9 levels and synthesis activity were similar to those in the wild-type. Ubiad1(-/-) mouse embryos failed to be rescued, but their embryonic lifespans were extended to term by oral administration of MK-4 or CoQ10 to pregnant Ubiad1(+/-) mice. These results suggest that UBIAD1 is responsible for vitamin K2 synthesis but may not be responsible for CoQ9 synthesis in mice. We propose that UBIAD1 plays a pivotal role in embryonic development by synthesizing vitamin K2, but may have additional functions beyond the biosynthesis of vitamin K2.

The influence of temperature on the embryonic development of the annual fish Cynopoecilus melanotaenia (Cyprinodontiformes, Rivulidae

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A. ARENZON

Full Text Available The present study aims to provide data about the time required for Cynopoecilus melanotaenia kept at different temperatures to complete embryonic development. This information can be valuable for optimizing laboratory culture and facilitating future use of this species as a test organism in toxicity tests. Temperature effects on hatching rate are presented as well as information related to embryonic development stages. Eggs were observed daily, from start to finish of embryonic development. Thirteen developmental stages were described. Eggs were kept at two constant temperatures (20°C and 25°C and at a variable ambient temperature (16-25°C - mean = 21°C, sd = 1.95, to determine developmental rate (velocity at each temperature. A shorter incubation period was necessary to complete development at 25° ± 1°C. However, all embryos kept at this temperature hatched with morphological defects, which prevented their survival. No significant difference in developmental time period (p = 0.05 was observed at the 20°C and 16°-25°C (mean = 21°C, sd = 1.95 temperatures.

Diversification of intrinsic motoneuron electrical properties during normal development and botulinum toxin-induced muscle paralysis in early postnatal mice.

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Nakanishi, S T; Whelan, P J

2010-05-01

During early postnatal development, between birth and postnatal days 8-11, mice start to achieve weight-bearing locomotion. In association with the progression of weight-bearing locomotion there are presumed developmental changes in the intrinsic electrical properties of spinal -motoneurons. However, these developmental changes in the properties of -motoneuron properties have not been systematically explored in mice. Here, data are presented documenting the developmental changes of selected intrinsic motoneuron electrical properties, including statistically significant changes in action potential half-width, intrinsic excitability and diversity (quantified as coefficient of variation) of rheobase current, afterhyperpolarization half-decay time, and input resistance. In various adult mammalian preparations, the maintenance of intrinsic motoneuron electrical properties is dependent on activity and/or transmission-sensitive motoneuron-muscle interactions. In this study, we show that botulinum toxin-induced muscle paralysis led to statistically significant changes in the normal development of intrinsic motoneuron electrical properties in the postnatal mouse. This suggests that muscle activity during early neonatal life contributes to the development of normal motoneuron electrical properties.

Specialized mouse embryonic stem cells for studying vascular development.

Science.gov (United States)

Glaser, Drew E; Burns, Andrew B; Hatano, Rachel; Medrzycki, Magdalena; Fan, Yuhong; McCloskey, Kara E

2014-01-01

Vascular progenitor cells are desirable in a variety of therapeutic strategies; however, the lineage commitment of endothelial and smooth muscle cell from a common progenitor is not well-understood. Here, we report the generation of the first dual reporter mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) lines designed to facilitate the study of vascular endothelial and smooth muscle development in vitro. These mESC lines express green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the endothelial promoter, Tie-2, and Discomsoma sp. red fluorescent protein (RFP) under the promoter for alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). The lines were then characterized for morphology, marker expression, and pluripotency. The mESC colonies were found to exhibit dome-shaped morphology, alkaline phosphotase activity, as well as expression of Oct 3/4 and stage-specific embryonic antigen-1. The mESC colonies were also found to display normal karyotypes and are able to generate cells from all three germ layers, verifying pluripotency. Tissue staining confirmed the coexpression of VE (vascular endothelial)-cadherin with the Tie-2 GFP+ expression on endothelial structures and smooth muscle myosin heavy chain with the α-SMA RFP+ smooth muscle cells. Lastly, it was verified that the developing mESC do express Tie-2 GFP+ and α-SMA RFP+ cells during differentiation and that the GFP+ cells colocalize with the vascular-like structures surrounded by α-SMA-RFP cells. These dual reporter vascular-specific mESC permit visualization and cell tracking of individual endothelial and smooth muscle cells over time and in multiple dimensions, a powerful new tool for studying vascular development in real time.

Reference gene validation for qPCR in rat carotid body during postnatal development

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Carroll John L

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The carotid bodies are the main arterial oxygen chemoreceptors in mammals. Afferent neural output from the carotid bodies to brainstem respiratory and cardiovascular nuclei provides tonic input and mediates important protective responses to acute and chronic hypoxia. It is widely accepted that the selection of reference genes for mRNA normalization in quantitative real-time PCR must be validated for a given tissue and set of conditions. This is particularly important for studies in carotid body during early postnatal maturation as the arterial oxygen tension undergoes major changes from fetal to postnatal life, which may affect reference gene expression. In order to determine the most stable and suitable reference genes for the study of rat carotid body during development, six commonly used reference genes, β-actin, RPII (RNA polymerase II, PPIA (peptidyl-proyl-isomerase A, TBP (TATA-box binding protein, GAPDH, and 18s rRNA, were evaluated in two age groups (P0-1 and P14-16 under three environmental oxygen conditions (normoxia, chronic hypoxia and chronic hyperoxia using the three most commonly used software programs, geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper. Findings The three programs produced similar results but the reference gene rankings were not identical between programs or experimental conditions. Overall, 18s rRNA was the least stable reference gene for carotid body and, when hyperoxia and/or hypoxia conditions were included, actin was similarly unstable. Conclusions Reference or housekeeping gene expression for qPCR studies of carotid body during postnatal development may vary with developmental stage and environmental conditions. Selection of the best reference gene or combination of reference genes for carotid body development studies should take environmental conditions into account. Two commonly used reference genes, 18s rRNA and actin, may be unsuitable for studies of carotid body maturation, especially if the study

Postnatal growth standards for preterm infants: the Preterm Postnatal Follow-up Study of the INTERGROWTH-21(st) Project.

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Villar, José; Giuliani, Francesca; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A; Bertino, Enrico; Ohuma, Eric O; Ismail, Leila Cheikh; Barros, Fernando C; Altman, Douglas G; Victora, Cesar; Noble, Julia A; Gravett, Michael G; Purwar, Manorama; Pang, Ruyan; Lambert, Ann; Papageorghiou, Aris T; Ochieng, Roseline; Jaffer, Yasmin A; Kennedy, Stephen H

2015-11-01

Charts of size at birth are used to assess the postnatal growth of preterm babies on the assumption that extrauterine growth should mimic that in the uterus. The INTERGROWTH-21(st) Project assessed fetal, newborn, and postnatal growth in eight geographically defined populations, in which maternal health care and nutritional needs were met. From these populations, the Fetal Growth Longitudinal Study selected low-risk women starting antenatal care before 14 weeks' gestation and monitored fetal growth by ultrasonography. All preterm births from this cohort were eligible for the Preterm Postnatal Follow-up Study, which included standardised anthropometric measurements, feeding practices based on breastfeeding, and data on morbidity, treatments, and development. To construct the preterm postnatal growth standards, we selected all live singletons born between 26 and before 37 weeks' gestation without congenital malformations, fetal growth restriction, or severe postnatal morbidity. We did analyses with second-degree fractional polynomial regression models in a multilevel framework accounting for repeated measures. Fetal and neonatal data were pooled from study sites and stratified by postmenstrual age. For neonates, boys and girls were assessed separately. From 4607 women enrolled in the study, there were 224 preterm singleton births, of which 201 (90%) were enrolled in the Preterm Postnatal Follow-up Study. Variance component analysis showed that only 0·2% and 4·0% of the total variability in postnatal length and head circumference, respectively, could be attributed to between-site differences, justifying pooling the data from all study sites. Preterm growth patterns differed from those for babies in the INTERGROWTH-21(st) Newborn Size Standards. They overlapped with the WHO Child Growth Standards for term babies by 64 weeks' postmenstrual age. Our data have yielded standards for postnatal growth in preterm infants. These standards should be used for the assessment of

Embryonic Testicular Regression Syndrome Presenting as Primary Amenorrhea: A Case Report and Review of Disorders of Sexual Development.

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Hunter, J D; Pierce, S R; Calikoglu, A S; Howell, J O

2016-08-01

Sex development depends on the synchronous interaction of complicated genetic and hormonal events. Sex differentiation begins with sex determination, which is the assignment of the embryonic bipotential gonads as either testes or ovaries on the basis of transcriptional regulation. Hormonal regulation then directs the development of the male or female phenotype. Disruptions of this intricate cascade of events result in disorders of sexual development. A 16-year-old female adolescent presented with primary amenorrhea. Evaluation revealed female external genitalia, XY karyotype, absent gonadal tissue, and rudimentary Müllerian structures. On the basis of her constellation of findings, the most logical diagnosis was the rare embryonic testicular regression syndrome. A careful understanding of embryonic sexual development is critical to the evaluation of patients with disorders of sexual development. Copyright © 2016 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-throughput identification of small molecules that affect human embryonic vascular development

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vazão, Helena; Rosa, Susana; Barata, Tânia; Costa, Ricardo; Pitrez, Patrícia R.; Honório, Inês; De Vries, Margreet R.; Papatsenko, Dimitri; Benedito, Rui; Saris, Daniel; Khademhosseini, Ali; Quax, Paul H.A.; Pereira, Carlos F.; Mercader, Nadia; Fernandes, Hugo; Ferreira, Lino

2017-01-01

Birth defects, which are in part caused by exposure to environmental chemicals and pharmaceutical drugs, affect 1 in every 33 babies born in the United States each year. The current standard to screen drugs that affect embryonic development is based on prenatal animal testing; however, this approach

Studies on the postnatal development of the rat liver plasma membrane following maternal ethanol ingestion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rovinski, B

1984-01-01

Studies on the developing rat liver and on the structure and function of the postnatal rat liver plasma membrane were carried out following maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy and lactation. A developmental study of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) indicated that both the activity and certain kinetic properties of the enzyme from the progeny of alcohol-fed and pair-fed mothers were similar. Fatty liver, however, developed in the alcoholic progeny only after ADH appeared on a day 19 of gestation. Further studies on structural and functional changes were then undertaken on the postnatal development of the rat liver plasma membrane. Radioligand binding studies performed using the hapatic alpha{sub 1}-adrenergic receptor as a plasma membrane probe demonstrated a significant decrease in receptor density in the alcoholic progeny, but no changes in binding affinity. Finally, the fatty acid composition of constituent phospholipids and the cholesterol content of rat liver plasma membranes were determined. All these observations suggest that membrane alterations in the newborn may be partially responsible for the deleterious action(s) of maternal alcoholism at the molecular level.

Spatiotemporal expression of chondroitin sulfate sulfotransferases in the postnatal developing mouse cerebellum.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishii, Maki; Maeda, Nobuaki

2008-08-01

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) proteoglycans are major components of the cell surface and the extracellular matrix in the developing brain and bind to various proteins via CS chains in a CS structure-dependent manner. This study demonstrated the expression pattern of three CS sulfotransferase genes, dermatan 4-O-sulfotransferase (D4ST), uronyl 2-O-sulfotransferase (UST), and N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate 6-O-sulfotransferase (GalNAc4S-6ST), in the mouse postnatal cerebellum. These sulfotransferases are responsible for the biosynthesis of oversulfated structures in CS chains such as B, D, and E units, which constitute the binding sites for various heparin-binding proteins. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that the expression of UST increased remarkably during cerebellar development. The amounts of B and D units, which are generated by UST activity, in the cerebellar CS chains also increased during development. In contrast, the expression of GalNAc4S-6ST and its biosynthetic product, E unit, decreased during postnatal development. In situ hybridization experiments revealed the levels of UST and GalNAc4S-6ST mRNAs to correlate inversely in many cells including Purkinje cells, granule cells in the external granular layer, and inhibitory interneurons. In these neurons, the expression of UST increased and that of GalNAc4S-6ST decreased during development and/or maturation. D4ST was also expressed by many neurons, but its expression was not simply correlated with development, which might contribute to the diversification of CS structures expressed by distinct neurons. These results suggest that the CS structures of various cerebellar neurons change during development and such changes of CS are involved in the regulation of various signaling pathways.

Unbiased cell quantification reveals a continued increase in the number of neocortical neurones during early post-natal development in mice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyck, Lise; Krøigård, Thomas; Finsen, Bente

2007-01-01

The post-natal growth spurt of the mammalian neocortex has been attributed to maturation of dendritic arborizations, growth and myelination of axons, and addition of glia. It is unclear whether this growth may also involve recruitment of additional neurones. Using stereological methods, we analysed...... the number of neurones and glia in the neocortex during post-natal development in two separate strains of mice. Cell counting by the optical fractionator revealed that the number of neurones increased 80-100% from the time of birth to post-natal day (P)16, followed by a reduction by approximately 25...... was delayed until P16. The number of glia reached its maximum at P16, whereas the number of oligodendroglia, identified using a transgenic marker, increased until P55, the latest time of observation. Neurones continued to accumulate in the developing neocortex during the first 2 weeks of post...

Interleukin-6 Regulates Adult Neural Stem Cell Numbers during Normal and Abnormal Post-natal Development

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Mekayla A. Storer

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Summary: Circulating systemic factors can regulate adult neural stem cell (NSC biology, but the identity of these circulating cues is still being defined. Here, we have focused on the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6, since increased circulating levels of IL-6 are associated with neural pathologies such as autism and bipolar disorder. We show that IL-6 promotes proliferation of post-natal murine forebrain NSCs and that, when the IL-6 receptor is inducibly knocked out in post-natal or adult neural precursors, this causes a long-term decrease in forebrain NSCs. Moreover, a transient circulating surge of IL-6 in perinatal or adult mice causes an acute increase in neural precursor proliferation followed by long-term depletion of adult NSC pools. Thus, IL-6 signaling is both necessary and sufficient for adult NSC self-renewal, and acute perturbations in circulating IL-6, as observed in many pathological situations, have long-lasting effects on the size of adult NSC pools. : In this report, Storer and colleagues demonstrate that the circulating cytokine IL-6, which is elevated in humans in different pathological situations, can perturb neural stem cell biology after birth. They show that IL-6 signaling is essential for self-renewal and maintenance of post-natal and adult NSCs in the murine forebrain under normal homeostatic conditions. Keywords: interleukin-6, neural stem cell, adult neurogenesis, CNS cytokines, postnatal brain development, stem cell depletion, neural stem cell niche, circulating stem cell factors, olfactory bulb

Quantification of 5-hydroxytryptamine1A receptors in the cerebellum of normal and x-irradiated rats during postnatal development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matthiessen, L.; Daval, G.; Bailly, Y.; Gozlan, H.; Hamon, M.; Verge, D.

1992-01-01

5-Hydroxytryptamine 1A receptors were studied in rats during the first postnatal month in the normal cerebellum and in the granule cell-deprived cerebellum produced by X-irradiation at postnatal day 5. Quantitative autoradiographic studies on sagittal sections of cerebellar vermis, using [ 125 1]BH-8-MeO-N-PAT as radioligand or specific anti-receptor antibodies, revealed that 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A receptors existed in the molecular/Purkinje cell layer but at variable density from one lobule to another. Thus, in both normal and X-irradiated rats, the posterior lobules were more heavily labelled than the anterior ones, and the density of 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A sites decreased progressively in all the cerebellar folia down to hardly detectable levels at postnatal day 21. However, the intensity of labelling remained higher at postnatal day 8 and postnatal day 12 in X-irradiated rats than in age-paired controls. Measurements of [ 3 H]8-OH-DPAT [8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin] specific binding to membranes from whole cerebellum confirmed that the density of 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A sites per mg membrane protein (B max ) was higher in X-irradiated animals than in age-paired controls. However, on a ''per cerebellum'' basis, no significant difference could be detected between the total number of 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A sites, which progressively increased in both control and X-irradiated animals during the first postnatal month. These results therefore show that 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A receptors are not located on developing granule cells. (author)

Semaphorin-1a is required for Aedes aegypti embryonic nerve cord development.

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Morgan Haugen

Full Text Available Although mosquito genome projects have uncovered orthologues of many known developmental regulatory genes, extremely little is known about mosquito development. In this study, the role of semaphorin-1a (sema1a was investigated during vector mosquito embryonic ventral nerve cord development. Expression of sema1a and the plexin A (plexA receptor are detected in the embryonic ventral nerve cords of Aedes aegypti (dengue vector and Anopheles gambiae (malaria vector, suggesting that Sema1a signaling may regulate mosquito nervous system development. Analysis of sema1a function was investigated through siRNA-mediated knockdown in A. aegypti embryos. Knockdown of sema1a during A. aegypti development results in a number of nerve cord phenotypes, including thinning, breakage, and occasional fusion of the longitudinal connectives, thin or absent commissures, and general distortion of the nerve cord. Although analysis of Drosophila melanogaster sema1a loss-of-function mutants uncovered many similar phenotypes, aspects of the longitudinal phenotypes differed between D. melanogaster and A. aegypti. The results of this investigation suggest that Sema1a is required for development of the insect ventral nerve cord, but that the developmental roles of this guidance molecule have diverged in dipteran insects.

Morphological observations on the metanephros in the postnatal opossum, Didelphis virginiana.

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Krause, W J; Cutts, J H; Leeson, C R

1979-10-01

The metanephros of the newborn opossum is very immature, consisting only of collecting tubules and a few immature nephrons. Development during the postnatal period can be divided into two distinct phases. The initial phase occurs during the first 60 days of postnatal life and is concerned with nephronogenesis and the differentiation of nephrons that have formed during this period. The second phase lasts through the remainder of the postnatal period and is concerned with further differentiation and growth of established nephrons. During this latter period the tubular portion of the nephron increases in length and the renal corpuscle increases in diameter. Ultrastructural observations suggest that metanephric nephrons are not functional during the first 4 days of postnatal life, while the mesonephros reaches the height of its development during this period: there may be some functional overlap between the mesonephros and metanephros during the latter part of the first week of postnatal life. The pattern of nephron induction and differentiation in the opossum is discussed.

Refining the Role of 5-HT in Postnatal Development of Brain Circuits

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Anne Teissier

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Changing serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT brain levels during critical periods in development has long-lasting effects on brain function, particularly on later anxiety/depression-related behaviors in adulthood. A large part of the known developmental effects of 5-HT occur during critical periods of postnatal life, when activity-dependent mechanisms remodel neural circuits. This was first demonstrated for the maturation of sensory brain maps in the barrel cortex and the visual system. More recently this has been extended to the 5-HT raphe circuits themselves and to limbic circuits. Recent studies overviewed here used new genetic models in mice and rats and combined physiological and structural approaches to provide new insights on the cellular and molecular mechanisms controlled by 5-HT during late stages of neural circuit maturation in the raphe projections, the somatosensory cortex and the visual system. Similar mechanisms appear to be also involved in the maturation of limbic circuits such as prefrontal circuits. The latter are of particular relevance to understand the impact of transient 5-HT dysfunction during postnatal life on psychiatric illnesses and emotional disorders in adult life.

Notch1 deficiency in postnatal neural progenitor cells in the dentate gyrus leads to emotional and cognitive impairment.

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Feng, Shufang; Shi, Tianyao; Qiu, Jiangxia; Yang, Haihong; Wu, Yan; Zhou, Wenxia; Wang, Wei; Wu, Haitao

2017-10-01

It is well known that Notch1 signaling plays a crucial role in embryonic neural development and adult neurogenesis. The latest evidence shows that Notch1 also plays a critical role in synaptic plasticity in mature hippocampal neurons. So far, deeper insights into the function of Notch1 signaling during the different steps of adult neurogenesis are still lacking, and the mechanisms by which Notch1 dysfunction is associated with brain disorders are also poorly understood. In the current study, we found that Notch1 was highly expressed in the adult-born immature neurons in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Using a genetic approach to selectively ablate Notch1 signaling in late immature precursors in the postnatal hippocampus by cross-breeding doublecortin (DCX) + neuron-specific proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-α Cre mice with floxed Notch1 mice, we demonstrated a previously unreported pivotal role of Notch1 signaling in survival and function of adult newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus. Moreover, behavioral and functional studies demonstrated that POMC-Notch1 -/- mutant mice showed anxiety and depressive-like behavior with impaired synaptic transmission properties in the dentate gyrus. Finally, our mechanistic study showed significantly compromised phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in Notch1 mutants, suggesting that the dysfunction of Notch1 mutants is associated with the disrupted pCREB signaling in postnatally generated immature neurons in the dentate gyrus.-Feng, S., Shi, T., Qiu, J., Yang, H., Wu, Y., Zhou, W., Wang, W., Wu, H. Notch1 deficiency in postnatal neural progenitor cells in the dentate gyrus leads to emotional and cognitive impairment. © FASEB.

Vascular endothelial growth factor signaling is necessary for expansion of medullary microvessels during postnatal kidney development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Robdrup Tinning, Anne; Jensen, Boye L; Johnsen, Iben

2016-01-01

Postnatal inhibition or deletion of angiotensin II (ANG II) AT1 receptors impairs renal medullary mircrovascular development through a mechanism that may include vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The present study was designed to test if VEGF/VEGF receptor signaling is necessary....... In human fetal kidney tissue, immature vascular bundles appeared early in the third trimester (GA27-28) and expanded in size until term. Rat pups treated with the VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR2) inhibitor vandetanib (100 mg·kg(-1)·day(-1)) from P7 to P12 or P10 to P16 displayed growth retardation and proteinuria...... for the development of the renal medullary microcirculation. Endothelial cell-specific immunolabeling of kidney sections from rats showed immature vascular bundles at postnatal day (P) 10 with subsequent expansion of bundles until P21. Medullary VEGF protein abundance coincided with vasa recta bundle formation...

Early postnatal weight gain as a predictor for the development of retinopathy of prematurity.

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Biniwale, Manoj; Weiner, Angela; Sardesai, Smeeta; Cayabyab, Rowena; Barton, Lorayne; Ramanathan, Rangasamy

2017-10-01

The objective of this study is to validate the reliability of early postnatal weight gain as an accurate predictor of type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) requiring treatment in a large predominantly Hispanic US cohort with the use of an online tool called WINROP (weight, neonatal retinopathy of prematurity (IGF-1), neonatal retinopathy of prematurity). Retrospective cohort study consisted of preterm infants <32 weeks gestation and birth weight <1500 g. Weekly weights to 36 weeks post-menstrual age or discharge if earlier were entered into the WINROP tool. This tool generated alarm and risk indicator for developing ROP. The infants with type 1 ROP requiring treatment as well as all stages of ROP were compared with the alarms and risks generated by WINROP tool. A total of 492 infants were entered into the WINROP tool. The infants who developed type 1 ROP requiring treatment, the WINROP tool detected 80/89 (90%) at less than 32 weeks gestation. Nine infants developed type 1 ROP were classified as low risk and did not alarm. Postnatal weight gain alone, in predominantly Hispanic US population, predicted type 1 ROP requiring treatment before 32 weeks of gestation in infants with a sensitivity of 90%. The tool appeared to identify majority of affected infants much earlier than the scheduled screening.

Microglia Modulate Wiring of the Embryonic Forebrain

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Paola Squarzoni

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Dysfunction of microglia, the tissue macrophages of the brain, has been associated with the etiology of several neuropsychiatric disorders. Consistently, microglia have been shown to regulate neurogenesis and synaptic maturation at perinatal and postnatal stages. However, microglia invade the brain during mid-embryogenesis and thus could play an earlier prenatal role. Here, we show that embryonic microglia, which display a transiently uneven distribution, regulate the wiring of forebrain circuits. Using multiple mouse models, including cell-depletion approaches and cx3cr1−/−, CR3−/−, and DAP12−/− mutants, we find that perturbing microglial activity affects the outgrowth of dopaminergic axons in the forebrain and the laminar positioning of subsets of neocortical interneurons. Since defects in both dopamine innervation and cortical networks have been linked to neuropsychiatric diseases, our study provides insights into how microglial dysfunction can impact forebrain connectivity and reveals roles for immune cells during normal assembly of brain circuits.

Long non-coding RNA expression profiling of mouse testis during postnatal development.

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Jin Sun

Full Text Available Mammalian testis development and spermatogenesis play critical roles in male fertility and continuation of a species. Previous research into the molecular mechanisms of testis development and spermatogenesis has largely focused on the role of protein-coding genes and small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNAs and piRNAs. Recently, it has become apparent that large numbers of long (>200 nt non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs are transcribed from mammalian genomes and that lncRNAs perform important regulatory functions in various developmental processes. However, the expression of lncRNAs and their biological functions in post-natal testis development remain unknown. In this study, we employed microarray technology to examine lncRNA expression profiles of neonatal (6-day-old and adult (8-week-old mouse testes. We found that 8,265 lncRNAs were expressed above background levels during post-natal testis development, of which 3,025 were differentially expressed. Candidate lncRNAs were identified for further characterization by an integrated examination of genomic context, gene ontology (GO enrichment of their associated protein-coding genes, promoter analysis for epigenetic modification, and evolutionary conservation of elements. Many lncRNAs overlapped or were adjacent to key transcription factors and other genes involved in spermatogenesis, such as Ovol1, Ovol2, Lhx1, Sox3, Sox9, Plzf, c-Kit, Wt1, Sycp2, Prm1 and Prm2. Most differentially expressed lncRNAs exhibited epigenetic modification marks similar to protein-coding genes and tend to be expressed in a tissue-specific manner. In addition, the majority of differentially expressed lncRNAs harbored evolutionary conserved elements. Taken together, our findings represent the first systematic investigation of lncRNA expression in the mammalian testis and provide a solid foundation for further research into the molecular mechanisms of lncRNAs function in mammalian testis development and spermatogenesis.

Mouse Rad9b is essential for embryonic development and promotes resistance to DNA damage

Science.gov (United States)

Leloup, Corinne; Hopkins, Kevin M.; Wang, Xiangyuan; Zhu, Aiping; Wolgemuth, Debra J.; Lieberman, Howard B.

2010-01-01

RAD9 participates in promoting resistance to DNA damage, cell cycle checkpoint control, DNA repair, apoptosis, embryogenesis, and regulation of transcription. A paralogue of RAD9 (named RAD9B) has been identified. To define the function of mouse Rad9b (Mrad9b), embryonic stem (ES) cells with a targeted gene deletion were constructed and used to generate Mrad9b mutant mice. Mrad9b−/− embryos are resorbed after E7.5 while some of the heterozygotes die between E12.5 and a few days after birth. Mrad9b is expressed in embryonic brain and Mrad9b+/− embryos exhibit abnormal neural tube closure. Mrad9b−/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts are not viable. Mrad9b−/− ES cells are more sensitive to gamma rays and mitomycin C than Mrad9b+/+ controls, but show normal gamma-ray-induced G2/M checkpoint control. There is no evidence of spontaneous genomic instability in Mrad9b−/− cells. Our findings thus indicate that Mrad9b is essential for embryonic development and mediates resistance to certain DNA damaging agents. PMID:20842695

DIFFERENTIATION OF EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS: LESSONS FROM EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT

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EMOKE PALL

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Embryonic stem (ES cells, the undifferentiated cells of early embryos are established as permanent lines and are characterised by their self-renewal capacity and the ability to retain their developmental capacity in vivo and in vitro. The pluripotent properties of ES cells are the basis of gene targeting technologies used to create mutant mouse strains with inactivated genes by homologous recombination. There are several methods to induce the formation of EBs. One of them the formation by aggregating ES cells in hanging drops, using gravity as an aggregation force. This method presents the advantage of obtaining well-calibrated EBs almost identical in size. We used at our experiment the mouse ES cell line KA1/11/C3/C8 with a normal karyotype, at 14th passages. Immunohistochemical examination was aimed to identify tissue-restricted proteins for the two differentiated lineages: titin as a cell-specific antigen for cardiac and skeletal muscle, betaIII-tubulin for the neuronal differentiation, cytokeratin Endo-A (TROMA for the presence of mesenchymal progenitor cells, Oct-4 for the presence of the undifferentiated ES cells. The beating cardiac muscle clumps showed more synchronous rhythm than those seen in EBs obtained from suspension culture method, where the beating cardiac muscle clumps appeared later, had a lower frequency and were uneven. The synaptic networks of neuronal cells were best developed in EBs from suspension, compared to those observed in EBs from hanging-drop method.

Lipid metabolism during embryonic development of the common snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawniczak, Cynthia J; Teece, Mark A

2009-05-01

The metabolism of lipids and fatty acids during embryonic development of Chelydra serpentina (common snapping turtle) was investigated. Substantial changes in lipid class and fatty acid composition occurred as lipids were transferred from the yolk to the yolk sac membrane (YSM) and then to the brain, eyes, heart, and lungs of the hatchling. Lipids were hydrolyzed in the yolk prior to transport to the YSM, shown by a large increase in free fatty acids (FFAs) during the second half of development. Triglyceride-derived docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was utilized preferentially to phospholipid-derived DHA. In the YSM, arachidonic acid (ARA) was selectively incorporated into phospholipids while DHA was preferentially incorporated into triglycerides. Selective incorporation of DHA and ARA into the brain and eyes, and ARA into the heart was observed, indicating the importance of these PUFAs for organ development and function. The amount of DHA and ARA in each organ was less than 1% of that measured in the yolk of the freshly laid egg, indicating that only a small portion of yolk PUFAs were incorporated into the hatchling organs studied. We discuss the differences in the mechanisms and utilization of yolk lipids in turtles compared with lipid uptake during embryonic development in birds.

Development of a Postnatal Educational Program for Breastfeeding Mothers in Community Settings: Intervention Mapping a useful guide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kronborg, Hanne; Kok, Gerjo

2011-01-01

Inconsistency in how professionals can best support the breastfeeding mother after discharge call on further investigation. The authors describe how intervention mapping was used to develop a postnatal breastfeeding support intervention for mothers in community settings. Breastfeeding cessation...

Tankyrase 1 and tankyrase 2 are essential but redundant for mouse embryonic development.

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Y Jeffrey Chiang

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Tankyrases are proteins with poly(ADP-ribose polymerase activity. Human tankyrases post-translationally modify multiple proteins involved in processes including maintenance of telomere length, sister telomere association, and trafficking of glut4-containing vesicles. To date, however, little is known about in vivo functions for tankyrases. We recently reported that body size was significantly reduced in mice deficient for tankyrase 2, but that these mice otherwise appeared developmentally normal. In the present study, we report generation of tankyrase 1-deficient and tankyrase 1 and 2 double-deficient mice, and use of these mutant strains to systematically assess candidate functions of tankyrase 1 and tankyrase 2 in vivo. No defects were observed in development, telomere length maintenance, or cell cycle regulation in tankyrase 1 or tankyrase 2 knockout mice. In contrast to viability and normal development of mice singly deficient in either tankyrase, deficiency in both tankyrase 1 and tankyrase 2 results in embryonic lethality by day 10, indicating that there is substantial redundancy between tankyrase 1 and tankyrase 2, but that tankyrase function is essential for embryonic development.

Partial loss-of-function alleles reveal a role for GNOM in auxin transport-related, post-embryonic development of Arabidopsis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Geldner, Niko; Richter, Sandra; Vieten, Anne

2004-01-01

The Arabidopsis GNOM gene encodes an ARF GDP/GTP exchange factor involved in embryonic axis formation and polar localisation of the auxin efflux regulator PIN1. To examine whether GNOM also plays a role in post-embryonic development and to clarify its involvement in auxin transport, we have...

Changes in RFamide-Related Peptide-1 (RFRP-1)-Immunoreactivity During Postnatal Development and the Estrous Cycle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Sara R; Andersen, Mille D; Overgaard, Agnete

2014-01-01

and inhibit GnRH neurons. The RFRP precursor is processed into 2 mature peptides, RFRP-1 and RFRP-3. These are characterized by a conserved C-terminal motif RF-NH2 but display highly different N termini. Even though the 2 peptides are equally potent in vitro, little is known about their relative distribution...... and their distinct roles in vivo. In this study, we raised an antiserum selective for RFRP-1 and defined the distribution of RFRP-1-immunoreactive (ir) neurons in the rat brain. Next, we analyzed the level of RFRP-1-ir during postnatal development in males and females and investigated changes in RFRP-1-ir during....... The number of RFRP-1-ir neurons and the density of cellular immunoreactivity were unchanged from juvenile to adulthood in male rats during the postnatal development. However, both parameters were significantly increased in female rats from peripuberty to adulthood, demonstrating prominent gender difference...

Pengaruh Kekurangan Protein Pre dan Postnatal Terhadap Mineralisasi Gigi

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Pinandi Sri Pudyani

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The accuracy of nutrition quantity during and after pregnancy is needed for supporting division, differentiation and replication of cells during growth stage. Protein is needed to obtain optimally child's body growth and development including tooth. The study was aimed to deteremine the effects of pre and postnatal protein deficiency on tooth mineralization rats model. The study was carried out on 30 Rates norvegicus rats, divided in 3 groups.The first group was fed the protein deficient diet (4% during pre and postnatal period, the second was fed the protein deficient diet (4% only postnatal and the third was fed the postnatal diet. Feeding was carried out until animales aged at 56 days. After that, animals were sacrificed and the width of right mandibular molar prevention layer was histologically analyzed to know the number of tooth mineralization. The result of the study showed significant differences (p<0.05 in width of prevention layer between standard and experimental groups. It's concluded that pre and postnatal protein deficiency were inhibits tooth mineralization.

Determinants of postnatal care non-utilization among women in Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Somefun, Oluwaseyi Dolapo; Ibisomi, Latifat

2016-01-11

Although, there are several programs in place in Nigeria to ensure maternal and child health, maternal and neonatal mortality rates remain high with maternal mortality rates being 576/100,000 and neonatal mortality rates at 37/1000 live births (NDHS, 2013). While there are many studies on the utilization of maternal health services such as antenatal care and skilled delivery at birth, studies on postnatal care are limited. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the factors associated with the non-utilization of postnatal care among mothers in Nigeria using the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2013. For analysis, the postnatal care uptake for 19,418 children born in the 5 years preceding the survey was considered. The dependent variable was a composite variable derived from a list of questions on postnatal care. A multinomial logistic regression model was applied to examine the adjusted and unadjusted determinants of non-utilization of postnatal care. Results from this study showed that 63% of the mothers of the 19,418 children did not utilize postnatal care services in the period examined. About 42% of the study population between 25 and 34 years did not utilize postnatal care and 61% of the women who did not utilize postnatal care had no education. Results from multinomial logistic regression show that antenatal care use, distance, education, place of delivery, region and wealth status are significantly associated with the non-utilization of postnatal care services. This study revealed the low uptake of postnatal care service in Nigeria. To increase mothers' utilization of postnatal care services and improve maternal and child health in Nigeria, interventions should be targeted at women in remote areas who don't have access to services and developing mobile clinics. In addition, it is crucial that steps should be taken on educating women. This would have a significant influence on their perceptions about the use of postnatal care services in

Lipofuscin-like pigments in the rat heart during early postnatal development: effect of selenium supplementation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Ošťádalová, Ivana; Charvátová, Zuzana; Wilhelm, J.

2010-01-01

Roč. 59, č. 6 (2010), s. 881-886 ISSN 0862-8408 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 1M0510 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Keywords : early postnatal development * heart * lipofuscin-like pigment * selenium * reactive oxygen species Subject RIV: FA - Cardiovascular Diseases incl. Cardiotharic Surgery Impact factor: 1.646, year: 2010

Quantification of 5-hydroxytryptamine[sub 1A] receptors in the cerebellum of normal and x-irradiated rats during postnatal development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matthiessen, L; Daval, G; Bailly, Y [Pierre et Marie Curie Univ., Paris (France). Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UA; Gozlan, H; Hamon, M; Verge, D [INSERM, Paris (France). Lab. de Neurobiologie Cellulaire et Fonctionnelle

1992-11-01

5-Hydroxytryptamine[sub 1A] receptors were studied in rats during the first postnatal month in the normal cerebellum and in the granule cell-deprived cerebellum produced by X-irradiation at postnatal day 5. Quantitative autoradiographic studies on sagittal sections of cerebellar vermis, using [[sup 125]1]BH-8-MeO-N-PAT as radioligand or specific anti-receptor antibodies, revealed that 5-hydroxytryptamine[sub 1A] receptors existed in the molecular/Purkinje cell layer but at variable density from one lobule to another. Thus, in both normal and X-irradiated rats, the posterior lobules were more heavily labelled than the anterior ones, and the density of 5-hydroxytryptamine[sub 1A] sites decreased progressively in all the cerebellar folia down to hardly detectable levels at postnatal day 21. However, the intensity of labelling remained higher at postnatal day 8 and postnatal day 12 in X-irradiated rats than in age-paired controls. Measurements of [[sup 3]H]8-OH-DPAT [8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin] specific binding to membranes from whole cerebellum confirmed that the density of 5-hydroxytryptamine[sub 1A] sites per mg membrane protein (B[sub max]) was higher in X-irradiated animals than in age-paired controls. However, on a ''per cerebellum'' basis, no significant difference could be detected between the total number of 5-hydroxytryptamine[sub 1A] sites, which progressively increased in both control and X-irradiated animals during the first postnatal month. These results therefore show that 5-hydroxytryptamine[sub 1A] receptors are not located on developing granule cells. (author).

Growth and remodeling play opposing roles during postnatal human heart valve development.

Science.gov (United States)

Oomen, Pim J A; Holland, Maria A; Bouten, Carlijn V C; Kuhl, Ellen; Loerakker, Sandra

2018-01-19

Tissue growth and remodeling are known to govern mechanical homeostasis in biological tissue, but their relative contributions to homeostasis remain unclear. Here, we use mechanical models, fueled by experimental findings, to demonstrate that growth and remodeling have different effects on heart valve stretch homeostasis during physiological postnatal development. Two developmental stages were considered: early-stage (from infant to adolescent) and late-stage (from adolescent to adult) development. Our models indicated that growth and remodeling play opposing roles in preserving tissue stretch and with time. During early-stage development, excessive tissue stretch was decreased by tissue growth and increased by remodeling. In contrast, during late-stage development tissue stretch was decreased by remodeling and increased by growth. Our findings contribute to an improved understanding of native heart valve adaptation throughout life, and are highly relevant for the development of tissue-engineered heart valves.

Oxygen-sensitive regulation and neuroprotective effects of growth hormone-dependent growth factors during early postnatal development.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Susan; Boie, Gudrun; Doerr, Helmuth-Guenther; Trollmann, Regina

2017-04-01

Perinatal hypoxia severely disrupts metabolic and somatotrophic development, as well as cerebral maturational programs. Hypoxia-inducible transcription factors (HIFs) represent the most important endogenous adaptive mechanisms to hypoxia, activating a broad spectrum of growth factors that contribute to cell survival and energy homeostasis. To analyze effects of systemic hypoxia and growth hormone (GH) therapy (rhGH) on HIF-dependent growth factors during early postnatal development, we compared protein (using ELISA) and mRNA (using quantitative RT PCR) levels of growth factors in plasma and brain between normoxic and hypoxic mice (8% O 2 , 6 h; postnatal day 7 , P7) at P14. Exposure to hypoxia led to reduced body weight ( P controls and was associated with significantly reduced plasma levels of mouse GH ( P controls. In addition, rhGH treatment increased cerebral IGF-1, IGF-2, IGFBP-2, and erythropoietin mRNA levels, resulting in significantly reduced apoptotic cell death in the hypoxic, developing mouse brain. These data indicate that rhGH may functionally restore hypoxia-induced systemic dysregulation of the GH/IGF-1 axis and induce upregulation of neuroprotective, HIF-dependent growth factors in the hypoxic developing brain. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Equine locomotory muscles : postnatal development and the influence of exercise

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dingboom, Elizabeth Gerardina

2002-01-01

The Dutch warmblood horse is widely used in different types of sport. The individual capacity to perform depends on factors as character and the quality of the cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal system. These factors are partly genetically determined; in the postnatal phase of growth and maturation

Cell surface carbohydrate changes during embryonic and fetal skin development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dabelsteen, Erik; Holbrook, K; Clausen, H

1986-01-01

Monoclonal antibodies to four type 2 chain carbohydrate antigens were used for immunohistochemical studies of embryonic and fetal skin. The antibodies detected N-acetyllactosamine and 3 fucosyl substitutes of this, blood group antigen H, Lex, and Ley. Periderm consistently stained for N-acetyllac......Monoclonal antibodies to four type 2 chain carbohydrate antigens were used for immunohistochemical studies of embryonic and fetal skin. The antibodies detected N-acetyllactosamine and 3 fucosyl substitutes of this, blood group antigen H, Lex, and Ley. Periderm consistently stained for N...

Postnatal development of plasma amino acids in hyperphagic rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Salvadó, M J; Segués, T; Arola, L

1991-01-01

The effect of feeding a highly palatable high-energy cafeteria diet on individual amino acid levels in plasma during postnatal development of the rat has been evaluated and compared to chow-fed controls. The cafeteria diet selected by the rats was hypercaloric and hyperlipidic, with practically the same amount of carbohydrate as the control diet, and slightly hyperproteic. In response to cafeteria feeding, significant decreases were observed in plasma serine and cysteine along the period studied. Significant changes with age during the growth period were shown by cafeteria-fed animals, which were not observed in control rats. Citrulline levels were lower on days 10 and 14 in cafeteria pups than in chow pups. Methionine was highest on day 30. Threonine was also higher at days 20 and 30, as was valine but with a nadir at day 10. Lysine showed maximal values on days 14 and 30.

Predictors of intelligence at the age of 5: family, pregnancy and birth characteristics, postnatal influences, and postnatal growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Eriksen, Hanne-Lise Falgreen; Kesmodel, Ulrik Schiøler; Underbjerg, Mette; Kilburn, Tina Røndrup; Bertrand, Jacquelyn; Mortensen, Erik Lykke

2013-01-01

Parental education and maternal intelligence are well-known predictors of child IQ. However, the literature regarding other factors that may contribute to individual differences in IQ is inconclusive. The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of a number of variables whose predictive status remain unclarified, in a sample of basically healthy children with a low rate of pre- and postnatal complications. 1,782 5-year-old children sampled from the Danish National Birth Cohort (2003-2007) were assessed with a short form of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - Revised. Information on parental characteristics, pregnancy and birth factors, postnatal influences, and postnatal growth was collected during pregnancy and at follow-up. A model including study design variables and child's sex explained 7% of the variance in IQ, while parental education and maternal IQ increased the explained variance to 24%. Other predictors were parity, maternal BMI, birth weight, breastfeeding, and the child's head circumference and height at follow-up. These variables, however, only increased the explained variance to 29%. The results suggest that parental education and maternal IQ are major predictors of IQ and should be included routinely in studies of cognitive development. Obstetrical and postnatal factors also predict IQ, but their contribution may be of comparatively limited magnitude.

Evaluation Of Some Blood Biochemical And Hormonal Levels During Different Ages Of Ostrich Embryonic Development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ELSAYED, M.A.; FARGHALY, H.A.M.; MAHROSE, KH.

2010-01-01

Eighty ostrich eggs were collected from the breeding flock at the ostrich farm in the Nuclear Research Centre, Atomic Energy Authority, Inshas, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, during the period from March to May 2008 to evaluate some blood constituents during ostrich embryonic development. All adult birds were kept under the same managerial, hygienic and environmental conditions and had 2.1 kg palletized feed per bird per day. Eggs were collected at 15.00 pm each day. Eggs were washed and weighed on an electric balance(±)0.01 g.The eggs were placed in the setter for 39 days at 36.5 0 C and 25 % relative humidity. After 39 days, eggs were transferred to hatcher machine at 35.5 0 C and 40 - 45 % relative humidity until hatch. Blood samples were collected at days 21, 28, 35 and 39 of embryonic development and at one day age after 12 hours of hatch. Serum total protein, albumin, globulin, creatinine, urea and uric acid levels were determined. Serum aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase, total cholesterol, triglycerides and triiodothyronine levels were estimated. The results showed that chicks of one day old and older embryos of ostriches had significant higher values of serum blood components than younger embryos.On the other hand, blood serum cholesterol level was decreased significantly with age advancement during embryonic development and as well as chicks of one day old.

Postnatal Innate Immune Development: From Birth to Adulthood

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Anastasia Georgountzou

2017-08-01

Full Text Available It is well established that adaptive immune responses are deficient in early life, contributing to increased mortality and morbidity. The developmental trajectories of different components of innate immunity are only recently being explored. Individual molecules, cells, or pathways of innate recognition and signaling, within different compartments/anatomical sites, demonstrate variable maturation patterns. Despite some discrepancies among published data, valuable information is emerging, showing that the developmental pattern of cytokine responses during early life is age and toll-like receptor specific, and may be modified by genetic and environmental factors. Interestingly, specific environmental exposures have been linked both to innate function modifications and the occurrence of chronic inflammatory disorders, such as respiratory allergies. As these conditions are on the rise, our knowledge on innate immune development and its modulating factors needs to be expanded. Improved understanding of the sequence of events associated with disease onset and persistence will lead toward meaningful interventions. This review describes the state-of-the-art on normal postnatal innate immune ontogeny and highlights research areas that are currently explored or should be further addressed.

Postnatal development of the spleen in Didelphis virginiana.

Science.gov (United States)

Cutts, J H; Krause, W J

1982-01-01

The postnatal development of the spleen has been examined in 85 opossums ranging in age from newborn to adult. At birth the spleen consists of a well vascularized mass of mesenchymal tissue and lacks lymphatic tissue or any evidence of haemopoietic activity. Haemopoiesis is evident at seven days, increases to a maximum at about two to three weeks and thereafter gradually declines. Although production of granulocytes has disappeared by 60 days postnatum, a small degree of erythropoiesis and megakaryocyte formation continues throughout life. Lymphatic tissue appears by the third week, but germinal centres do not appear until after weaning. A feature of the spleen during the first three to four days is the presence of a population of primitive 'blast' cells. Images Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 6 Fig. 7 Fig. 8 Fig. 9 Fig. 10 Fig. 11 Fig. 12 Fig. 13 Fig. 14 Fig. 15 Fig. 16 Fig. 17 Fig. 18 Fig. 19 Fig. 20 Fig. 21 Fig. 22 Fig. 23 Fig. 24 PMID:7153176

Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts (MEF) Exhibit a Similar but not Identical Phenotype to Bone Marrow Stromal Stem Cells (BMSC)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saeed, Hamid; Taipaleenmäki, Hanna; Aldahmash, Abdullah M

2012-01-01

Mouse embryonic fibroblasts have been utilized as a surrogate stem cell model for the postnatal bone marrow-derived stromal stem cells (BMSC) to study mesoderm-type cell differentiation e.g. osteoblasts, adipocytes and chondrocytes. However, no formal characterization of MEF phenotype has been...... by real-time PCR analysis. Compared to BMSC, MEF exhibited a more enhanced differentiation into adipocyte and chondrocyte lineages. Interestingly, both MEF and BMSC formed the same amount of heterotopic bone and bone marrow elements upon in vivo subcutaneous implantation with hydroxyapatite...... and differentiation to osteoblasts, adipocytes and chondrocytes....

Regulation of bone morphogenetic proteins in early embryonic development

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Yukiyo; Oelgeschläger, Michael

2004-11-01

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), a large subgroup of the TGF-β family of secreted growth factors, control fundamental events in early embryonic development, organogenesis and adult tissue homeostasis. The plethora of dose-dependent cellular processes regulated by BMP signalling demand a tight regulation of BMP activity. Over the last decade, a number of proteins have been identified that bind BMPs in the extracellular space and regulate the interaction of BMPs with their cognate receptors, including the secreted BMP antagonist Chordin. In the early vertebrate embryo, the localized secretion of BMP antagonists from the dorsal blastopore lip establishes a functional BMP signalling gradient that is required for the determination of the dorsoventral or back to belly body axis. In particular, inhibition of BMP activity is essential for the formation of neural tissue in the development of vertebrate and invertebrate embryos. Here we review recent studies that have provided new insight into the regulation of BMP signalling in the extracellular space. In particular, we discuss the recently identified Twisted gastrulation protein that modulates, in concert with metalloproteinases of the Tolloid family, the interaction of Chordin with BMP and a family of proteins that share structural similarities with Chordin in the respective BMP binding domains. In addition, genetic and functional studies in zebrafish and frog provide compelling evidence that the secreted protein Sizzled functionally interacts with the Chd BMP pathway, despite being expressed ventrally in the early gastrula-stage embryo. These intriguing discoveries may have important implications, not only for our current concept of early embryonic patterning, but also for the regulation of BMP activity at later developmental stages and tissue homeostasis in the adult.

Structural requirements for PACSIN/Syndapin operation during zebrafish embryonic notochord development.

Science.gov (United States)

Edeling, Melissa A; Sanker, Subramaniam; Shima, Takaki; Umasankar, P K; Höning, Stefan; Kim, Hye Y; Davidson, Lance A; Watkins, Simon C; Tsang, Michael; Owen, David J; Traub, Linton M

2009-12-03

PACSIN/Syndapin proteins are membrane-active scaffolds that participate in endocytosis. The structure of the Drosophila Syndapin N-terminal EFC domain reveals a crescent shaped antiparallel dimer with a high affinity for phosphoinositides and a unique membrane-inserting prong upon the concave surface. Combined structural, biochemical and reverse genetic approaches in zebrafish define an important role for Syndapin orthologue, Pacsin3, in the early formation of the notochord during embryonic development. In pacsin3-morphant embryos, midline convergence of notochord precursors is defective as axial mesodermal cells fail to polarize, migrate and differentiate properly. The pacsin3 morphant phenotype of a stunted body axis and contorted trunk is rescued by ectopic expression of Drosophila Syndapin, and depends critically on both the prong that protrudes from the surface of the bowed Syndapin EFC domain and the ability of the antiparallel dimer to bind tightly to phosphoinositides. Our data confirm linkage between directional migration, endocytosis and cell specification during embryonic morphogenesis and highlight a key role for Pacsin3 in this coupling in the notochord.

Structural requirements for PACSIN/Syndapin operation during zebrafish embryonic notochord development.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa A Edeling

2009-12-01

Full Text Available PACSIN/Syndapin proteins are membrane-active scaffolds that participate in endocytosis. The structure of the Drosophila Syndapin N-terminal EFC domain reveals a crescent shaped antiparallel dimer with a high affinity for phosphoinositides and a unique membrane-inserting prong upon the concave surface. Combined structural, biochemical and reverse genetic approaches in zebrafish define an important role for Syndapin orthologue, Pacsin3, in the early formation of the notochord during embryonic development. In pacsin3-morphant embryos, midline convergence of notochord precursors is defective as axial mesodermal cells fail to polarize, migrate and differentiate properly. The pacsin3 morphant phenotype of a stunted body axis and contorted trunk is rescued by ectopic expression of Drosophila Syndapin, and depends critically on both the prong that protrudes from the surface of the bowed Syndapin EFC domain and the ability of the antiparallel dimer to bind tightly to phosphoinositides. Our data confirm linkage between directional migration, endocytosis and cell specification during embryonic morphogenesis and highlight a key role for Pacsin3 in this coupling in the notochord.

Lack of toxic effect of technical azadirachtin during postnatal development of rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, M K; Raizada, R B

2007-03-01

Azadirachtin, a biopesticide has been evaluated for its possible toxic effects during postnatal development of rats over two generations. Rats were fed 100, 500 and 1000ppm technical azadirachtin through diet which is equivalent to 5, 25 and 50mg/kg body weight of rats. Technical azadirachtin has not produced any adverse effects on reproductive function and data were comparable to control animals over two generations. There were no toxicological effect in parent rats as evidenced by clinical signs of toxicity, enzymatic parameters like AST, ALT, ALP, S. bilirubin, S. cholesterol, total protein and histopathology of liver, brain, kidney and testes/ovary. The litters of F(1B) and F(2B) generations were devoid of any morphological, visceral and teratological changes. The percent cumulative loss and growth index of pups were also comparable to respective controls in successive growth period of 0, 4, 7, 14 and 21 days in two generations. There were no major malformations in fetuses while some insignificant minor skeletal variations like missing 5th sternebrae and bipartite thoracic centre found were not compound or dose related. No significant pathomorphological changes were observed in liver, kidney, brain and gonads of F(2B) pups. In conclusion rats fed technical azadirachtin showed no evidence of cumulative effects on postnatal development and reproductive performance over two generations. Absence of any major adverse reproductive effects in adults as well as in 21 days old pups of F(2B) generation suggest the safe use of technical azadirachtin as a biopesticide.

How the embryonic chick brain twists.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zi; Guo, Qiaohang; Dai, Eric; Forsch, Nickolas; Taber, Larry A

2016-11-01

During early development, the tubular embryonic chick brain undergoes a combination of progressive ventral bending and rightward torsion, one of the earliest organ-level left-right asymmetry events in development. Existing evidence suggests that bending is caused by differential growth, but the mechanism for the predominantly rightward torsion of the embryonic brain tube remains poorly understood. Here, we show through a combination of in vitro experiments, a physical model of the embryonic morphology and mechanics analysis that the vitelline membrane (VM) exerts an external load on the brain that drives torsion. Our theoretical analysis showed that the force is of the order of 10 micronewtons. We also designed an experiment to use fluid surface tension to replace the mechanical role of the VM, and the estimated magnitude of the force owing to surface tension was shown to be consistent with the above theoretical analysis. We further discovered that the asymmetry of the looping heart determines the chirality of the twisted brain via physical mechanisms, demonstrating the mechanical transfer of left-right asymmetry between organs. Our experiments also implied that brain flexure is a necessary condition for torsion. Our work clarifies the mechanical origin of torsion and the development of left-right asymmetry in the early embryonic brain. © 2016 The Author(s).

Acetylcholine Modulates the Hormones of the Growth Hormone/Insulinlike Growth Factor-1 Axis During Development in Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Lecomte, Marie-José; Bertolus, Chloé; Ramanantsoa, Nélina; Saurini, Françoise; Callebert, Jacques; Sénamaud-Beaufort, Catherine; Ringot, Maud; Bourgeois, Thomas; Matrot, Boris; Collet, Corinne; Nardelli, Jeannette; Mallet, Jacques; Vodjdani, Guilan; Gallego, Jorge; Launay, Jean-Marie; Berrard, Sylvie

2018-04-01

Pituitary growth hormone (GH) and insulinlike growth factor (IGF)-1 are anabolic hormones whose physiological roles are particularly important during development. The activity of the GH/IGF-1 axis is controlled by complex neuroendocrine systems including two hypothalamic neuropeptides, GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) and somatostatin (SRIF), and a gastrointestinal hormone, ghrelin. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) is involved in tuning GH secretion, and its GH-stimulatory action has mainly been shown in adults but is not clearly documented during development. ACh, together with these hormones and their receptors, is expressed before birth, and somatotroph cells are already responsive to GHRH, SRIF, and ghrelin. We thus hypothesized that ACh could contribute to the modulation of the main components of the somatotropic axis during development. In this study, we generated a choline acetyltransferase knockout mouse line and showed that heterozygous mice display a transient deficit in ACh from embryonic day 18.5 to postnatal day 10, and they recover normal ACh levels from the second postnatal week. This developmental ACh deficiency had no major impact on weight gain and cardiorespiratory status of newborn mice. Using this mouse model, we found that endogenous ACh levels determined the concentrations of circulating GH and IGF-1 at embryonic and postnatal stages. In particular, serum GH level was correlated with brain ACh content. ACh also modulated the levels of GHRH and SRIF in the hypothalamus and ghrelin in the stomach, and it affected the levels of these hormones in the circulation. This study identifies ACh as a potential regulator of the somatotropic axis during the developmental period.

Effect of prenatal and postnatal photoperiod on spermatogenic development in the Djungarian hamster (Phodopus sungorus sungorus)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Haaster, L. H.; van Eerdenburg, F. J.; de rooij, D. G.

1993-01-01

The effect of the pre- and postnatal daylength on the start of spermatogenesis and further testicular development from day 4 up to day 127 was investigated in Djungarian hamsters. Hamsters were either gestated under long (16 h light:8 h dark) photoperiod and reared under long or short (4 h light:20

Function of the PHA-4/FOXA transcription factor during C. elegans post-embryonic development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Di

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background pha-4 encodes a forkhead box (FOX A transcription factor serving as the C. elegans pharynx organ identity factor during embryogenesis. Using Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE, comparison of gene expression profiles between growing stages animals and long-lived, developmentally diapaused dauer larvae revealed that pha-4 transcription is increased in the dauer stage. Results Knocking down pha-4 expression by RNAi during post-embryonic development showed that PHA-4 is essential for dauer recovery, gonad and vulva development. daf-16, which encodes a FOXO transcription factor regulated by insulin/IGF-1 signaling, shows overlapping expression patterns and a loss-of-function post-embryonic phenotype similar to that of pha-4 during dauer recovery. pha-4 RNAi and daf-16 mutations have additive effects on dauer recovery, suggesting these two regulators may function in parallel pathways. Gene expression studies using RT-PCR and GFP reporters showed that pha-4 transcription is elevated under starvation, and a conserved forkhead transcription factor binding site in the second intron of pha-4 is important for the neuronal expression. The vulval transcription of lag-2, which encodes a ligand for the LIN-12/Notch lateral signaling pathway, is inhibited by pha-4 RNAi, indicating that LAG-2 functions downstream of PHA-4 in vulva development. Conclusion Analysis of PHA-4 during post-embryonic development revealed previously unsuspected functions for this important transcriptional regulator in dauer recovery, and may help explain the network of transcriptional control integrating organogenesis with the decision between growth and developmental arrest at the dauer entry and exit stages.

Ochratoxin A Inhibits Mouse Embryonic Development by Activating a Mitochondrion-Dependent Apoptotic Signaling Pathway

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Yan-Der Hsuuw

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Ochratoxin A (OTA, a mycotoxin found in many foods worldwide, causes nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and immunotoxicity, both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we explored the cytotoxic effects exerted by OTA on the blastocyst stage of mouse embryos, on subsequent embryonic attachment, on outgrowth in vitro, and following in vivo implantation via embryo transfer. Mouse blastocysts were incubated with or without OTA (1, 5, or 10 μM for 24 h. Cell proliferation and growth were investigated using dual differential staining; apoptosis was measured using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL assay; and embryo implantation and post-implantation development were assessed by examination of in vitro growth and the outcome of in vivo embryo transfer, respectively. Blastocysts treated with 10 μM OTA displayed a significantly increased level of apoptosis and a reduction in total cell number. Interestingly, we observed no marked difference in implantation success rate between OTA-pretreated and control blastocysts either during in vitro embryonic development (following implantation in a fibronectin-coated culture dish or after in vivo embryo transfer. However, in vitro treatment with 10 μM OTA was associated with increased resorption of post-implantation embryos by the mouse uterus, and decreased fetal weight upon embryo transfer. Our results collectively indicate that in vitro exposure to OTA triggers apoptosis and retards early post-implantation development after transfer of embryos to host mice. In addition, OTA induces apoptosis-mediated injury of mouse blastocysts, via reactive oxygen species (ROS generation, and promotes mitochondrion-dependent apoptotic signaling processes that impair subsequent embryonic development.

Retinoic acid synthesis and functions in early embryonic development

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Kam Richard Kin Ting

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Retinoic acid (RA is a morphogen derived from retinol (vitamin A that plays important roles in cell growth, differentiation, and organogenesis. The production of RA from retinol requires two consecutive enzymatic reactions catalyzed by different sets of dehydrogenases. The retinol is first oxidized into retinal, which is then oxidized into RA. The RA interacts with retinoic acid receptor (RAR and retinoic acid X receptor (RXR which then regulate the target gene expression. In this review, we have discussed the metabolism of RA and the important components of RA signaling pathway, and highlighted current understanding of the functions of RA during early embryonic development.

Cell Cycle Control in the Early Embryonic Development of Aquatic Animal Species

Science.gov (United States)

Siefert, Joseph C.; Clowdus, Emily A.; Sansam, Christopher L.

2016-01-01

The cell cycle is integrated with many aspects of embryonic development. Not only is proper control over the pace of cell proliferation important, but also the timing of cell cycle progression is coordinated with transcription, cell migration, and cell differentiation. Due to the ease with which the embryos of aquatic organisms can be observed and manipulated, they have been a popular choice for embryologists throughout history. In the cell cycle field, aquatic organisms have been extremely important because they have played a major role in the discovery and analysis of key regulators of the cell cycle. In particular, the frog Xenopus laevis has been instrumental for understanding how the basic embryonic cell cycle is regulated. More recently, the zebrafish has been used to understand how the cell cycle is remodeled during vertebrate development and how it is regulated during morphogenesis. This review describes how some of the unique strengths of aquatic species have been leveraged for cell cycle research and suggests how species such as Xenopus and zebrafish will continue to reveal the roles of the cell cycle in human biology and disease. PMID:26475527

Pyramidal cell development: postnatal spinogenesis, dendritic growth, axon growth, and electrophysiology.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guy eElston

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Here we review recent findings related to postnatal spinogenesis, dendritic and axon growth, pruning and electrophysiology of neocortical pyramidal cells in the developing primate brain. Pyramidal cells in sensory, association and executive cortex grow dendrites, spines and axons at different rates, and vary in the degree of pruning. Of particular note is the fact that pyramidal cells in primary visual area (V1 prune more spines than they grow during postnatal development, whereas those in inferotemporal (TEO and TE and granular prefrontal cortex (gPFC; Brodmann’s area 12 grow more than they prune. Moreover, pyramidal cells in TEO, TE and the gPFC continue to grow larger dendritic territories from birth into adulthood, replete with spines, whereas those in V1 become smaller during this time. The developmental profile of intrinsic axons also varies between cortical areas: those in V1, for example, undergo an early proliferation followed by pruning and local consolidation into adulthood, whereas those in area TE tend to establish their territory and consolidate it into adulthood with little pruning. We correlate the anatomical findings with the electrophysiological properties of cells in the different cortical areas, including membrane time constant, depolarizing sag, duration of individual action potentials, and spike-frequency adaptation. All of the electrophysiological variables ramped up before 7 months of age in V1, but continued to ramp up over a protracted period of time in area TE. These data suggest that the anatomical and electrophysiological profiles of pyramidal cells vary among cortical areas at birth, and continue to diverge into adulthood. Moreover, the data reveal that the use it or lose it notion of synaptic reinforcement may speak to only part of the story, use it but you still might lose it may be just as prevalent in the cerebral cortex.

­Glial and stem cell expression of murine Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1 in the embryonic and perinatal nervous system

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Jantzen C. Collette

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs and their receptors (FGFRs are involved in the development and function of multiple organs and organ systems, including the central nervous system (CNS. FGF signaling via FGFR1, one of the three FGFRs expressed in the CNS, stimulates proliferation of stem cells during prenatal and postnatal neurogenesis and participates in regulating cell-type ratios in many developing regions of the brain. Anomalies in FGFR1 signaling have been implicated in certain neuropsychiatric disorders. Fgfr1 expression has been shown, via in situ hybridization, to vary spatially and temporally throughout embryonic and postnatal development of the brain. However, in situ hybridization lacks sufficient resolution to identify which cell-types directly participate in FGF signaling. Furthermore, because antibodies raised against FGFR1 commonly cross-react with other members of the FGFR family, immunocytochemistry is not alone sufficient to accurately document Fgfr1 expression. Here, we elucidate the identity of Fgfr1 expressing cells in both the embryonic and perinatal mouse brain. Methods To do this, we utilized a tgFGFR1-EGFPGP338Gsat BAC line (tgFgfr1-EGFP+ obtained from the GENSAT project. The tgFgfr1-EGFP+ line expresses EGFP under the control of a Fgfr1 promoter, thereby causing cells endogenously expressing Fgfr1 to also present a positive GFP signal. Through simple immunostaining using GFP antibodies and cell-type specific antibodies, we were able to accurately determine the cell-type of Fgfr1 expressing cells. Results This technique revealed Fgfr1 expression in proliferative zones containing BLBP+ radial glial stem cells, such as the cortical and hippocampal ventricular zones, and cerebellar anlage of E14.5 mice, in addition to DCX+ neuroblasts. Furthermore, our data reveal Fgfr1 expression in proliferative zones containing BLBP+ cells of the anterior midline, hippocampus, cortex, hypothalamus, and cerebellum of P0.5 mice

Development of pacemaker properties and rhythmogenic mechanisms in the mouse embryonic respiratory network

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Chevalier, Marc; Toporikova, Natalia; Simmers, John; Thoby-Brisson, Muriel

2016-01-01

Breathing is a vital rhythmic behavior generated by hindbrain neuronal circuitry, including the preBötzinger complex network (preBötC) that controls inspiration. The emergence of preBötC network activity during prenatal development has been described, but little is known regarding inspiratory neurons expressing pacemaker properties at embryonic stages. Here, we combined calcium imaging and electrophysiological recordings in mouse embryo brainstem slices together with computational modeling to reveal the existence of heterogeneous pacemaker oscillatory properties relying on distinct combinations of burst-generating INaP and ICAN conductances. The respective proportion of the different inspiratory pacemaker subtypes changes during prenatal development. Concomitantly, network rhythmogenesis switches from a purely INaP/ICAN-dependent mechanism at E16.5 to a combined pacemaker/network-driven process at E18.5. Our results provide the first description of pacemaker bursting properties in embryonic preBötC neurons and indicate that network rhythmogenesis undergoes important changes during prenatal development through alterations in both circuit properties and the biophysical characteristics of pacemaker neurons. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.16125.001 PMID:27434668

Melatonin prevents postovulatory oocyte aging and promotes subsequent embryonic development in the pig.

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Wang, Tao; Gao, Ying-Ying; Chen, Li; Nie, Zheng-Wen; Cheng, Wei; Liu, Xiaoyan; Schatten, Heide; Zhang, Xia; Miao, Yi-Liang

2017-06-26

Oxidative stress is known as a major contributing factor involved in oocyte aging, which negatively affects oocyte quality and development after fertilization. Melatonin is an effective free radical scavenger and its metabolites AFMK and AMK are powerful detoxifiers that eliminate free radicals. In this study, we used porcine oocytes to test the hypothesis that melatonin could scavenge free radicals produced during oocyte aging, thereby maintaining oocyte quality. We compared reactive oxygen species levels, apoptosis levels, mitochondrial membrane potential ratios, total glutathione contents and expression levels in fresh, aged and melatonin-treated aged porcine oocytes and observed the percentage of blastocyst formation following parthenogenetic activation. We found that melatonin could effectively maintain the morphology of oocytes observed in control oocytes, alleviate oxidative stress, markedly decrease early apoptosis levels, retard the decline of mitochondrial membrane potential and significantly promote subsequent embryonic development in oocytes aged for 24 hr in vitro . These results strongly suggest that melatonin can prevent postovulatory oocyte aging and promote subsequent embryonic development in the pig, which might find practical applications to control oocyte aging in other mammalian species including humans to maintain the quality of human oocytes when performing clinical assisted reproductive technology.

Transgenic APP expression during postnatal development causes persistent locomotor hyperactivity in the adult.

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Rodgers, Shaefali P; Born, Heather A; Das, Pritam; Jankowsky, Joanna L

2012-06-18

Transgenic mice expressing disease-associated proteins have become standard tools for studying human neurological disorders. Transgenes are often expressed using promoters chosen to drive continuous high-level expression throughout life rather than temporal and spatial fidelity to the endogenous gene. This approach has allowed us to recapitulate diseases of aging within the two-year lifespan of the laboratory mouse, but has the potential for creating aberrant phenotypes by mechanisms unrelated to the human disorder. We show that overexpression of the Alzheimer's-related amyloid precursor protein (APP) during early postnatal development leads to severe locomotor hyperactivity that can be significantly attenuated by delaying transgene onset until adulthood. Our data suggest that exposure to transgenic APP during maturation influences the development of neuronal circuits controlling motor activity. Both when matched for total duration of APP overexpression and when matched for cortical amyloid burden, animals exposed to transgenic APP as juveniles are more active in locomotor assays than animals in which APP overexpression was delayed until adulthood. In contrast to motor activity, the age of APP onset had no effect on thigmotaxis in the open field as a rough measure of anxiety, suggesting that the interaction between APP overexpression and brain development is not unilateral. Our findings indicate that locomotor hyperactivity displayed by the tet-off APP transgenic mice and several other transgenic models of Alzheimer's disease may result from overexpression of mutant APP during postnatal brain development. Our results serve as a reminder of the potential for unexpected interactions between foreign transgenes and brain development to cause long-lasting effects on neuronal function in the adult. The tet-off APP model provides an easy means of avoiding developmental confounds by allowing transgene expression to be delayed until the mice reach adulthood.

Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Small T Antigen Induces Cancer and Embryonic Merkel Cell Proliferation in a Transgenic Mouse Model.

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Shuda, Masahiro; Guastafierro, Anna; Geng, Xuehui; Shuda, Yoko; Ostrowski, Stephen M; Lukianov, Stefan; Jenkins, Frank J; Honda, Kord; Maricich, Stephen M; Moore, Patrick S; Chang, Yuan

2015-01-01

Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) causes the majority of human Merkel cell carcinomas (MCC) and encodes a small T (sT) antigen that transforms immortalized rodent fibroblasts in vitro. To develop a mouse model for MCV sT-induced carcinogenesis, we generated transgenic mice with a flox-stop-flox MCV sT sequence homologously recombined at the ROSA locus (ROSAsT), allowing Cre-mediated, conditional MCV sT expression. Standard tamoxifen (TMX) administration to adult UbcCreERT2; ROSAsT mice, in which Cre is ubiquitously expressed, resulted in MCV sT expression in multiple organs that was uniformly lethal within 5 days. Conversely, most adult UbcCreERT2; ROSAsT mice survived low-dose tamoxifen administration but developed ear lobe dermal hyperkeratosis and hypergranulosis. Simultaneous MCV sT expression and conditional homozygous p53 deletion generated multi-focal, poorly-differentiated, highly anaplastic tumors in the spleens and livers of mice after 60 days of TMX treatment. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts from these mice induced to express MCV sT exhibited anchorage-independent cell growth. To examine Merkel cell pathology, MCV sT expression was also induced during mid-embryogenesis in Merkel cells of Atoh1CreERT2/+; ROSAsT mice, which lead to significantly increased Merkel cell numbers in touch domes at late embryonic ages that normalized postnatally. Tamoxifen administration to adult Atoh1CreERT2/+; ROSAsT and Atoh1CreERT2/+; ROSAsT; p53flox/flox mice had no effects on Merkel cell numbers and did not induce tumor formation. Taken together, these results show that MCV sT stimulates progenitor Merkel cell proliferation in embryonic mice and is a bona fide viral oncoprotein that induces full cancer cell transformation in the p53-null setting.

Postnatal development of rat pups is altered by prenatal methamphetamine exposure.

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Slamberová, Romana; Pometlová, Marie; Charousová, Petra

2006-01-01

There are studies showing that drug abuse during pregnancy may have impairing effect on progeny of drug-abusing mothers. Methamphetamine (MA) is one of the most common illicit drugs throughout the world. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of prenatal MA exposure on postnatal development of rat pups before the time of separation from their mothers. Female rats were injected with MA (5 mg/kg daily) for the duration of their pregnancy. Pups were then tested throughout the lactation period. They were weighed daily and the ano-genital distance was measured on postnatal day (PD) 1. Development of postural motor reaction was tested by righting reflex on surface between PD 1 and 12, and righting reflex in mid-air after PD 12 until successfully accomplished. On PD 15 homing test was examined as a test of pup acute learning. On PD 23 sensory-motor coordination was examined using the rotarod and bar-holding tests. Additionally, the markers of physical maturation, such as eye opening, testes descent in males and vaginal opening in females were also recorded. The birth weight in prenatally MA-exposed pups was lower than in controls or saline-exposed pups regardless of sex. There were no changes induced by prenatal MA exposure in weight gain or in sexual maturation. In righting reflexes, we demonstrated that pups exposed prenatally to MA were slower in righting reflex on surface and that they accomplished the test of righting reflex in mid-air later than controls or saline-exposed pups. The performance of homing test was not affected by prenatal drug exposure. The sensory-motor coordination was impaired in prenatally MA-exposed pups when testing in the rotarod test. Also, the number of falls in the bar-holding test was higher in MA-exposed pups than in controls. There were no sex differences in any measures. Thus, the present study demonstrated that prenatal MA exposure impairs development of postural motor movements of rat pups during the first 3 weeks

Primordial dwarfism gene maintains Lin28 expression to safeguard embryonic stem cells from premature differentiation.

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Dai, Qian; Luan, Guangxin; Deng, Li; Lei, Tingjun; Kang, Han; Song, Xu; Zhang, Yujun; Xiao, Zhi-Xiong; Li, Qintong

2014-05-08

Primordial dwarfism (PD) is characterized by global growth failure, both during embryogenesis and postnatally. Loss-of-function germline mutations in La ribonucleoprotein domain family, member 7 (LAPR7) have recently been linked to PD. Paradoxically, LARP7 deficiency was previously assumed to be associated with increased cell growth and proliferation via activation of positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb). Here, we show that Larp7 deficiency likely does not significantly increase P-TEFb activity. We further discover that Larp7 knockdown does not affect pluripotency but instead primes embryonic stem cells (ESCs) for differentiation via downregulation of Lin28, a positive regulator of organismal growth. Mechanistically, we show that Larp7 interacts with a poly(A) polymerase Star-PAP to maintain Lin28 mRNA stability. We propose that proper regulation of Lin28 and PTEFb is essential for embryonic cells to achieve a sufficient number of cell divisions prior to differentiation and ultimately to maintain proper organismal size. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

{sup 26}Al incorporation into the brain of rat fetuses through the placental barrier and subsequent metabolism in postnatal development

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Yumoto, Sakae, E-mail: yumoto-s@viola.ocn.ne.j [Yumoto Institute of Neurology, Kawadacho 6-11, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0054 (Japan); Nagai, Hisao [College of Humanities and Sciences, Nihon University, Tokyo (Japan); Kakimi, Shigeo [Faculty of Medicine, Nihon University, Tokyo (Japan); Matsuzaki, Hiroyuki [School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan)

2010-04-15

Aluminium (Al) inhibits prenatal and postnatal development of the brain. We used {sup 26}Al as a tracer, and measured {sup 26}Al incorporation into rat fetuses through the placental barrier by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). From day 15 to day 18 of gestation, {sup 26}AlCl{sub 3} was subcutaneously injected into pregnant rats. Considerable amounts of {sup 26}Al were measured in the tissues of newborn rats immediately after birth. The amounts of {sup 26}Al in the liver and kidneys decreased rapidly during postnatal development. However, approximately 15% of {sup 26}Al incorporated into the brain of fetuses remained in the brain of adult rats 730 days after birth.

BMP signaling regulates satellite cell-dependent postnatal muscle growth.

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Stantzou, Amalia; Schirwis, Elija; Swist, Sandra; Alonso-Martin, Sonia; Polydorou, Ioanna; Zarrouki, Faouzi; Mouisel, Etienne; Beley, Cyriaque; Julien, Anaïs; Le Grand, Fabien; Garcia, Luis; Colnot, Céline; Birchmeier, Carmen; Braun, Thomas; Schuelke, Markus; Relaix, Frédéric; Amthor, Helge

2017-08-01

Postnatal growth of skeletal muscle largely depends on the expansion and differentiation of resident stem cells, the so-called satellite cells. Here, we demonstrate that postnatal satellite cells express components of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling machinery. Overexpression of noggin in postnatal mice (to antagonize BMP ligands), satellite cell-specific knockout of Alk3 (the gene encoding the BMP transmembrane receptor) or overexpression of inhibitory SMAD6 decreased satellite cell proliferation and accretion during myofiber growth, and ultimately retarded muscle growth. Moreover, reduced BMP signaling diminished the adult satellite cell pool. Abrogation of BMP signaling in satellite cell-derived primary myoblasts strongly diminished cell proliferation and upregulated the expression of cell cycle inhibitors p21 and p57 In conclusion, these results show that BMP signaling defines postnatal muscle development by regulating satellite cell-dependent myofiber growth and the generation of the adult muscle stem cell pool. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Neuropsychological development in preschool children born with asymmetrical intrauterine growth restriction and impact of postnatal head growth.

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Klaric, Andrea Simić; Galić, Slavka; Kolundzić, Zdravko; Bosnjak, Vlatka Mejaski

2013-07-01

Neuropsychological development and the impact of postnatal head growth were studied in preschool children with asymmetrical intrauterine growth restriction. Examinees born at term with a birth weight below the 10th percentile were matched to the control group according to chronological and gestational age, gender, and maternal education. Fifty children were in each group, with a mean age of 6 years, 4 months. The Touwen neurological examination, the Čuturić developmental test, an imitative hand positions test, and a visual attention test were performed. There were significant differences (Pmotor variables, the developmental quotient, and the imitative hand positions test. Fine motor skills had the most discriminative power. Relative growth of the head in relation to weight gain was positively correlated to neurocognitive outcome. Intrauterine growth-restricted children with a current head circumference ≤10th percentile had poorer outcomes. Conclusively, intrauterine growth restriction has a negative impact on neurocognitive development. Slow postnatal head growth is correlated with a poorer neuropsychological outcome.

Altering the trajectory of early postnatal cortical development can lead to structural and behavioural features of autism

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Chomiak Taylor

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Autism is a behaviourally defined neurodevelopmental disorder with unknown etiology. Recent studies in autistic children consistently point to neuropathological and functional abnormalities in the temporal association cortex (TeA and its associated structures. It has been proposed that the trajectory of postnatal development in these regions may undergo accelerated maturational alterations that predominantly affect sensory recognition and social interaction. Indeed, the temporal association regions that are important for sensory recognition and social interaction are one of the last regions to mature suggesting a potential vulnerability to early maturation. However, direct evaluation of the emerging hypothesis that an altered time course of early postnatal development can lead to an ASD phenotype remains lacking. Results We used electrophysiological, histological, and behavioural techniques to investigate if the known neuronal maturational promoter valproate, similar to that in culture systems, can influence the normal developmental trajectory of TeA in vivo. Brain sections obtained from postnatal rat pups treated with VPA in vivo revealed that almost 40% of cortical cells in TeA prematurely exhibited adult-like intrinsic electrophysiological properties and that this was often associated with gross cortical hypertrophy and a reduced predisposition for social play behaviour. Conclusions The co-manifestation of these functional, structural and behavioural features suggests that alteration of the developmental time course in certain high-order cortical networks may play an important role in the neurophysiological basis of autism.

Early first trimester maternal ‘high fish and olive oil and low meat’ dietary pattern is associated with accelerated human embryonic development

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Parisi, Francesca; Rousian, Melek; Steegers-Theunissen, Régine P.M.; Koning, Anton H.J.; Willemsen, Sten P.; Vries, de Jeanne H.M.; Cetin, Irene; Steegers, Eric A.P.

2018-01-01

Background/objectives: Maternal dietary patterns were associated with embryonic growth and congenital anomalies. We aim to evaluate associations between early first trimester maternal dietary patterns and embryonic morphological development among pregnancies with non-malformed outcome.

A qualitative study of the acceptability of routine screening of postnatal women using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.

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Shakespeare, Judy; Blake, Fiona; Garcia, Jo

2003-01-01

BACKGROUND: Screening for postnatal depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) has been widely recommended and implemented in primary care, although little is known about how acceptable it is to women. AIM: To explore the acceptability to women of postnatal screening by health visitors with the EPDS. DESIGN OF STUDY: Qualitative interview study. SETTING: Postnatal patients from 22 general practices within the area of Oxford City Primary Care Group. METHOD: Thirty-nine postnatal women from a purposive sample were interviewed, chosen on the basis of different general practices, EPDS results at eight weeks and eight months postnatal, and whether 'listening visits' were received. The interviews were analysed using the constant comparative method. RESULTS: Just over half of the women interviewed found screening with the EPDS less than acceptable, whatever their postnatal emotional health. The main themes identified were problems with the process of screening and, in particular, the venue, the personal intrusion of screening and stigma. The women interviewed had a clear preference for talking about how they felt, rather than filling out a questionnaire. CONCLUSION: For this sample, routine screening with the EPDS was less than acceptable for the majority of women. This is of concern, as universal screening with the EPDS for the detection of postnatal depression is already recommended and widespread in primary care. PMID:14601337

Left-Right Asymmetry of Maturation Rates in Human Embryonic Neural Development.

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de Kovel, Carolien G F; Lisgo, Steven; Karlebach, Guy; Ju, Jia; Cheng, Gang; Fisher, Simon E; Francks, Clyde

2017-08-01

Left-right asymmetry is a fundamental organizing feature of the human brain, and neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia sometimes involve alterations of brain asymmetry. As early as 8 weeks postconception, the majority of human fetuses move their right arms more than their left arms, but because nerve fiber tracts are still descending from the forebrain at this stage, spinal-muscular asymmetries are likely to play an important developmental role. We used RNA sequencing to measure gene expression levels in the left and right spinal cords, and the left and right hindbrains, of 18 postmortem human embryos aged 4 to 8 weeks postconception. Genes showing embryonic lateralization were tested for an enrichment of signals in genome-wide association data for schizophrenia. The left side of the embryonic spinal cord was found to mature faster than the right side. Both sides transitioned from transcriptional profiles associated with cell division and proliferation at earlier stages to neuronal differentiation and function at later stages, but the two sides were not in synchrony (p = 2.2 E-161). The hindbrain showed a left-right mirrored pattern compared with the spinal cord, consistent with the well-known crossing over of function between these two structures. Genes that showed lateralization in the embryonic spinal cord were enriched for association signals with schizophrenia (p = 4.3 E-05). These are the earliest stage left-right differences of human neural development ever reported. Disruption of the lateralized developmental program may play a role in the genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia. Copyright © 2017 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of impairment of the immune system on hepatic biotransformation reactions, their postnatal development and inducibility

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Klinger, W.; Mueller, D.

1983-01-01

Neither destruction of thymus by N-methylnitrosourea or by X-rays nor thymectomy or splenectomy in rats of different ages affected hexobarbital sleeping time, ethylmorphine N-demethylation or ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation significantly and systematically. Thymectomy or thymus destruction by X-rays of newborn rats did not significantly influence postnatal development or inducibility by phenobarbital of the monooxygenase reactions. (author)

The role of self-esteem instability in the development of postnatal depression: A prospective study testing a diathesis-stress account.

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Franck, Erik; Vanderhasselt, Marie-Anne; Goubert, Liesbet; Loeys, Tom; Temmerman, Marleen; De Raedt, Rudi

2016-03-01

Understanding vulnerability factors involved in the development of postnatal depression has important implications for theory and practice. In this prospective study, we investigated whether self-esteem instability during pregnancy would better predict postnatal depressive symptomatology than level of self-esteem. In addition, going beyond former studies, we tested the possible origin of this instability, examining whether day-to-day fluctuations in self-esteem could be explained by fluctuations in mood state, and whether this day-to-day self-esteem reactivity would predict postnatal depressive symptoms. 114 healthy never-depressed women were tested during the late second or third trimester of their gestation (Time 1) and at 12 weeks after delivery (Time 2). Day-to-day levels of self-esteem and depressed mood state were assessed at Time 1. At Time 2, postnatal depressive symptoms were assessed. The results show that, after controlling for initial depressive symptomatology, age and socio-economic status, postnatal depressive symptomatology at 12 weeks after childbirth could be predicted by self-esteem instability and not level of self-esteem. In addition, multi-level analyses demonstrated that these changes in day-to-day levels of self-esteem are associated with changes in day-to-day levels of depressed mood state and that those subjects with greater prenatal self-esteem reactivity upon depressed mood report higher levels of depressive symptoms post-partum. We used paper and pencil day-to-day measures of state self-esteem, which can be subject to bias. These results provide evidence for a diathesis-stress account of postnatal depression, highlighting the importance of a multi-dimensional view of self-esteem and the predictive role of self-esteem instability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The zinc finger transcription factor 191 is required for early embryonic development and cell proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jianzhong; Chen Xia; Yang Hua; Wang Shuiliang; Guo Baoyu; Yu Long; Wang Zhugang; Fu Jiliang

2006-01-01

Human zinc finger protein 191 (ZNF191/ZNF24) was cloned and characterized as a SCAN family member, which shows 94% identity to its mouse homologue zinc finger protein 191 (Zfp191). ZNF191 can specifically interact with an intronic polymorphic TCAT repeat (HUMTH01) in the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene. Allelic variations of HUMTH01 have been stated to have a quantitative silencing effect on TH gene expression and to correlate with quantitative and qualitative changes in the binding by ZNF191. Zfp191 is widely expressed during embryonic development and in multiple tissues and organs in adult. To investigate the functions of Zfp191 in vivo, we have used homologous recombination to generate mice that are deficient in Zfp191. Heterozygous Zfp191 +/- mice are normal and fertile. Homozygous Zfp191 -/- embryos are severely retarded in development and die at approximately 7.5 days post-fertilization. Unexpectedly, in Zfp191 -/- and Zfp191 +/- embryos, TH gene expression is not affected. Blastocyst outgrowth experiments and the RNA interference-mediated knockdown of ZNF191 in cultured cells revealed an essential role for Zfp191 in cell proliferation. In further agreement with this function, no viable Zfp191 -/- cell lines were obtained by derivation of embryonic stem (ES) cells from blastocysts of Zfp191 +/- intercrosses or by forced homogenotization of heterozygous ES cells at high concentrations of G418. These data show that Zfp191 is indispensable for early embryonic development and cell proliferation

Predictors of intelligence at the age of 5: family, pregnancy and birth characteristics, postnatal influences, and postnatal growth.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanne-Lise Falgreen Eriksen

Full Text Available Parental education and maternal intelligence are well-known predictors of child IQ. However, the literature regarding other factors that may contribute to individual differences in IQ is inconclusive. The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of a number of variables whose predictive status remain unclarified, in a sample of basically healthy children with a low rate of pre- and postnatal complications. 1,782 5-year-old children sampled from the Danish National Birth Cohort (2003-2007 were assessed with a short form of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - Revised. Information on parental characteristics, pregnancy and birth factors, postnatal influences, and postnatal growth was collected during pregnancy and at follow-up. A model including study design variables and child's sex explained 7% of the variance in IQ, while parental education and maternal IQ increased the explained variance to 24%. Other predictors were parity, maternal BMI, birth weight, breastfeeding, and the child's head circumference and height at follow-up. These variables, however, only increased the explained variance to 29%. The results suggest that parental education and maternal IQ are major predictors of IQ and should be included routinely in studies of cognitive development. Obstetrical and postnatal factors also predict IQ, but their contribution may be of comparatively limited magnitude.

Differentiation of embryonic stem cells towards hematopoietic cells: progress and pitfalls.

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Tian, Xinghui; Kaufman, Dan S

2008-07-01

Hematopoietic development from embryonic stem cells has been one of the most productive areas of stem cell biology. Recent studies have progressed from work with mouse to human embryonic stem cells. Strategies to produce defined blood cell populations can be used to better understand normal and abnormal hematopoiesis, as well as potentially improve the generation of hematopoietic cells with therapeutic potential. Molecular profiling, phenotypic and functional analyses have all been utilized to demonstrate that hematopoietic cells derived from embryonic stem cells most closely represent a stage of hematopoiesis that occurs at embryonic/fetal developmental stages. Generation of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells comparable to hematopoietic stem cells found in the adult sources, such as bone marrow and cord blood, still remains challenging. However, genetic manipulation of intrinsic factors during hematopoietic differentiation has proven a suitable approach to induce adult definitive hematopoiesis from embryonic stem cells. Concrete evidence has shown that embryonic stem cells provide a powerful approach to study the early stage of hematopoiesis. Multiple hematopoietic lineages can be generated from embryonic stem cells, although most of the evidence suggests that hematopoietic development from embryonic stem cells mimics an embryonic/fetal stage of hematopoiesis.

Brood parasite and host eggshells undergo similar levels of decalcification during embryonic development

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Igic, B.; Hauber, M. E.; Moskát, C.; Grim, T.; Shawkey, M. D.; Procházka, Petr; Honza, Marcel

2017-01-01

Roč. 301, č. 3 (2017), s. 165-173 ISSN 0952-8369 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP506/12/2404 Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : Acrocephalus arundinaceus * brood parasitism * Cuculus canorus * decalcification * eggshell thickness * embryonic development * common cuckoo * scanning electron microscopy Subject RIV: EG - Zoology OBOR OECD: Zoology Impact factor: 2.186, year: 2016

Bone development in the fetus and neonate: role of the calciotropic hormones.

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Kovacs, Christopher S

2011-12-01

During embryonic and fetal development much of the skeleton initiates as a cartilaginous scaffold, which is progressively resorbed and replaced by bone. Endochondral bone formation continues until the growth plates fuse during puberty. At all life stages adequate delivery of mineral is required for the skeleton to achieve and maintain appropriate mineral content and strength. During fetal development the placenta actively transports calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Postnatally passive and then active absorption from the intestines becomes the main supply of minerals to the skeleton. Animal and human data indicate that fetal bone development requires parathyroid hormone (PTH) and PTH-related protein but not vitamin D/calcitriol, calcitonin, or (possibly) sex steroids. During the postnatal period, when intestinal calcium absorption becomes an active process, skeletal development begins to depend upon vitamin D/calcitriol but this requirement can be bypassed by increasing the calcium content of the diet or by administering intermittent calcium infusions.

Medical student retention of embryonic development: impact of the dimensions added by multimedia tutorials.

Science.gov (United States)

Marsh, Karen R; Giffin, Bruce F; Lowrie, Donald J

2008-01-01

The purpose of this project was to develop Web-based learning modules that combine (1) animated 3D graphics; (2) 3D models that a student can manipulate independently; (3) passage of time in embryonic development; and (4) animated 2D graphics, including 2D cross-sections that represent different "slices" of the embryo, and animate in parallel. These elements were presented in two tutorials, one depicting embryonic folding and the other showing development of the nervous system after neural tube formation. The goal was to enhance the traditional teaching format-lecture combined with printed diagrams, text, and existing computer animations-with customized, guided, Web-based learning modules that surpassed existing resources. To assess module effectiveness, we compared quiz performance of control groups who attended lecture and did not use a supporting module, with study groups who used a module in addition to attending lecture. We also assessed our students' long-term retention of the material, comparing classes who had used the module with students from a previous year that had not seen the module. Our data analysis suggests that students who used a module performed better than those given only traditional resources if they used the module after they were already somewhat familiar with the material. The findings suggest that our modules-and possibly computer-assisted-instruction modules in general-are more useful if used toward the later stages of learning, rather than as an initial resource. Furthermore, our data suggest that the animation aids in long-term retention. Both medical students at the University of Cincinnati and medical faculty from across the country commented favorably on their experiences with the embryonic development modules. Copyright 2008 American Association of Anatomists

The Effects of Early Postnatal Diuretics Treatment on Kidney Development and Long-Term Kidney Function in Wistar Rats

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bueters, Ruud R. G.; Jeronimus-Klaasen, Annelies; Maicas, Nuria; Florquin, Sandrine; van den Heuvel, Lambertus P.; Schreuder, Michiel F.

2016-01-01

Diuretics are administered to neonates to control fluid balance. We studied whether clinical doses affected kidney development and function and whether extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR) could be a modulator. Wistar rats were cross-fostered in normal food or food restricted litters at postnatal

Impacts of maternal dietary protein intake on fetal survival, growth, and development.

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Herring, Cassandra M; Bazer, Fuller W; Johnson, Gregory A; Wu, Guoyao

2018-03-01

Maternal nutrition during gestation, especially dietary protein intake, is a key determinant in embryonic survival, growth, and development. Low maternal dietary protein intake can cause embryonic losses, intra-uterine growth restriction, and reduced postnatal growth due to a deficiency in specific amino acids that are important for cell metabolism and function. Of note, high maternal dietary protein intake can also result in intra-uterine growth restriction and embryonic death, due to amino acid excesses, as well as the toxicity of ammonia, homocysteine, and H 2 S that are generated from amino acid catabolism. Maternal protein nutrition has a pronounced impact on fetal programming and alters the expression of genes in the fetal genome. As a precursor to the synthesis of molecules (e.g. nitric oxide, polyamines, and creatine) with cell signaling and metabolic functions, L-arginine (Arg) is essential during pregnancy for growth and development of the conceptus. With inadequate maternal dietary protein intake, Arg and other important amino acids are deficient in mother and fetus. Dietary supplementation of Arg during gestation has been effective in improving embryonic survival and development of the conceptus in many species, including humans, pigs, sheep, mice, and rats. Both the balance among amino acids and their quantity are critical for healthy pregnancies and offspring. Impact statement This review aims at: highlighting adverse effects of elevated levels of ammonia in mother or fetus on embryonic/fetal survival, growth, and development; helping nutritionists and practitioners to understand the mechanisms whereby elevated levels of ammonia in mother or fetus results in embryonic/fetal death, growth restriction, and developmental abnormalities; and bringing, into the attention of nutritionists and practitioners, the problems of excess or inadequate dietary intake of protein or amino acids on pregnancy outcomes in animals and humans. The article provides new

Self-help groups can improve utilization of post-natal care by HIV-positive mothers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nguyen, T.A.; Oosterhoff, P.; Yen, P.N.; Wright, P.; Hardon, A.

2009-01-01

HIV prevention within maternal-child health services has increased in many developing countries, but many HIV-infected women in developing countries still receive insufficient postnatal care. This study explored the experience of 30 HIV-infected women in Vietnam in accessing HIV-related postnatal

L1 arrest, daf-16/FoxO and nonautonomous control of post-embryonic development.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, Rebecca E W; Baugh, L Ryan

2016-01-01

Post-embryonic development is governed by nutrient availability. L1 arrest, dauer formation and aging illustrate how starvation, anticipation of starvation and caloric restriction have profound influence on C. elegans development, respectively. Insulin-like signaling through the Forkhead box O transcription factor daf-16/FoxO regulates each of these processes. We recently reported that ins-4, ins-6 and daf-28 promote L1 development from the intestine and chemosensory neurons, similar to their role in dauer development. daf-16 functions cell-nonautonomously in regulation of L1 arrest, dauer development and aging. Discrepancies in daf-16 sites of action have been reported in each context, but the consensus implicates epidermis, intestine and nervous system. We suggest technical limitations of the experimental approach responsible for discrepant results. Steroid hormone signaling through daf-12/NHR is known to function downstream of daf-16 in control of dauer development, but signaling pathways mediating cell-nonautonomous effects of daf-16 in aging and L1 arrest had not been identified. We recently showed that daf-16 promotes L1 arrest by inhibiting daf-12/NHR and dbl-1/TGF-β Sma/Mab signaling, two pathways that promote L1 development in fed larvae. We will review these results on L1 arrest and speculate on why there are so many signals and signaling centers regulating post-embryonic development.

Development of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis embryonic stem cell lines from somatic cell nuclear transferred blastocysts

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Syed Mohmad Shah

2015-11-01

Full Text Available We developed buffalo embryonic stem cell lines from somatic cell nuclear transfer derived blastocysts, produced by hand-guided cloning technique. The inner cell mass of the blastocyst was cut mechanically using a Microblade and cultured onto feeder cells in buffalo embryonic stem (ES cell culture medium at 38 °C in a 5% CO2 incubator. The stem cell colonies were characterized for alkaline phosphatase activity, karyotype, pluripotency and self-renewal markers like OCT4, NANOG, SOX2, c-Myc, FOXD3, SSEA-1, SSEA-4, TRA-1-60, TRA-1-81 and CD90. The cell lines also possessed the capability to differentiate across all the three germ layers under spontaneous differentiation conditions.

Somatic donor cell type correlates with embryonic, but not extra-embryonic, gene expression in postimplantation cloned embryos.

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Ryutaro Hirasawa

Full Text Available The great majority of embryos generated by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT display defined abnormal phenotypes after implantation, such as an increased likelihood of death and abnormal placentation. To gain better insight into the underlying mechanisms, we analyzed genome-wide gene expression profiles of day 6.5 postimplantation mouse embryos cloned from three different cell types (cumulus cells, neonatal Sertoli cells and fibroblasts. The embryos retrieved from the uteri were separated into embryonic (epiblast and extraembryonic (extraembryonic ectoderm and ectoplacental cone tissues and were subjected to gene microarray analysis. Genotype- and sex-matched embryos produced by in vitro fertilization were used as controls. Principal component analysis revealed that whereas the gene expression patterns in the embryonic tissues varied according to the donor cell type, those in extraembryonic tissues were relatively consistent across all groups. Within each group, the embryonic tissues had more differentially expressed genes (DEGs (>2-fold vs. controls than did the extraembryonic tissues (P<1.0 × 10(-26. In the embryonic tissues, one of the common abnormalities was upregulation of Dlk1, a paternally imprinted gene. This might be a potential cause of the occasional placenta-only conceptuses seen in SCNT-generated mouse embryos (1-5% per embryos transferred in our laboratory, because dysregulation of the same gene is known to cause developmental failure of embryos derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. There were also some DEGs in the extraembryonic tissues, which might explain the poor development of SCNT-derived placentas at early stages. These findings suggest that SCNT affects the embryonic and extraembryonic development differentially and might cause further deterioration in the embryonic lineage in a donor cell-specific manner. This could explain donor cell-dependent variations in cloning efficiency using SCNT.

Rhein Induces Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Mouse Blastocysts and Has Immunotoxic Effects during Embryonic Development

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Chien-Hsun Huang

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Rhein, a glucoside chemical compound found in a traditional Chinese medicine derived from the roots of rhubarb, induces cell apoptosis and is considered to have high potential as an antitumor drug. Several previous studies showed that rhein can inhibit cell proliferation and trigger mitochondria-related or endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress-dependent apoptotic processes. However, the side effects of rhein on pre- and post-implantation embryonic development remain unclear. Here, we show that rhein has cytotoxic effects on blastocyst-stage mouse embryos and induces oxidative stress and immunotoxicity in mouse fetuses. Blastocysts incubated with 5–20 μM rhein showed significant cell apoptosis, as well as decreases in their inner cell mass cell numbers and total cell numbers. An in vitro development assay showed that rhein affected the developmental potentials of both pre- and post-implantation embryos. Incubation of blastocysts with 5–20 μM rhein was associated with increased resorption of post-implantation embryos and decreased fetal weight in an embryo transfer assay. Importantly, in an in vivo model, intravenous injection of dams with rhein (1, 3, and 5 mg/kg body weight/day for four days resulted in apoptosis of blastocyst-stage embryos, early embryonic developmental injury, and decreased fetal weight. Intravenous injection of dams with 5 mg/kg body weight/day rhein significantly increased the total reactive oxygen species (ROS content of fetuses and the transcription levels of antioxidant proteins in fetal livers. Additional work showed that rhein induced apoptosis through ROS generation, and that prevention of apoptotic processes effectively rescued the rhein-induced injury effects on embryonic development. Finally, the transcription levels of the innate-immunity related genes, CXCL1, IL-1 β and IL-8, were down-regulated in the fetuses of dams that received intravenous injections of rhein. These results collectively show that rhein has

Factors that affecting mothers’ postnatal comfort

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gül Pınar

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: The comfort is defined as; “an expected result of a complex conformation of providing peace and help about individual’s needs in a physical, psycho-spiritual, social and environmental entity to overcome the problems”. The aim of this study was to determine the mother’s postnatal comfort and the affecting factors of it.Materials and Methods: This is a sectional and descriptive study. The study was performed on the mothers (n=150 who applied to the delivery service of the Başkent University Ankara Hospital between the date of 30.07.2008 to 31.12.2008. A questionnaire was developed by the investigators to collect data and determine patients’ postnatal comfort scores. Results: The mean age of women was 26.4±3.5 years, the majority of patients had an educational level of high school (68.7% and were multipara (66.0%. It was determined that the mothers had problems and needed help with the fatigue, pain, in standing up, the adverse effect of anesthesia, personal and perineal hygiene that affect their postnatal comfort. The comfort score of the mothers who had spontaneous vaginal birth was higher than those of underwent cesarean delivery (p<0.05.Conclusion: The mothers’ needs and expectations about themselves and their babies were generally supplied by midwifes and the nurses in the postnatal period. Opinion of the mothers about their comfort were influenced to a positive view and the comfort scores increased while the mothers’ satisfaction were augmented (p<0.05.

Pb enamel biomarker: Deposition of pre- and postnatal Pb isotope injection in reconstructed time points along rat enamel transect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rinderknecht, A.L.; Kleinman, M.T.; Ericson, J.E.

2005-01-01

Exposure to lead (Pb) as well as other heavy metals in the environment is still a matter of public health concern. The development of the enamel biomarker for heavy metal exposure assessment is designed to improve studies of dose-effect relationships to developmental anomalies, particularly embryonic dysfunctions, and to provide a time-specific recount of past exposures. The work presented in this paper demonstrates maternal transfer across the placental barrier of the enriched isotope 206 Pb tracer to the enamel of the rat pup. Likewise, injections of 204 Pb-enriched tracer in the neonate rat resulted in deposition of the tracer in the enamel histology as measured by secondary ion microprobe spectrometry. Through enamel, we were able to observe biological removal and assimilation of prenatal and postnatal tracers, respectively. This research demonstrates that enamel can be used as a biomarker of exposure to Pb and may illustrate the toxicokinetics of incorporating Pb into fetal and neonatal steady-state system processes. The biomarker technique, when completely developed, may be applied to cross-sectional and longitudinal epidemiological research

Cortical Morphogenesis during Embryonic Development Is Regulated by miR-34c and miR-204

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Veno, Morten T.; Veno, Susanne T.; Rehberg, Kati

2017-01-01

The porcine brain closely resembles the human brain in aspects such as development and morphology. Temporal miRNA profiling in the developing embryonic porcine cortex revealed a distinct set of miRNAs, including miR-34c and miR-204, which exhibited a highly specific expression profile across...

G-quadruplexes as novel cis-elements controlling transcription during embryonic development.

Science.gov (United States)

David, Aldana P; Margarit, Ezequiel; Domizi, Pablo; Banchio, Claudia; Armas, Pablo; Calcaterra, Nora B

2016-05-19

G-quadruplexes are dynamic structures folded in G-rich single-stranded DNA regions. These structures have been recognized as a potential nucleic acid based mechanism for regulating multiple cellular processes such as replication, transcription and genomic maintenance. So far, their transcriptional role in vivo during vertebrate embryonic development has not yet been addressed. Here, we performed an in silico search to find conserved putative G-quadruplex sequences (PQSs) within proximal promoter regions of human, mouse and zebrafish developmental genes. Among the PQSs able to fold in vitro as G-quadruplex, those present in nog3, col2a1 and fzd5 promoters were selected for further studies. In cellulo studies revealed that the selected G-quadruplexes affected the transcription of luciferase controlled by the SV40 nonrelated promoter. G-quadruplex disruption in vivo by microinjection in zebrafish embryos of either small ligands or DNA oligonucleotides complementary to the selected PQSs resulted in lower transcription of the targeted genes. Moreover, zebrafish embryos and larvae phenotypes caused by the presence of complementary oligonucleotides fully resembled those ones reported for nog3, col2a1 and fzd5 morphants. To our knowledge, this is the first work revealing in vivo the role of conserved G-quadruplexes in the embryonic development, one of the most regulated processes of the vertebrates biology. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Maternal Postnatal Depression and the Development of Depression in Offspring up to 16 Years of Age

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Lynne; Arteche, Adriane; Fearon, Pasco; Halligan, Sarah; Goodyer, Ian; Cooper, Peter

2011-01-01

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the developmental risk pathway to depression by 16 years in offspring of postnatally depressed mothers. Method: This was a prospective longitudinal study of offspring of postnatally depressed and nondepressed mothers; child and family assessments were made from infancy to 16 years. A total of 702…

Changes in calcium uptake rate by rat cardiac mitochondria during postnatal development.

Science.gov (United States)

Bassani, R A; Fagian, M M; Bassani, J W; Vercesi, A E

1998-10-01

Ca2+ uptake, transmembrane electrical potential (Deltapsim) and oxygen consumption were measured in isolated ventricular mitochondria of rats from 3 days to 5 months of age. Estimated values of ruthenium red-sensitive, succinate-supported maximal rate of Ca2+ uptake (Vmax, expressed as nmol Ca2+/min/mg protein) were higher in neonates and gradually fell during postnatal development (from 435+/-24 at 3-6 days, to 156+/-10 in adults,Palpha-ketoglutarate as substrates) and state 3ADP (alpha-ketoglutarate-supported) respiration rates, as well as Deltapsim values (approximately-150 mV). Respiration-independent Deltapsim and Ca2+ uptake, supported by valinomycin-induced K+ efflux were also investigated at these ages. A transient Deltapsim (approximately -30 mV) was evoked by valinomycin in both neonatal and adult mitochondria. Respiration-independent Ca2+ uptake was also transient, but its initial rate was significantly higher in neonates than in adults (49. 4+/-10.0v 28.0+/-5.7 mmol Ca2+/min/mg protein,P<0.01). These results indicate that Ca2+ uptake capacity of rat cardiac mitochondria is remarkably high just after birth and declines over the first weeks of postnatal life, without change in apparent affinity of the transporter. Increased mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake rate in neonates appears to be related to the uniporter itself, rather than to modification of the driving force of the transport. Copyright 1998 Academic Press

Divergent selection for shape of growth curve in Japanese quail. 2. Embryonic development and growth

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hyánková, L.; Novotná, Božena; Knížetová, H.; Horáčková, Š.

2004-01-01

Roč. 45, č. 2 (2004), s. 171-179 ISSN 0007-1668 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA523/99/1262 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5039906 Keywords : embryonic development Subject RIV: EA - Cell Biology Impact factor: 0.677, year: 2004

Variation in maternal effects and embryonic development rates among passerine species.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Thomas E; Schwabl, Hubert

2008-05-12

Embryonic development rates are reflected by the length of incubation period in birds, and these vary substantially among species within and among geographical regions. The incubation periods are consistently shorter in North America (Arizona study site) than in tropical (Venezuela) and subtropical (Argentina) South America based on the study of 83 passerine species in 17 clades. Parents, mothers in particular, may influence incubation periods and resulting offspring quality through proximate pathways, while variation in maternal strategies among species can result from selection by adult and offspring mortality. Parents of long-lived species, as is common in the tropics and subtropics, may be under selection to minimize costs to themselves during incubation. Indeed, time spent incubating is often lower in the tropical and subtropical species than the related north temperate species, causing cooler average egg temperatures in the southern regions. Decreased egg temperatures result in longer incubation periods and reflect a cost imposed on offspring by parents because energy cost to the embryo and risk of offspring predation are both increased. Mothers may adjust egg size and constituents as a means to partially offset such costs. For example, reduced androgen concentrations in egg yolks may slow development rates, but may enhance offspring quality through physiological trade-offs that may be particularly beneficial in longer-lived species, as in the tropics and subtropics. We provide initial data to show that yolks of tropical birds contain substantially lower concentrations of growth-promoting androgens than north temperate relatives. Thus, maternal (and parental) effects on embryonic development rates may include contrasting and complementary proximate influences on offspring quality and deserve further field study among species.

Variation in maternal effects and embryonic development rates among passerine species

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, T.E.; Schwabl, H.

2008-01-01

Embryonic development rates are reflected by the length of incubation period in birds, and these vary substantially among species within and among geographical regions. The incubation periods are consistently shorter in North America (Arizona study site) than in tropical (Venezuela) and subtropical (Argentina) South America based on the study of 83 passerine species in 17 clades. Parents, mothers in particular, may influence incubation periods and resulting offspring quality through proximate pathways, while variation in maternal strategies among species can result from selection by adult and offspring mortality. Parents of long-lived species, as is common in the tropics and subtropics, may be under selection to minimize costs to themselves during incubation. Indeed, time spent incubating is often lower in the tropical and subtropical species than the related north temperate species, causing cooler average egg temperatures in the southern regions. Decreased egg temperatures result in longer incubation periods and reflect a cost imposed on offspring by parents because energy cost to the embryo and risk of offspring predation are both increased. Mothers may adjust egg size and constituents as a means to partially offset such costs. For example, reduced androgen concentrations in egg yolks may slow development rates, but may enhance offspring quality through physiological trade-offs that may be particularly beneficial in longer-lived species, as in the tropics and subtropics. We provide initial data to show that yolks of tropical birds contain substantially lower concentrations of growth-promoting androgens than north temperate relatives. Thus, maternal (and parental) effects on embryonic development rates may include contrasting and complementary proximate influences on offspring quality and deserve further field study among species. ?? 2007 The Royal Society.

Innovative virtual reality measurements for embryonic growth and development

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C.M. Verwoerd-Dikkeboom (Christine); A.H.J. Koning (Anton); W.C.J. Hop (Wim); P.J. van der Spek (Peter); N. Exalto (Niek); R.P.M. Steegers-Theunissen (Régine)

2010-01-01

textabstractBackground Innovative imaging techniques, using up-to-date ultrasonic equipment, necessitate specific biometry. The aim of our study was to test the possibility of detailed human embryonic biometry using a virtual reality (VR) technique. Methods In a longitudinal study, three-dimensional

Postnatal depression and socio-cultural practices among postnatal mothers in Kota Bahru, Kelantan, Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Azidah, A K; Shaiful, B I; Rusli, N; Jamil, M Y

2006-03-01

This is a cross sectional study to determine the relationship of postnatal depression (PND) and socio-cultural practices post-delivery among women in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Four hundred and twenty one pregnant women were screened for depression between 36 - 42 weeks of pregnancy, 1 week and 4 - 6 weeks postpartum using Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The women also completed questionnaires on socio-demography, psychosocial support and traditional postnatal care. The prevalence of PND at 4-6 weeks postpartum was 20.7%. Depressive symptoms at the end of pregnancy (p<0.05) and one week postpartum (p<0.05), worry about the baby (p<0.05), use of traditional medication (p<0.05) and traditional massage (p<0.05) were significantly associated with PND.

The experiences of postnatal patients regarding postnatal care in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

At home they receive care and advice from traditional birth attendants. ... exploratory, descriptive and contextual research method was used in this study. ... relatives when giving health advice on discharge; conflicting postnatal care advice; ...

The postnatal progeny development of males whose sexual cells were irradiated during different stages of spermatogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lepekhin, N.P.; Palyga, G.F.

1995-01-01

Distinct genetic radiosensitivity if germinal cells of males irradiated during different stages of spermatogenesis with doses of 0.25-5.0 Gy leads to reduction in vital newborn rats number in the first generation progeny and to elevated postnatal mortality rate. These postnatal ontogeny disorders depend on the irradiation dose and spermatogenesis stage for a moment irradiation. 11 refs.; 4 tabs

Embryonic and foetal Islet-1 positive cells in human hearts are also positive to c-Kit

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C. Serradifalco

2011-12-01

Full Text Available During embryogenesis, the mammalian heart develops from a primitive heart tube originating from two bilateral primary heart fields located in the lateral plate mesoderm. Cells belongings to the pre-cardiac mesoderm will differentiate into early cardiac progenitors, which express early transcription factors which are also common to the Isl-1 positive cardiac progenitor cells isolated from the developing pharyngeal mesoderm and the foetal and post-natal mice hearts. A second population of cardiac progenitor cells positive to c-Kit has been abundantly isolated from adult hearts. Until now, these two populations have been considered two different sets of progenitor cells present in the heart in different stages of an individual life. In the present study we collected embryonic, foetal and infant hearts, and we tested the hypotheses that c-Kit positive cells, usually isolated from the adult heart, are also present in the intra-uterine life and persist in the adult heart after birth, and that foetal Isl-1 positive cells are also positive to c-Kit. Using immunohistochemistry we studied the temporal distribution of Isl-1 positive and c-Kit/CD105 double positive cells, and by immunofluorescence and confocal analysis we studied the co-localization of c-Kit and Isl-1 positive cells. The results indicated that cardiomyocytes and interstitial cells were positive for c-Kit from the 9th to the 19th gestational week, that cells positive for both c-Kit and CD105 appeared in the interstitium at the 17th gestational week and persisted in the postnatal age, and that the Isl-1 positive cells were a subset of the c-Kit positive population.

A statewide review of postnatal care in private hospitals in Victoria, Australia

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Forster Della A

2010-05-01

frequency of visitors. These findings were similar to the public review. Organisational differences in postnatal care were found between the two sectors: private hospitals are more likely to have a separate postnatal care unit with single rooms and can accommodate partners' over-night; very few have a policy of infant rooming-in; and most have well-baby nurseries. Private hospitals are also more likely to employ staff other than midwives, have fewer core postnatal staff and have a greater dependence on casual and bank staff to provide postnatal care. Conclusions There are similarities and differences in the organisation and provision of private postnatal care compared to postnatal care in public hospitals. Key differences between the two sectors relate to the organisational and aesthetic aspects of service provision rather than the delivery of postnatal care. The key messages emerging from both reviews is the need to review and monitor the adequacy of staffing levels and to develop alternative approaches to postnatal care to improve this episode of care for women and care providers alike. We also recommend further research to provide a greater evidence-base for postnatal care provision.

Maternal topoisomerase II alpha, not topoisomerase II beta, enables embryonic development of zebrafish top2a-/- mutants

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Sapetto-Rebow, Beata

2011-11-23

Abstract Background Genetic alterations in human topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A) are linked to cancer susceptibility. TOP2A decatenates chromosomes and thus is necessary for multiple aspects of cell division including DNA replication, chromosome condensation and segregation. Topoisomerase II alpha is also required for embryonic development in mammals, as mouse Top2a knockouts result in embryonic lethality as early as the 4-8 cell stage. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the extended developmental capability of zebrafish top2a mutants arises from maternal expression of top2a or compensation from its top2b paralogue. Results Here, we describe bloody minded (blm), a novel mutant of zebrafish top2a. In contrast to mouse Top2a nulls, zebrafish top2a mutants survive to larval stages (4-5 day post fertilization). Developmental analyses demonstrate abundant expression of maternal top2a but not top2b. Inhibition or poisoning of maternal topoisomerase II delays embryonic development by extending the cell cycle M-phase. Zygotic top2a and top2b are co-expressed in the zebrafish CNS, but endogenous or ectopic top2b RNA appear unable to prevent the blm phenotype. Conclusions We conclude that maternal top2a enables zebrafish development before the mid-zygotic transition (MZT) and that zebrafish top2a and top2b are not functionally redundant during development after activation of the zygotic genome.

Maternal topoisomerase II alpha, not topoisomerase II beta, enables embryonic development of zebrafish top2a-/- mutants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sapetto-Rebow Beata

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Genetic alterations in human topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A are linked to cancer susceptibility. TOP2A decatenates chromosomes and thus is necessary for multiple aspects of cell division including DNA replication, chromosome condensation and segregation. Topoisomerase II alpha is also required for embryonic development in mammals, as mouse Top2a knockouts result in embryonic lethality as early as the 4-8 cell stage. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the extended developmental capability of zebrafish top2a mutants arises from maternal expression of top2a or compensation from its top2b paralogue. Results Here, we describe bloody minded (blm, a novel mutant of zebrafish top2a. In contrast to mouse Top2a nulls, zebrafish top2a mutants survive to larval stages (4-5 day post fertilization. Developmental analyses demonstrate abundant expression of maternal top2a but not top2b. Inhibition or poisoning of maternal topoisomerase II delays embryonic development by extending the cell cycle M-phase. Zygotic top2a and top2b are co-expressed in the zebrafish CNS, but endogenous or ectopic top2b RNA appear unable to prevent the blm phenotype. Conclusions We conclude that maternal top2a enables zebrafish development before the mid-zygotic transition (MZT and that zebrafish top2a and top2b are not functionally redundant during development after activation of the zygotic genome.

Developing predictions of in vivo developmental toxicity of ToxCast chemicals using mouse embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Developing predictions of in vivo developmental toxicity of ToxCast chemicals using mouse embryonic stem cells S. Hunter, M. Rosen, M. Hoopes, H. Nichols, S. Jeffay, K. Chandler1, Integrated Systems Toxicology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Labor...

Efficient in vivo electroporation of the postnatal rodent forebrain.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camille Boutin

Full Text Available Functional gene analysis in vivo represents still a major challenge in biomedical research. Here we present a new method for the efficient introduction of nucleic acids into the postnatal mouse forebrain. We show that intraventricular injection of DNA followed by electroporation induces strong expression of transgenes in radial glia, neuronal precursors and neurons of the olfactory system. We present two proof-of-principle experiments to validate our approach. First, we show that expression of a human isoform of the neural cell adhesion molecule (hNCAM-140 in radial glia cells induces their differentiation into cells showing a neural precursor phenotype. Second, we demonstrate that p21 acts as a cell cycle inhibitor for postnatal neural stem cells. This approach will represent an important tool for future studies of postnatal neurogenesis and of neural development in general.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Differential gene expression patterns during embryonic development of sea urchin exposed to triclosan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Jinik; Suh, Sung-Suk; Park, Mirye; Park, So Yun; Lee, Sukchan; Lee, Taek-Kyun

2017-02-01

Triclosan (TCS; 2,4,4'-trichloro-2'-hydroxydiphenyl ether) is a broad-spectrum antibacterial agent used in common industrial, personal care and household products which are eventually rinsed down the drain and discharged with wastewater effluent. It is therefore commonly found in the aquatic environment, leading to the continual exposure of aquatic organisms to TCS and the accumulation of the antimicrobial and its harmful degradation products in their bodies. Toxic effects of TCS on reproductive and developmental progression of some aquatic organisms have been suggested but the underlying molecular mechanisms have not been defined. We investigated the expression patterns of genes involved in the early development of TCS-treated sea urchin Strongylocentrotus nudus using cDNA microarrays. We observed that the predominant consequence of TCS treatment in this model system was the widespread repression of TCS-modulated genes. In particular, empty spiracles homeobox 1 (EMX-1), bone morphogenic protein, and chromosomal binding protein genes showed a significant decrease in expression in response to TCS. These results suggest that TCS can induce abnormal development of sea urchin embryos through the concomitant suppression of a number of genes that are necessary for embryonic differentiation in the blastula stage. Our data provide new insight into the crucial role of genes associated with embryonic development in response to TCS. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 426-433, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Spatiotemporal expression profile of the Pumilio gene in the embryonic development of silkworm.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Liang; You, Zaizhi; Xia, Hengchuan; Tang, Qi; Zhou, Yang; Yao, Qin; Chen, Keping

2014-01-01

We previously identified a pumilio gene in silkworm (Bombyx mori L.), designated BmPUM, which was specifically expressed in the ovary and testis. To further characterize this gene's involvement in silkworm development, we have determined the spatiotemporal expression pattern of BmPUM during all embryonic stages. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed that BmPUM was expressed in all stages of silkworm embryos and that its transcript levels displayed two distinct peaks. The first was observed at the germ-band formation stage (1 d after oviposition) and dropped to a low level at the gonad formation stage (5 d after oviposition). The second was detected at the stage of bristle follicle occurrence (6 d after oviposition), which was confirmed by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Nanos (Nos), functioning together with Pum in abdomen formation of Drosophila embryos, was also highly expressed at the beginning (0 h to 1 d after oviposition) of embryogenesis, but its transcript levels were very low after the stage of germ-band formation. These results suggest that BmPUM functions with Bombyx mori nanos (Bm-nanos) at the early stages of silkworm embryonic development, and may then play a role in gonad formation and the occurrence of bristle follicles. Our data thus provide a foundation to uncover the role of BmPUM during silkworm development.

Expression of receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatase in developing and adult renal vasculature.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keiko Takahashi

Full Text Available Renal vascular development is a coordinated process that requires ordered endothelial cell proliferation, migration, intercellular adhesion, and morphogenesis. In recent decades, studies have defined the pivotal role of endothelial receptor tyrosine kinases (RPTKs in the development and maintenance of renal vasculature. However, the expression and the role of receptor tyrosine phosphatases (RPTPs in renal endothelium are poorly understood, though coupled and counterbalancing roles of RPTKs and RPTPs are well defined in other systems. In this study, we evaluated the promoter activity and immunolocalization of two endothelial RPTPs, VE-PTP and PTPμ, in developing and adult renal vasculature using the heterozygous LacZ knock-in mice and specific antibodies. In adult kidneys, both VE-PTP and PTPμ were expressed in the endothelium of arterial, glomerular, and medullary vessels, while their expression was highly limited in peritubular capillaries and venous endothelium. VE-PTP and PTPμ promoter activity was also observed in medullary tubular segments in adult kidneys. In embryonic (E12.5, E13.5, E15.5, E17.5 and postnatal (P0, P3, P7 kidneys, these RPTPs were expressed in ingrowing renal arteries, developing glomerular microvasculature (as early as the S-shaped stage, and medullary vessels. Their expression became more evident as the vasculatures matured. Peritubular capillary expression of VE-PTP was also noted in embryonic and postnatal kidneys. Compared to VE-PTP, PTPμ immunoreactivity was relatively limited in embryonic and neonatal renal vasculature and evident immunoreactivity was observed from the P3 stage. These findings indicate 1 VE-PTP and PTPμ are expressed in endothelium of arterial, glomerular, and medullary renal vasculature, 2 their expression increases as renal vascular development proceeds, suggesting that these RPTPs play a role in maturation and maintenance of these vasculatures, and 3 peritubular capillary VE-PTP expression

The Phosphatase PTP-PEST/PTPN12 Regulates Endothelial Cell Migration and Adhesion, but Not Permeability, and Controls Vascular Development and Embryonic Viability*

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Souza, Cleiton Martins; Davidson, Dominique; Rhee, Inmoo; Gratton, Jean-Philippe; Davis, Elaine C.; Veillette, André

2012-01-01

Protein-tyrosine phosphatase (PTP)-PEST (PTPN12) is ubiquitously expressed. It is essential for normal embryonic development and embryonic viability in mice. Herein we addressed the involvement of PTP-PEST in endothelial cell functions using a combination of genetic and biochemical approaches. By generating primary endothelial cells from an inducible PTP-PEST-deficient mouse, we found that PTP-PEST is not needed for endothelial cell differentiation and proliferation or for the control of endothelial cell permeability. Nevertheless, it is required for integrin-mediated adhesion and migration of endothelial cells. PTP-PEST-deficient endothelial cells displayed increased tyrosine phosphorylation of Cas, paxillin, and Pyk2, which were previously also implicated in integrin functions. By eliminating PTP-PEST in endothelial cells in vivo, we obtained evidence that expression of PTP-PEST in endothelial cells is required for normal vascular development and embryonic viability. Therefore, PTP-PEST is a key regulator of integrin-mediated functions in endothelial cells seemingly through its capacity to control Cas, paxillin, and Pyk2. This function explains at least in part the essential role of PTP-PEST in embryonic development and viability. PMID:23105101

Embryonic exposure to lead: comparison of immune and cellular responses in unchallenged and virally stressed chickens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Ji-Eun; Kao, Elizabeth; Dietert, Rodney R. [Institute for Comparative and Environmental Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (United States); Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (United States); Naqi, Syed A. [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (United States)

2002-01-01

-exposed chickens. These results suggest that low-level exposure to lead has a direct effect on the developing chicken immune system, which is evident even during a postnatal infection. Furthermore, some of the changes were observed only when chicks were stressed by the viral infection. It appears that lead exposure during different stages of embryonic development is likely to result in different immunotoxic outcomes in juveniles. (orig.)

Microscopic analysis of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) embryonic development before and after treatment with azadirachtin, lufenuron, and deltamethrin.

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Correia, Alicely A; Wanderley-Teixeira, Valéria; Teixeira, Alvaro A C; Oliveira, José V; Gonçalves, Gabriel G A; Cavalcanti, MaríIia G S; Brayner, Fábio A; Alves, Luiz C

2013-04-01

The botanical insecticides, growth regulators, and pyrethroids have an effect on the biology of Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith). However, no emphasis has been given to the effect of these insecticides on embryonic development of insects, in histological level. Thus, this research aimed to examine by light and scanning electron microscopy S. frugiperda eggs and to describe the embryonic development, before and after immersion treatment, using commercial concentrations and lower concentrations than commercial ones, of the compounds lufenuron (Match), azadirachtin (AzaMax), and deltamethrin (Decis-positive control). For light microscopy semithin sections of eggs were used, and for scanning electron microscopy, images of the surface of eggs, treated and untreated with insecticides. The morphological characteristics of S. frugiperda eggs, in general, were similar to those described in the literature for most of the insects in the order Lepidoptera. Spherical eggs slightly flattened at the poles, with chorion, yolk, vitelline membrane, and embryo formation. In both microscopic analysis, we observed that insecticides acted immediately and independent of concentration, resulting absence, or incomplete embryo, presented yolk granules widely dispersed, without vitellophage formation, chorion disintegration, disorganized blastoderm, presenting vacuoles, yolk region with amorphous cells, and formation of completely uncharacterized appendages. Thus, we conclude that the compounds lufenuron and azadirachtin interfere on S. frugiperda embryonic development.

Women's views of postnatal care in the context of the increasing pressure on postnatal beds in Australia.

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McLachlan, Helen L; Gold, Lisa; Forster, Della A; Yelland, Jane; Rayner, Joanne; Rayner, Sharon

2009-12-01

Despite limited evidence evaluating early postnatal discharge, length of hospital stay has declined dramatically in Australia since the 1980s. The recent rising birth rate in Victoria, Australia has increased pressure on hospital beds, and many services have responded by discharging women earlier than planned, often with little preparation during pregnancy. We aimed to explore the views of women and their partners regarding a number of theoretical postnatal care 'packages' that could provide an alternative approach to early postnatal care. Eight focus groups and four interviews were held in rural and metropolitan Victoria in 2006 with participants who had experienced a mix of public and private maternity care. These included 8 pregnant women, 42 recent mothers and 2 male partners. All were fluent in English. Focus groups explored participants' experiences and/or expectations of early postnatal care in hospital and at home and their views of alternative packages of postnatal care where location of care shifted from hospital to home and/or hotel. This paper describes the packages and explores and describes what 'value' women placed on the various components of care. Overall, women expressed a preference for what they had experienced or expected, which may be explained by the 'what is must be best' phenomenon where women place value on the status quo. They generally did not respond favourably towards the alternative postnatal care packages, with concerns about any shorter length of hospital stay, especially for first time mothers. Women were concerned about the safety and wellbeing of their new baby and reported that they lacked confidence in their ability to care for their baby. The physical presence and availability of professional support was seen to alleviate these concerns, especially for first time mothers. Participants did not believe that increased domiciliary visits compensated for forgoing the perceived security and value of staying in hospital. Women

Porcine embryonic stem cells

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Hall, Vanessa Jane

2008-01-01

The development of porcine embryonic stem cell lines (pESC) has received renewed interest given the advances being made in the production of immunocompatible transgenic pigs. However, difficulties are evident in the production of pESCs in-vitro. This may largely be attributable to differences...

Identification and expression analysis of zebrafish glypicans during embryonic development.

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Mansi Gupta

Full Text Available Heparan sulfate Proteoglycans (HSPG are ubiquitous molecules with indispensable functions in various biological processes. Glypicans are a family of HSPG's, characterized by a Gpi-anchor which directs them to the cell surface and/or extracellular matrix where they regulate growth factor signaling during development and disease. We report the identification and expression pattern of glypican genes from zebrafish. The zebrafish genome contains 10 glypican homologs, as opposed to six in mammals, which are highly conserved and are phylogenetically related to the mammalian genes. Some of the fish glypicans like Gpc1a, Gpc3, Gpc4, Gpc6a and Gpc6b show conserved synteny with their mammalian cognate genes. Many glypicans are expressed during the gastrulation stage, but their expression becomes more tissue specific and defined during somitogenesis stages, particularly in the developing central nervous system. Existence of multiple glypican orthologs in fish with diverse expression pattern suggests highly specialized and/or redundant function of these genes during embryonic development.

Notch signaling activation in human embryonic stem cells is required for embryonic but not trophoblastic lineage commitment

OpenAIRE

Yu, Xiaobing; Zou, Jizhong; Ye, Zhaohui; Hammond, Holly; Chen, Guibin; Tokunaga, Akinori; Mali, Prashant; Li, Yue-Ming; Civin, Curt; Gaiano, Nicholas; Cheng, Linzhao

2008-01-01

The Notch signaling pathway plays important roles in cell fate determination during embryonic development and adult life. In this study, we focus on the role of Notch signaling in governing cell fate choices in human embryonic stem (hES) cells. Using genetic and pharmacological approaches, we achieved both blockade and conditional activation of Notch signaling in several hES cell lines. We report here that activation of Notch signaling is required for undifferentiated hES cells to form the pr...

Early embryonic development of the head region of Gryllus assimilis Fabricius, 1775 (Orthoptera, Insecta).

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Liu, Yu; Maas, Andreas; Waloszek, Dieter

2010-09-01

We report our investigations on the embryonic development of Gryllus assimilis, with particular attention to the head. Significant findings revealed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images include: (1) the pre-antennal lobes represent the anterior-most segment that does not bear any appendages; (2) each of the lobes consists of central and marginal regions; (3) the central region thereof develops into the protocerebrum and the optic lobes, whereas the marginal region thereof becomes the anterior portion of the head capsule; (4) the initial position of the antennal segment is posterior to the mouth region; (5) appendage anlagen are transitorily present in the intercalary segment, and they later vanish together with the segment itself; (6) a bulged sternum appears to develop from the ventral surface of the mandibular, maxillary and labial segments. Embryonic features are then compared across the Insecta and further extended to the embryos of a spider (Araneae, Chelicerata). Striking similarities shared by the anterior-most region of the insect and spider embryos lead the authors to conclude that such comparison should be further undertaken to cover the entire Euarthropoda. This will help us to understand the embryology and evolution of the arthropod head. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Early embryonic development and transplantation in tree shrews

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Lan-Zhen YAN

2016-07-01

Full Text Available As a novel experimental animal model, tree shrews have received increasing attention in recent years. Despite this, little is known in regards to the time phases of their embryonic development. In this study, surveillance systems were used to record the behavior and timing of copulations; embryos at different post-copulation stages were collected and cultured in vitro; and the developmental characteristics of both early-stage and in vitro cultured embryos were determined. A total of 163 females were collected following effective copulation, and 150 were used in either unilateral or bilateral oviduct embryo collections, with 307 embryos from 111 females obtained (conception rate=74%. Among them, 237 embryos were collected from 78 females, bilaterally, i.e., the average embryo number per female was 3.04; 172 fertilized eggs collected from 55 females, bilaterally, were cultured for 24-108 h in vitro for developmental observations; finally, 65 embryos from 23 bilateral cases and 70 embryos from 33 unilateral cases were used in embryo transplantation.

Embryonic development of the sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax

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Cucchi, Patricia; Sucré, Elliott; Santos, Raphaël; Leclère, Jeremy; Charmantier, Guy; Castille, René

2012-06-01

The embryonic development of the sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax during the endotrophic period is discussed. An 8 cells stage, not reported for other studied species, results from two rapid successive cleavages. Blastula occurs at the eighth division when the embryo is made of 128 cells. During gastrulation, the infolded blastoderm creates the endomesoblastic layer. The Kupffer's vesicle is reported to drive the left/right patterning of brain, heart and digestive tract. Heart formation starts at 8 pairs of somites, differentiation of myotomes and sclerotomes starts at the stage 18 pairs of somites; main parts of the digestive tract are entirely formed at 25 pairs of somites. At 28 pairs of somites, a rectal region is detected, however, the digestive tube is closed at both ends, the jaw appears the fourth day after hatching, but the mouth is not opened before the fifth day. Although cardiac beating and blood circulation are observed, gills are not reported in newly hatched individuals; eye melanization appears concomitant with exotrophic behavior.

Postnatal development of EEG patterns, catecholamine contents and myelination, and effect of hyperthyroidism in Suncus brain.

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Takeuchi, T; Sitizyo, K; Harada, E

1998-03-01

The postnatal development of the central nervous system (CNS) in house musk shrew in the early stage of maturation was studied. The electroencephalogram (EEG) and visual evoked potential (VEP) in association with catecholamine contents and myelin basic protein (MBP) immunoreactivity were carried out from the 1st to the 20th day of postnatal age. Different EEG patterns which were specific to behavioral states (awake and drowsy) were first recorded on the 5th day, and the total power which was obtained by power spectrum analysis increased after this stage. The latencies of all peaks in VEP markedly shortened between the 5th and the 7th day. Noradrenalin (NA) content of the brain showed a slight increase after the 3rd day, and reached maximum levels on the 7th day, which was delayed a few days compared to dopamine (DA). In hyperthyroidism, the peak latency of VEP was shortened and biosynthesis of NA in cerebral cortex and DA in hippocampus was accelerated. The most obvious change in MBP-immunoreactivity of the telencephalon occurred from the 7th to the 10th day. These morphological changes in the brain advanced at the identical time-course to those in the electrophysiological development and increment of DA and NA contents.

Fate of Cajal-Retzius neurons in the postnatal mouse neocortex

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Tara G Chowdhury

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Cajal-Retzius (CR neurons play a critical role in cortical neuronal migration, but their exact fate after the completion of neocortical lamination remains a mystery. Histological evidence has been unable to unequivocally determine whether these cells die or undergo a phenotypic transformation to become resident interneurons of Layer 1 in the adult neocortex. To determine their ultimate fate, we performed chronic in vivo two-photon imaging of identified CR neurons during postnatal development in mice that express the green fluorescent protein (GFP under the control of the early B-cell factor 2 (Ebf2 promoter. We find that, after birth, virtually all CR neurons in mouse neocortex express Ebf2. Although postnatal CR neurons undergo dramatic morphological transformations, they do not migrate to deeper layers. Instead, their gradual disappearance from the cortex is due to apoptotic death during the second postnatal week. A small fraction of CR neurons present at birth survive into adulthood. We conclude that, in addition to orchestrating cortical layering, a subset of CR neurons must play other roles beyond the third postnatal week.

EVOLUTION OF NEUROENDOCRINE CELL POPULATION AND PEPTIDERGIC INNERVATION, ASSESSED BY DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS, DURING POSTNATAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE RAT PROSTATE

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Rosario Rodríguez

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Serotonin immunoreactive neuroendocrine cells and peptidergic nerves (NPY and VIP could have a role in prostate growth and function. In the present study, rats grouped by stages of postnatal development (prepubertal, pubertal, young and aged adults were employed in order to ascertain whether age causes changes in the number of serotoninergic neuroendocrine cells and the length of NPY and VIP fibres. Discriminant analysis was performed in order to ascertain the classificatory power of stereologic variables (absolute and relative measurements of cell number and fibre length on age groups. The following conclusions were drawn: a discriminant analysis confirms the androgen-dependence of both neuroendocrine cells and NPYVIP innervation during the postnatal development of the rat prostate; b periglandular innervation has more relevance than interglandular innervation in classifying the rats in age groups; and c peptidergic nerves from ventral, ampullar and periductal regions were more age-dependent than nerves from the dorso-lateral region.

PREVENTION OF NIPPLE CRACKS OF THE MAMMARY GLAND IN THE EARLY POSTNATAL PERIOD

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Marina L. Travina

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Preservation and prolongation of the lactation period is not only a guarantee of the child's full physical and mental development but also one of the most important methods for reducing the risk of developing breast cancer. Problems with the mammary gland nipple in a woman in the early postnatal period lead to a refusal of lactation. We carried out a retrospective analysis (period from 2010 to 2016 of the causes of traumatizing mammary gland nipples in the early postnatal period in 172 women (mean age 29.1 ± 4.3 years. Methods of prevention and treatment of nipple injuries in the early postnatal period have been offered for the lactation period prolongation.

Paternal depression in the postnatal period and child development: mediators and moderators.

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Gutierrez-Galve, Leticia; Stein, Alan; Hanington, Lucy; Heron, Jon; Ramchandani, Paul

2015-02-01

To explore potential mediating and moderating factors that influence the association between paternal depression in the postnatal period and subsequent child behavioral and emotional problems. A population-based cohort (N = 13,822) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) was recruited during pregnancy. Paternal and maternal depressive symptoms were assessed with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at 8 weeks after the birth of the child. Child outcomes were assessed at 3.5 years by using the Rutter revised preschool scales and at 7 years by using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Path analysis was used to assess hypothesized mediators (ie, depression in the other parent, couple conflict, and paternal noninvolvement) of the associations between both paternal and maternal depression and child outcomes. We also tested for hypothesized moderators (ie, paternal education and antisocial traits). Family factors (maternal depression and couple conflict) mediated two-thirds of the overall association between paternal depression and child outcomes at 3.5 years. Similar findings were seen when children were 7 years old. In contrast, family factors mediated less than one-quarter of the association between maternal depression and child outcomes. There was no evidence of moderating effects of either parental education or antisocial traits. The majority of the association between depression in fathers postnatally and subsequent child behavior is explained by the mediating role of family environment, whereas the association between depression in mothers and child outcomes appears to be better explained by other factors, perhaps including direct mother-infant interaction. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Delayed growth, motor function and learning in preterm pigs during early postnatal life

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Andersen, Anders D.; Sangild, Per T.; Munch, Sara L.

2016-01-01

Preterm birth interrupts normal fetal growth with consequences for postnatal growth and organ development. In preterm infants, many physiological deficits adapt and disappear with advancing postnatal age, but some may persist into childhood. We hypothesized that preterm birth would induce impaired......, and learning, relative to term pigs (all P

Prenatal and early postnatal stress and later life inflammation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Jolene Masters; Mortensen, Erik Lykke; Christensen, Dinne Skjærlund

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that maternal psychological and social stress during the prenatal period and in childhood represent an important condition that may adversely impact the anatomy and physiology of the developing child with implications for a number of health-related conditions...... and postnatal stressor data was collected at year one follow-up. A series of ordinary least square regression models were performed with the stress measures as the exposures and C-reactive protein (CRP), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-10 (IL-10), and Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) separately as the outcomes...... in the first year of life, was associated with higher levels of CRP and IL-6. The accumulation of social stressors in the early postnatal period was associated with higher levels of CRP and IL-6 but not IL-10 and TNF-α. The accumulation of stressors in the prenatal and postnatal periods combined was associated...

ACTIVITY OF CANONICAL WNT SIGNAL SYSTEM IN HYALINE CARTILAGE ARTICULAR CHONDROCYTES IN PROCESS OF SYNOVIAL JOINT DEVELOPMENT

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A.O. Molotkov

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Canonical and non-canonical Wnt systems are essential regulators of chondrogenesis and bone development. However, the roles of these systems in synovial joint development are not well studied. To determine if canonical Wnt system is active in developing articular chondrocytes we used immunohistochemistry for в-galactosidase and doublecortin (cell-type specific marker for articular chondrocytes to double label sections through joint regions of E14.5, E18.5, P10 and adult mice. Here the following results are presented. Canonical Wnt signal system does not work in developing articular chondrocytes at early embryonic stages (E14.5; it is active in the articular chondrocytes at late embryonic stages (E16.5-E18.5 and during postnatal development (P7-P10, but is turned off again in the adult articular chondrocytes. These results suggest that canonical Wnt signaling is being regulated during articular chondrocytes differentiation and joint formation.

beta1 integrin maintains integrity of the embryonic neocortical stem cell niche.

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Karine Loulier

2009-08-01

Full Text Available During embryogenesis, the neural stem cells (NSC of the developing cerebral cortex are located in the ventricular zone (VZ lining the cerebral ventricles. They exhibit apical and basal processes that contact the ventricular surface and the pial basement membrane, respectively. This unique architecture is important for VZ physical integrity and fate determination of NSC daughter cells. In addition, the shorter apical process is critical for interkinetic nuclear migration (INM, which enables VZ cell mitoses at the ventricular surface. Despite their importance, the mechanisms required for NSC adhesion to the ventricle are poorly understood. We have shown previously that one class of candidate adhesion molecules, laminins, are present in the ventricular region and that their integrin receptors are expressed by NSC. However, prior studies only demonstrate a role for their interaction in the attachment of the basal process to the overlying pial basement membrane. Here we use antibody-blocking and genetic experiments to reveal an additional and novel requirement for laminin/integrin interactions in apical process adhesion and NSC regulation. Transient abrogation of integrin binding and signalling using blocking antibodies to specifically target the ventricular region in utero results in abnormal INM and alterations in the orientation of NSC divisions. We found that these defects were also observed in laminin alpha2 deficient mice. More detailed analyses using a multidisciplinary approach to analyse stem cell behaviour by expression of fluorescent transgenes and multiphoton time-lapse imaging revealed that the transient embryonic disruption of laminin/integrin signalling at the VZ surface resulted in apical process detachment from the ventricular surface, dystrophic radial glia fibers, and substantial layering defects in the postnatal neocortex. Collectively, these data reveal novel roles for the laminin/integrin interaction in anchoring embryonic NSCs

Changes in the concentrations of four maternal steroids during embryonic development in the threespined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus).

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Paitz, Ryan Thomas; Mommer, Brett Christian; Suhr, Elissa; Bell, Alison Marie

2015-08-01

Embryonic exposure to steroids often leads to long-term phenotypic effects. It has been hypothesized that mothers may be able to create a steroid environment that adjusts the phenotypes of offspring to current environmental conditions. Complicating this hypothesis is the potential for developing embryos to modulate their early endocrine environment. This study utilized the threespined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to characterize the early endocrine environment within eggs by measuring four steroids (progesterone, testosterone, estradiol, and cortisol) of maternal origin. We then examined how the concentrations of these four steroids changed over the first 12 days post fertilization (dpf). Progesterone, testosterone, estradiol, and cortisol of maternal origin could be detected within unfertilized eggs and levels of all four steroids declined in the first 3 days following fertilization. While levels of progesterone, testosterone, and estradiol remained low after the initial decline, levels of cortisol rose again by 8 dpf. These results demonstrate that G. aculeatus embryos begin development in the presence of a number of maternal steroids but levels begin to change quickly following fertilization. This suggests that embryonic processes change the early endocrine environment and hence influence the ability of maternal steroids to affect development. With these findings, G. aculeatus becomes an intriguing system in which to study how selection may act on both maternal and embryonic processes to shape the evolutionary consequence of steroid-mediated maternal effects. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Differential expression and processing of transforming growth factor beta induced protein (TGFBIp) in the normal human cornea during postnatal development and aging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karring, Henrik; Runager, Kasper; Valnickova, Zuzana

2010-01-01

Transforming growth factor beta induced protein (TGFBIp, also named keratoepithelin) is an extracellular matrix protein abundant in the cornea. The purpose of this study was to determine the expression and processing of TGFBIp in the normal human cornea during postnatal development and aging...... trimming events from the N-terminus of mature TGFBIp generate TGFBIp isoforms which form a similar "zig-zag" pattern when separated by 2-D polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). This study shows that in humans TGFBIp is more abundant in mature corneas than in the developing cornea...... and that the processing of TGFBIp changes during postnatal development of the cornea. In addition, TGFBIp appears to be degraded in a highly orchestrated manner in the normal human cornea with the resulting C-terminal fragments being retained in the cornea. The age-related changes in the expression and processing...

Differential effects of developmental hypo- and hyperthyroidism on acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activity in the spinal cord of developing postnatal rat pups.

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Koohestani, Faezeh; Brown, Chester M; Meisami, Esmail

2012-11-01

The plasticity and vulnerability of the rat spinal cord (SC) during postnatal development has been less investigated compared to other CNS structures. In this study, we determined the effects of thyroid hormonal (TH) deficiency and excess on postnatal growth and neurochemical development of the rat SC. The growth as well as the specific and total activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) enzymes of the SC were determined in hypo- and hyperthyroid rat pups at postnatal (P) days P1, P5, P10 and P21 (weaning), and were compared to age-matched untreated normal controls. AChE is a cholinergic synaptic enzyme while BuChE is a metabolic enzyme mainly found in glial cells and neurovascular cells. The SC is rich in somatic motor, autonomic cholinergic neurons and associated interneurons. Daily subcutaneous injection of pups with thyroxine (T4) and administration of antithyroid goitrogen propylthiouracil (PTU) in the litter's drinking water were used to induce hyper- and hypothyroidism, respectively. Enzyme assays were carried out spectrophotometrically at the above-mentioned ages, using SC homogenates with acetylthiocholine-chloride as the substrate, together with specific cholinesterase inhibitors, which specifically target AChE and BuChE. SC weights were significantly lower at P10 and P21 in hypothyroid pups but unchanged in the hyperthyroid ones. Hypothyroidism significantly reduced both specific and total AChE activity in SC of P10 and P21 rat pups, while having no effects on the BuChE activity, although total BuChE activity was decreased due to reduced total tissue weight. In contrast both specific and total AChE activities were markedly and significantly increased (>100%) in the P10 and P21 hyperthyroid pups. However, BuChE specific activity was unaffected by this treatment. The results indicate that hypothyroid condition significantly reduces, while hyperthyroidism increases, the postnatal development of cholinergic synapses, thereby

Serotonin potentiates transforming growth factor-beta3 induced biomechanical remodeling in avian embryonic atrioventricular valves.

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Philip R Buskohl

Full Text Available Embryonic heart valve primordia (cushions maintain unidirectional blood flow during development despite an increasingly demanding mechanical environment. Recent studies demonstrate that atrioventricular (AV cushions stiffen over gestation, but the molecular mechanisms of this process are unknown. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ and serotonin (5-HT signaling modulate tissue biomechanics of postnatal valves, but less is known of their role in the biomechanical remodeling of embryonic valves. In this study, we demonstrate that exogenous TGFβ3 increases AV cushion biomechanical stiffness and residual stress, but paradoxically reduces matrix compaction. We then show that TGFβ3 induces contractile gene expression (RhoA, aSMA and extracellular matrix expression (col1α2 in cushion mesenchyme, while simultaneously stimulating a two-fold increase in proliferation. Local compaction increased due to an elevated contractile phenotype, but global compaction appeared reduced due to proliferation and ECM synthesis. Blockade of TGFβ type I receptors via SB431542 inhibited the TGFβ3 effects. We next showed that exogenous 5-HT does not influence cushion stiffness by itself, but synergistically increases cushion stiffness with TGFβ3 co-treatment. 5-HT increased TGFβ3 gene expression and also potentiated TGFβ3 induced gene expression in a dose-dependent manner. Blockade of the 5HT2b receptor, but not 5-HT2a receptor or serotonin transporter (SERT, resulted in complete cessation of TGFβ3 induced mechanical strengthening. Finally, systemic 5-HT administration in ovo induced cushion remodeling related defects, including thinned/atretic AV valves, ventricular septal defects, and outflow rotation defects. Elevated 5-HT in ovo resulted in elevated remodeling gene expression and increased TGFβ signaling activity, supporting our ex-vivo findings. Collectively, these results highlight TGFβ/5-HT signaling as a potent mechanism for control of biomechanical

Localization and expression of Orexin A and its receptor in mouse testis during different stages of postnatal development.

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Joshi, Deepanshu; Singh, Shio Kumar

2017-01-15

Orexin A (OXA), a hypothalamic neuropeptide, is involved in regulation of various biological functions and its actions are mediated through G-protein-coupled receptor, OX1R. This neuropeptide has emerged as a central neuroendocrine modulator of reproductive functions. Both OXA and OX1R have been shown to be expressed in peripheral organs such as gastrointestinal and genital tracts. In the present study, localization and expression of OXA and OX1R in mouse testis during different stages of postnatal development have been investigated. Immunohistochemical results demonstrated localization of OXA and OX1R in both the interstitial and the tubular compartments of the testis throughout the period of postnatal development. In testicular sections on 0day postpartum (dpp), gonocytes, Sertoli cells and foetal Leydig cells showed OXA and OX1R-immunopositive signals. At 10dpp, Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, early spermatocytes and Leydig cells showed immunopositive signals for both, the ligand and the receptor. On 30 and 90dpp, the spermatogonia, Sertoli cells, spermatocytes, spermatids and Leydig cells showed the OXA and OX1R-immunopositive signals. At 90dpp, strong OXA-positive signals were seen in Leydig cells, primary spermatocytes and spermatogonia, while OX1R-immunopositive intense signals were observed in Leydig cells and elongated spermatids. Further, semiquantitative RT-PCR and immunoblot analyses showed that OXA and OX1R were expressed in the testis both at transcript and protein levels during different stages of postnatal development. The expression of OXA and OX1R increased progressively from day of birth (0dpp) until adulthood (90dpp), with maximal expression at 90 dpp. The results suggest that OXA and OX1R are expressed in the testis and that they may help in proliferation and development of germ cells, Leydig cells and Sertoli cells, and in the spermatogenic process and steroidogenesis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Temperature dependent embryonic development of Trichuris suis eggs in a medicinal raw material

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Vejzagic, Nermina; Kringel, Helene; Bruun, Johan Musaeus

2016-01-01

in Göttingen minipigs.Both male and female pigs were used to evaluate eventual gender specific infectivity. Storage at 30 °C up to 14 weeks and subsequent embryonation for 14 weeks at 25 °C did not significantly reduce the overall larval establishment in minipigs, as compared to storage at 5 °C and subsequent...... analysis (OvaSpec), and an egg hatching assay prior to the final testing in minipigs (Trial 1). These methods showed that the development started earlier at higher temperatures, but the long-term storage at higher temperature affected the egg development. The present study further documents tolerance...

New gene targets for glucagon-like peptide-1 during embryonic development and in undifferentiated pluripotent cells.

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Sanz, Carmen; Blázquez, Enrique

2011-09-01

In humans, glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) functions during adult life as an incretin hormone with anorexigenic and antidiabetogenic properties. Also, the therapeutic potential of GLP-1 in preventing the adipocyte hyperplasia associated with obesity and in bolstering the maintenance of human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) stores by promoting the proliferation and cytoprotection of hMSC seems to be relevant. Since these observations suggest a role for GLP-1 during developmental processes, the aim of the present work was to characterize GLP-1 in early development as well as its gene targets in mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells. Mouse embryos E6, E8, and E10.5 and pluripotent mES were used for the inmunodetection of GLP-1 and GLP-1 receptor. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine the expression levels of GLP-1R in several tissues from E12.5 mouse embryos. Additionally, GLP-1 gene targets were studied in mES by multiple gene expression analyses. GLP-1 and its receptors were identified in mES and during embryonic development. In pluripotent mES, GLP-1 modified the expression of endodermal, ectodermal, and mesodermal gene markers as well as sonic hedgehog, noggin, members of the fibroblast and hepatic growth factor families, and others involved in pancreatic development. Additionally, GLP-1 promoted the expression of the antiapoptotic gene bcl2 and at the same time reduced proapoptotic caspase genes. Our results indicate that apart from the effects and therapeutic benefits of GLP-1 in adulthood, it may have additional gene targets in mES cells during embryonic life. Furthermore, the pathophysiological implications of GLP-1 imbalance in adulthood may have a counterpart during development.

Simultaneous cell death and desquamation of the embryonic diffusion barrier during epidermal development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saathoff, Manuela; Blum, Barbara; Quast, Thomas; Kirfel, Gregor; Herzog, Volker

2004-01-01

The periderm is an epithelial layer covering the emerging epidermis in early embryogenesis of vertebrates. In the chicken embryo, an additional cellular layer, the subperiderm, occurs at later embryonic stages underneath the periderm. The questions arose what is the function of both epithelial layers and, as they are transitory structures, by which mechanism are they removed. By immunocytochemistry, the tight junction (TJ) proteins occludin and claudin-1 were localized in the periderm and in the subperiderm, and sites of close contact between adjacent cells were detected by electron microscopy. Using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as tracer, these contacts were identified as tight junctions involved in the formation of the embryonic diffusion barrier. This barrier was lost by desquamation at the end of the embryonic period, when the cornified envelope of the emerging epidermis was formed. By TUNEL and DNA ladder assays, we detected simultaneous cell death in the periderm and the subperiderm shortly before hatching. The absence of caspases-3, -6, and -7 activity, key enzymes of apoptosis, and the lack of typical morphological criteria of apoptosis such as cell fragmentation or membrane blebbing point to a special form of programmed cell death (PCD) leading to the desquamation of the embryonic diffusion barrier

Tension (re)builds: Biophysical mechanisms of embryonic wound repair.

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Zulueta-Coarasa, Teresa; Fernandez-Gonzalez, Rodrigo

2017-04-01

Embryonic tissues display an outstanding ability to rapidly repair wounds. Epithelia, in particular, serve as protective layers that line internal organs and form the skin. Thus, maintenance of epithelial integrity is of utmost importance for animal survival, particularly at embryonic stages, when an immune system has not yet fully developed. Rapid embryonic repair of epithelial tissues is conserved across species, and involves the collective migration of the cells around the wound. The migratory cell behaviours associated with wound repair require the generation and transmission of mechanical forces, not only for the cells to move, but also to coordinate their movements. Here, we review the forces involved in embryonic wound repair. We discuss how different force-generating structures are assembled at the molecular level, and the mechanisms that maintain the balance between force-generating structures as wounds close. Finally, we describe the mechanisms that cells use to coordinate the generation of mechanical forces around the wound. Collective cell movements and their misregulation have been associated with defective tissue repair, developmental abnormalities and cancer metastasis. Thus, we propose that understanding the role of mechanical forces during embryonic wound closure will be crucial to develop therapeutic interventions that promote or prevent collective cell movements under pathological conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A toolbox to explore the mechanics of living embryonic tissues

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Campàs, Otger

2016-01-01

The sculpting of embryonic tissues and organs into their functional morphologies involves the spatial and temporal regulation of mechanics at cell and tissue scales. Decades of in vitro work, complemented by some in vivo studies, have shown the relevance of mechanical cues in the control of cell behaviors that are central to developmental processes, but the lack of methodologies enabling precise, quantitative measurements of mechanical cues in vivo have hindered our understanding of the role of mechanics in embryonic development. Several methodologies are starting to enable quantitative studies of mechanics in vivo and in situ, opening new avenues to explore how mechanics contributes to shaping embryonic tissues and how it affects cell behavior within developing embryos. Here we review the present methodologies to study the role of mechanics in living embryonic tissues, considering their strengths and drawbacks as well as the conditions in which they are most suitable. PMID:27061360

The effect of temperature on the embryonic development of barramundi, the Australian strain of Lates calcarifer (Bloch using current hatchery practices

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Valentin Thépot

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Lates calcarifer (barramundi or Asian seabass has been farmed since the 1970s, yet despite its widespread culture little has been documented on the species’ embryonic development and particularly how development relates to temperature. This is particularly the case for the Australian L. calcarifer genetic strain. Accordingly, embryonic development of fertilised barramundi eggs incubated at 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36 °C were followed from the time of incubation until hatching and the timing to reach key developmental stages and temperature-induced hatching success established. Eggs incubated at 26 and 36 °C did not survive past the first two hours post-fertilisation. Development of the Australian strain of L. calcarifer was observed to proceed similarly to those documented from Asia, however, differences were observed in the timing of major embryonic events among the two strains. Incubation trials showed that eggs maintained at 30 °C had the highest hatch rate (86.7%. The findings of this study are discussed and put in a commercial context with potential future research to further improve practices at the hatchery level.

Effect of radiophosphorus on hematology of mice during postnatal development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malhotra, N.; Srivastava, P.N.

1975-01-01

Swiss albino mice at different stages of their postnatal development (one day, one week, two weeks,three weeks, four weeks age groups) were injected intraperitoneally with radioactive phosphorus (P-32) at the dose of 1.0 μCi/g body weight and studied for their hematological response at weekly intervals up to six weeks of age when they attain sexual maturity. In all the treated groups in both males and females, the radiation injury was evident after injection of radioactive phosphorus. Animals showed reduction in blood cell number and fall in hemoglobin and hematocrit levels after injection. Reparation was also evident in the animals after some lapse of time following P-32 administration. Morphological changes in different white blood cells were not observed. No radiation sickness symptoms were observed in any of the treated groups during the study. There was no radiation mortality. The radiation damage to blood forming organs was moderate. It was observed that the females showed a greater hematological damage than the males. (orig.) [de

Effect of early postnatal exposure to valproate on neurobehavioral development and regional BDNF expression in two strains of mice.

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Bath, Kevin G; Pimentel, Tiare

2017-05-01

Valproate has been used for over 30years as a first-line treatment for epilepsy. In recent years, prenatal exposure to valproate has been associated with teratogenic effects, limiting its use in women that are pregnant or of childbearing age. However, despite its potential detrimental effects on development, valproate continues to be prescribed at high rates in pediatric populations in some countries. Animal models allow us to test hypotheses regarding the potential effects of postnatal valproate exposure on neurobehavioral development, as well as identify potential mechanisms mediating observed effects. Here, we tested the effect of early postnatal (P4-P11) valproate exposure (100mg/kg and 200mg/kg) on motor and affective development in two strains of mice, SVE129 and C57Bl/6N. We also assessed the effect of early valproate exposure on regional BDNF protein levels, a potential target of valproate, and mediator of neurodevelopmental outcomes. We found that early life valproate exposure led to significant motor impairments in both SVE129 and C57Bl/6N mice. Both lines of mice showed significant delays in weight gain, as well as impairments in the righting reflex (P7-8), wire hang (P17), open field (P12 and P21), and rotarod (P25 and P45) tasks. Interestingly, some of the early locomotor effects were strain- and dose-dependent. We observed no effects of valproate on early markers of anxiety-like behavior. Importantly, early life valproate exposure had significant effects on regional BDNF expression, leading to a near 50% decrease in BDNF levels in the cerebellum of both strains of mice, while not impacting hippocampal BDNF protein levels. These observations indicate that postnatal exposure to valproate may have significant, and region-specific effects, on neural and behavioral development, with specific consequences for cerebellar development and motor function. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of prenatal irradiation with accelerated heavy-ion beams on postnatal development in rats: III. Testicular development and breeding activity

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Wang, B.; Murakami, M.; Eguchi-Kasai, K.; Nojima, K.; Shang, Y.; Tanaka, K.; Watanabe, K.; Fujita, K.; Moreno, S. G.; Coffigny, H.; Hayata, I.

With a significant increase in human activities dealing with space missions, potential teratogenic effects on the mammalian reproductive system from prenatal exposure to space radiation have become a hot topic that needs to be addressed. However, even for the ground experiments, such effects from exposure to high LET ionizing radiation are not as well studied as those for low LET ionizing radiations such as X-rays. Using the Heavy-Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC) and Wistar rats, effects on gonads in prenatal male fetuses, on postnatal testicular development and on breeding activity of male offspring were studied following exposure of the pregnant animals to either accelerated carbon-ion beams with a LET value of about 13 keV/μm or neon-ion beams with a LET value of about 30 keV/μm at a dose range from 0.1 to 2.0 Gy on gestation day 15. The effects of X-rays at 200 kVp estimated for the same biological end points were studied for comparison. A significantly dose-dependent increase of apoptosis in gonocytes appeared 6 h after irradiations with a dose of 0.5 Gy or more. Measured delayed testis descent and malformed testicular seminiferous tubules were observed to be significantly different from the control animals at a dose of 0.5 Gy. These effects are observed to be dose- and LET-dependent. Markedly reduced testicular weight and testicular weight to body weight ratio were scored at postnatal day 30 even in the offspring that were prenatally irradiated with neon-ions at a dose of 0.1 Gy. A dose of 0.5 Gy from neon-ion beams induced a marked decrease in breeding activity in the prenatally irradiated male rats, while for the carbon-ion beams or X-rays, the significantly reduced breeding activity was observed only when the prenatal dose was at 1.0 Gy or more. These findings indicated that prenatal irradiations with heavy-ion beams on gestation day 15 generally induced markedly detrimental effects on prenatal gonads, postnatal testicular development and male

Effects of catechins and low temperature on embryonic development and hatching in Heterodera glycines and Meloidogyne incognita

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Mimics of two natural influences, a chemical similar to one present in cyst nematodes and low temperature exposure of nematode eggs, were evaluated for their effects on quantitative and qualitative features of embryonic development and hatching. The polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an ana...

Developing electrical properties of postnatal mouse lumbar motoneurons

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Jacques eDurand

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We studied the rapid changes in electrical properties of lumbar motoneurons between postnatal days 3 and 9 just before mice weight-bear and walk. The input conductance and rheobase significantly increased up to P8. A negative correlation exists between the input resistance and rheobase. Both parameters are significantly correlated with the total dendritic surface area of motoneurons, the largest motoneurons having the lowest input resistance and the highest rheobase. We classified the motoneurons into three groups according to their discharge firing patterns during current pulse injection (transient, delayed onset, sustained. The delayed onset firing type has the highest rheobase and the fastest action potential whereas the transient firing group has the lowest rheobase and the less mature action potential. We found 32% and 10 % of motoneurons with a transient firing at P3-P5 and P8, respectively. About 20% of motoneurons with delayed onset firing were detected at P8. At P9, all motoneurons exhibit a sustained firing. We defined five groups of motoneurons according to their discharge firing patterns in response to ascending and descending current ramps. In addition to the four classical types, we defined a fifth type called transient for the quasi-absence of discharge during the descending phase of the ramp. This transient type represents about 40% between P3-P5 and tends to disappear with age. Types 1 and 2 (linear and clockwise hysteresis are the most preponderant at P6-P7. Types 3 and 4 (prolonged sustained and counter clockwise hysteresis emerge at P8-P9. The emergence of type 3 and 4 probably depends on the maturation of L type calcium channels in the dendrites of motoneurons. No correlation was found between groups defined by step or triangular ramp of currents with the exception of transient firing patterns. Our data support the idea that a switch in the electrical properties of lumbar motoneurons might exist in the second postnatal week

Impact of nutritional stress on early embryonic survival

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Sukanta Mondal

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Low reproductive efficiency is the most critical problem faced by the livestock industry across the globe. Early embryonic loss is one the major cause of poor reproductive efficiency resulting in delayed pregnancy, fewer calves born, reduced milk production, slower genetic progress and substantial financial loss to the beef or dairy industry. The establishment of pregnancy results from the interaction between the embryo and the dam and is the culmination of a series of events initiated with development of the follicle and gametes. Among numerous internal and external factors nutrition has the potency to alter the micro-environment of the oocyte and the embryo, making it more hostile to optimal fertilization and pre-implantation embryonic growth. Understanding the impact of nutritional stress on oocyte function, embryo development and reciprocal signaling networks between the embryo and uterus will lead to alleviation of the problems of early embryonic mortality.

HIV/AIDS and Postnatal Depression at the University Teaching ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: To study the contribution of HIV/AIDS to the problem of postnatal depression among women receiving postnatal care at University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Lusaka, Zambia. Background: Postnatal depression (PND), a major depressive episode during the puerperium, affects between 10% and 22% of adult ...

Abnormal differentiation, hyperplasia and embryonic/perinatal lethality in BK5-T/t transgenic mice

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Chen, Xin; Schneider-Broussard, Robin; Hollowell, Debra; McArthur, Mark; Jeter, Collene R.; Benavides, Fernando; DiGiovanni, John; Tang, Dean G.

2009-01-01

The cell-of-origin has a great impact on the types of tumors that develop and the stem/progenitor cells have long been considered main targets of malignant transformation. The SV40 large T and small t antigens (T/t), have been targeted to multiple differentiated cellular compartments in transgenic mice. In most of these studies, transgenic animals develop tumors without apparent defects in animal development. In this study, we used the bovine keratin 5 (BK5) promoter to target the T/t antigens to stem/progenitor cell-containing cytokeratin 5 (CK5) cellular compartment. A transgene construct, BK5-T/t, was made and microinjected into the male pronucleus of FVB/N mouse oocytes. After implanting ∼1700 embryos, only 7 transgenics were obtained, including 4 embryos (E9.5, E13, E15, and E20) and 3 postnatal animals, which died at P1, P2, and P18, respectively. Immunohistological analysis revealed aberrant differentiation and prominent hyperplasia in several transgenic CK5 tissues, especially the upper digestive organs (tongue, oral mucosa, esophagus, and forestomach) and epidermis, the latter of which also showed focal dysplasia. Altogether, these results indicate that constitutive expression of the T/t antigens in CK5 cellular compartment results in abnormal epithelial differentiation and leads to embryonic/perinatal animal lethality. PMID:19272531

Macrophage-Mediated Glial Cell Elimination in the Postnatal Mouse Cochlea

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LaShardai N. Brown

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Hearing relies on the transmission of auditory information from sensory hair cells (HCs to the brain through the auditory nerve. This relay of information requires HCs to be innervated by spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs in an exclusive manner and SGNs to be ensheathed by myelinating and non-myelinating glial cells. In the developing auditory nerve, mistargeted SGN axons are retracted or pruned and excessive cells are cleared in a process referred to as nerve refinement. Whether auditory glial cells are eliminated during auditory nerve refinement is unknown. Using early postnatal mice of either sex, we show that glial cell numbers decrease after the first postnatal week, corresponding temporally with nerve refinement in the developing auditory nerve. Additionally, expression of immune-related genes was upregulated and macrophage numbers increase in a manner coinciding with the reduction of glial cell numbers. Transient depletion of macrophages during early auditory nerve development, using transgenic CD11bDTR/EGFP mice, resulted in the appearance of excessive glial cells. Macrophage depletion caused abnormalities in myelin formation and transient edema of the stria vascularis. Macrophage-depleted mice also showed auditory function impairment that partially recovered in adulthood. These findings demonstrate that macrophages contribute to the regulation of glial cell number during postnatal development of the cochlea and that glial cells play a critical role in hearing onset and auditory nerve maturation.

Prenatal family support, postnatal family support and postpartum depression.

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Xie, Ri-Hua; Yang, Jianzhou; Liao, Shunping; Xie, Haiyan; Walker, Mark; Wen, Shi Wu

2010-08-01

Inadequate social support is an important determinant of postpartum depression (PPD). Social support for pregnant women consists of supports from various sources and can be measured at different gestation periods. Differentiating the effects of social support from different sources and measured at different gestation periods may have important implications in the prevention of PPD. In the family centred Chinese culture, family support is likely to be one of the most important components in social support. The aim of this study was to assess the association of prenatal family support and postnatal family support with PPD. A prospective cohort study was conducted between February and September 2007 in Hunan, China. Family support was measured with social support rating scale at 30-32 weeks of gestation (prenatal support) and again at 2 weeks of postpartum visit (postnatal support). PPD was defined as Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score > or =13. A total of 534 pregnant women were included, and among them, 103 (19.3%) scored 13 or more on the EPDS. PPD was 19.4% in the lowest tertile versus 18.4% in the highest quartile (adjusted odds ratio: 1.04, 95% confidence interval 0.60, 1.80) for prenatal support from all family members, and PPD was 39.8% in the lowest tertile versus 9.6% in the highest tertile (adjusted odds ratio: 4.4, 95% confidence interval 2.3, 8.4) for postnatal support from all family members. Among family members, support from husband had the largest impact on the risk of developing PPD. Lack of postnatal family support, especially the support from husband, is an important risk factor of PPD.

The development of two postnatal health instruments: one for mothers (M-PHI) and one for fathers (F-PHI) to measure health during the first year of parenting.

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Jones, G L; Morrell, C J; Cooke, J M; Speier, D; Anumba, D; Stewart-Brown, S

2011-09-01

To develop and psychometrically evaluate two questionnaires measuring both positive and negative postnatal health of mothers (M-PHI) and fathers (F-PHI) during the first year of parenting. The M-PHI and the F-PHI were developed in four stages. Stage 1: Postnatal women's focus group (M-PHI) and postnatal fathers' postal questionnaire (F-PHI); Stage 2: Qualitative interviews; Stage 3: Pilot postal survey and main postal survey; and Stage 4: Test-retest postal survey. The M-PHI consisted of a 29-item core questionnaire with six main scales and five conditional scales. The F-PHI consisted of a 27-item questionnaire with six main scales. All scales achieved good internal reliability (Cronbach's α 0.66-0.87 for M-PHI, 0.72-0.90 for F-PHI). Intraclass correlation coefficients demonstrated high test-retest reliability (0.60-0.88). Correlation coefficients supported the criterion validity of the M-PHI and the F-PHI when tested against the Short-Form-12 (SF-12), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Warwick and Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS). The M-PHI and F-PHI are valid, reliable, parent-generated instruments. These unique instruments will be invaluable for practitioners wishing to promote family-centred care and for trialists and other researchers requiring a validated instrument to measure both positive and negative health during the first postnatal year, as to date no such measurement has existed.

Meal parameters and vagal gastrointestinal afferents in mice that experienced early postnatal overnutrition.

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Biddinger, Jessica E; Fox, Edward A

2010-08-04

Early postnatal overnutrition results in a predisposition to develop obesity due in part to hypothalamic and sympathetic dysfunction. Potential involvement of another major regulatory system component--the vagus nerve--has not been examined. Moreover, feeding disturbances have rarely been investigated prior to development of obesity when confounds due to obesity are minimized. To examine these issues, litters were culled on the day of birth to create small litters (SL; overnutrition), or normal size litters (NL; normal nutrition). Body weight, fat pad weight, meal patterns, and vagal sensory duodenal innervation were compared between SL and NL adult mice prior to development of obesity. Meal patterns were studied 18 h/day for 3 weeks using a balanced diet. Then vagal mechanoreceptors were labeled using anterograde transport of wheatgerm agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase injected into the nodose ganglion and their density and morphology were examined. Between postnatal day 1 and weaning, body weight of SL mice was greater than for NL mice. By young adulthood it was similar in both groups, whereas SL fat pad weight was greater in males, suggesting postnatal overnutrition produced a predisposition to obesity. SL mice exhibited increased food intake, decreased satiety ratio, and increased first meal rate (following mild food deprivation) compared to NL mice, suggesting postnatal overnutrition disrupted satiety. The density and structure of intestinal IGLEs appeared similar in SL and NL mice. Thus, although a vagal role cannot be excluded, our meal parameter and anatomical findings provided no evidence for significant postnatal overnutrition effects on vagal gastrointestinal afferents. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Asthma pregnancy alters postnatal development of chromaffin cells in the rat adrenal medulla.

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Xiu-Ming Wu

Full Text Available Adrenal neuroendocrine plays an important role in asthma. The activity of the sympathoadrenal system could be altered by early life events. The effects of maternal asthma during pregnancy on the adrenal medulla of offspring remain unknown.This study aims to explore the influence of maternal asthma during pregnancy on the development and function of adrenal medulla in offspring from postnatal day 3 (P3 to postnatal day 60 (P60. Asthmatic pregnant rats (AP, nerve growth factor (NGF-treated pregnant rats (NP and NGF antibody-treated pregnant rats (ANP were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA; NP and ANP were treated with NGF and NGF antibody respectively. Offspring rats from the maternal group were divided into four groups: offspring from control pregnant rats (OCP, offspring from AP (OAP, offspring from NP (ONP, and offspring from ANP (OANP. The expressions of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT protein in adrenal medulla were analyzed. The concentrations of epinephrine (EPI, corticosterone and NGF in serum were measured. Adrenal medulla chromaffin cells (AMCC were prone to differentiate into sympathetic nerve cells in OAP and ONP. Both EPI and PNMT were decreased in OAP from P3 to P14, and then reached normal level gradually from P30 to P60, which were lower from birth to adulthood in ONP. Corticosterone concentration increased significantly in OAP and ONP.Asthma pregnancy may promote AMCC to differentiate into sympathetic neurons in offspring rats and inhibit the synthesis of EPI, resulting in dysfunction of bronchial relaxation.

Cytomegalovirus induces abnormal chondrogenesis and osteogenesis during embryonic mandibular development

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Bringas Pablo

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Human clinical studies and mouse models clearly demonstrate that cytomegalovirus (CMV disrupts normal organ and tissue development. Although CMV is one of the most common causes of major birth defects in humans, little is presently known about the mechanism(s underlying CMV-induced congenital malformations. Our prior studies have demonstrated that CMV infection of first branchial arch derivatives (salivary glands and teeth induced severely abnormal phenotypes and that CMV has a particular tropism for neural crest-derived mesenchyme (NCM. Since early embryos are barely susceptible to CMV infection, and the extant evidence suggests that the differentiation program needs to be well underway for embryonic tissues to be susceptible to viral infection and viral-induced pathology, the aim of this study was to determine if first branchial arch NCM cells are susceptible to mCMV infection prior to differentiation of NCM derivatives. Results E11 mouse mandibular processes (MANs were infected with mouse CMV (mCMV for up to 16 days in vitro. mCMV infection of undifferentiated embryonic mouse MANs induced micrognathia consequent to decreased Meckel's cartilage chondrogenesis and mandibular osteogenesis. Specifically, mCMV infection resulted in aberrant stromal cellularity, a smaller, misshapen Meckel's cartilage, and mandibular bone and condylar dysmorphogenesis. Analysis of viral distribution indicates that mCMV primarily infects NCM cells and derivatives. Initial localization studies indicate that mCMV infection changed the cell-specific expression of FN, NF-κB2, RelA, RelB, and Shh and Smad7 proteins. Conclusion Our results indicate that mCMV dysregulation of key signaling pathways in primarily NCM cells and their derivatives severely disrupts mandibular morphogenesis and skeletogenesis. The pathogenesis appears to be centered around the canonical and noncanonical NF-κB pathways, and there is unusual juxtaposition of abnormal stromal

Characterizing the distribution of steroid sulfatase during embryonic development: when and where might metabolites of maternal steroids be reactivated?

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Paitz, Ryan T; Duffield, Kristin R; Bowden, Rachel M

2017-12-15

All vertebrate embryos are exposed to maternally derived steroids during development. In placental vertebrates, metabolism of maternal steroids by the placenta modulates embryonic exposure, but how exposure is regulated in oviparous vertebrates is less clear. Recent work in oviparous vertebrates has demonstrated that steroids are not static molecules, as they can be converted to more polar steroid sulfates by sulfotransferase enzymes. Importantly, these steroid sulfates can be converted back to the parent compound by the enzyme steroid sulfatase (STS). We investigated when and where STS was present during embryonic development in the red-eared slider turtle, Trachemys scripta We report that STS is present during all stages of development and in all tissues we examined. We conclude that STS activity may be particularly important for regulating maternal steroid exposure in oviparous vertebrates. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Embryonic development of human lice: rearing conditions and susceptibility to spinosad

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Gastón Mougabure Cueto

2006-05-01

Full Text Available The embryonic development of human lice was evaluated according to the changes in the morphology of the embryo observed through the transparent chorion. Based on ocular and appendage development, three stages of embryogenesis were established: early, medium, and late. Influence of temperature and relative humidity (RH on the laboratory rearing of Pediculus humanus capitis eggs was assessed. The optimal ranges for temperature and RH were 27-31°C and 45-75%. The susceptibility of human louse eggs to insecticide spinosad (a macrocyclic lactone was assessed by immersion method. The results showed similar susceptibility to spinosad in early, medium, and late stages of head lice eggs. In addition, this study showed similar susceptibility of head and body lice eggs to spinosad, an insecticide that has not been used as pediculicide in Argentina (lethal concentration 50: 0.01%.

Luminal progenitors restrict their lineage potential during mammary gland development.

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Rodilla, Veronica; Dasti, Alessandro; Huyghe, Mathilde; Lafkas, Daniel; Laurent, Cécile; Reyal, Fabien; Fre, Silvia

2015-02-01

The hierarchical relationships between stem cells and progenitors that guide mammary gland morphogenesis are still poorly defined. While multipotent basal stem cells have been found within the myoepithelial compartment, the in vivo lineage potential of luminal progenitors is unclear. Here we used the expression of the Notch1 receptor, previously implicated in mammary gland development and tumorigenesis, to elucidate the hierarchical organization of mammary stem/progenitor cells by lineage tracing. We found that Notch1 expression identifies multipotent stem cells in the embryonic mammary bud, which progressively restrict their lineage potential during mammary ductal morphogenesis to exclusively generate an ERαneg luminal lineage postnatally. Importantly, our results show that Notch1-labelled cells represent the alveolar progenitors that expand during pregnancy and survive multiple successive involutions. This study reveals that postnatal luminal epithelial cells derive from distinct self-sustained lineages that may represent the cells of origin of different breast cancer subtypes.

Essential roles of BCCIP in mouse embryonic development and structural stability of chromosomes.

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Huimei Lu

2011-09-01

Full Text Available BCCIP is a BRCA2- and CDKN1A(p21-interacting protein that has been implicated in the maintenance of genomic integrity. To understand the in vivo functions of BCCIP, we generated a conditional BCCIP knockdown transgenic mouse model using Cre-LoxP mediated RNA interference. The BCCIP knockdown embryos displayed impaired cellular proliferation and apoptosis at day E7.5. Consistent with these results, the in vitro proliferation of blastocysts and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs of BCCIP knockdown mice were impaired considerably. The BCCIP deficient mouse embryos die before E11.5 day. Deletion of the p53 gene could not rescue the embryonic lethality due to BCCIP deficiency, but partially rescues the growth delay of mouse embryonic fibroblasts in vitro. To further understand the cause of development and proliferation defects in BCCIP-deficient mice, MEFs were subjected to chromosome stability analysis. The BCCIP-deficient MEFs displayed significant spontaneous chromosome structural alterations associated with replication stress, including a 3.5-fold induction of chromatid breaks. Remarkably, the BCCIP-deficient MEFs had a ∼20-fold increase in sister chromatid union (SCU, yet the induction of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE was modestly at 1.5 fold. SCU is a unique type of chromatid aberration that may give rise to chromatin bridges between daughter nuclei in anaphase. In addition, the BCCIP-deficient MEFs have reduced repair of irradiation-induced DNA damage and reductions of Rad51 protein and nuclear foci. Our data suggest a unique function of BCCIP, not only in repair of DNA damage, but also in resolving stalled replication forks and prevention of replication stress. In addition, BCCIP deficiency causes excessive spontaneous chromatin bridges via the formation of SCU, which can subsequently impair chromosome segregations in mitosis and cell division.

Redundant role of protein kinase C delta and epsilon during mouse embryonic development.

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Sergio Carracedo

Full Text Available Protein Kinase C delta and epsilon are mediators of important cellular events, such as cell proliferation, migration or apoptosis. The formation of blood vessels, i.e., vasculo- and angiogenesis, is a process where these isoforms have also been shown to participate. However, mice deficient in either Protein Kinase C delta or epsilon are viable and therefore their individual contribution to the formation of the vasculature appeared so far dispensable. In this study, we show that double null mutation of Protein Kinase C delta and epsilon causes embryonic lethality at approximately E9.5. At this stage, whole mount staining of the endothelial marker CD31 in double null embryos revealed defective blood vessel formation. Moreover, culture of double deficient mouse allantois showed impaired endothelial cell organization, and analyses of double deficient embryo sections showed dilated vessels, decreased endothelial-specific adherent junctions, and decreased contact of endothelial cells with mural cells. Protein kinase C delta and epsilon also appeared essential for vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation, since α-smooth muscle actin, a classical marker for vascular smooth muscle cells, was almost undetectable in double deficient embryonic aorta at E9.5. Subsequent qPCR analyses showed decreased VE-cadherin, Vegfr2, Cd31, Cdh2, Ets1, and Fli-1, among other angiogenesis related transcripts in double deficient embryos. Taken together, these data suggest for the first time an in vivo redundant role between members of the novel Protein Kinase C subfamily that allows for mutual compensation during mouse embryonic development, with vasculogenesis/angiogenesis as an obvious common function of these two Protein Kinase Cs. Protein Kinase C delta and epsilon might therefore be useful targets for inhibiting vasculo- and/or angiogenesis.

Unique Organization of the Nuclear Envelope in the Post-natal Quiescent Neural Stem Cells

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Arantxa Cebrián-Silla

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Neural stem cells (B1 astrocytes; NSCs in the adult ventricular-subventricular-zone (V-SVZ originate in the embryo. Surprisingly, recent work has shown that B1 cells remain largely quiescent. They are reactivated postnatally to function as primary progenitors for neurons destined for the olfactory bulb and some corpus callosum oligodendrocytes. The cellular and molecular properties of quiescent B1 cells remain unknown. Here we found that a subpopulation of B1 cells has a unique nuclear envelope invagination specialization similar to envelope-limited chromatin sheets (ELCS, reported in certain lymphocytes and some cancer cells. Using molecular markers, [3H]thymidine birth-dating, and Ara-C, we found that B1 cells with ELCS correspond to quiescent NSCs. ELCS begin forming in embryonic radial glia cells and represent a specific nuclear compartment containing particular epigenetic modifications and telomeres. These results reveal a unique nuclear compartment in quiescent NSCs, which is useful for identifying these primary progenitors and study their gene regulation.

Glycogen and glucose metabolism are essential for early embryonic development of the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum.

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Amanda Fraga

Full Text Available Control of energy metabolism is an essential process for life. In insects, egg formation (oogenesis and embryogenesis is dependent on stored molecules deposited by the mother or transcribed later by the zygote. In oviparous insects the egg becomes an isolated system after egg laying with all energy conversion taking place during embryogenesis. Previous studies in a few vector species showed a strong correlation of key morphogenetic events and changes in glucose metabolism. Here, we investigate glycogen and glucose metabolism in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, an insect amenable to functional genomic studies. To examine the role of the key enzymes on glycogen and glucose regulation we cloned and analyzed the function of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3 and hexokinase (HexA genes during T. castaneum embryogenesis. Expression analysis via in situ hybridization shows that both genes are expressed only in the embryonic tissue, suggesting that embryonic and extra-embryonic cells display different metabolic activities. dsRNA adult female injection (parental RNAi of both genes lead a reduction in egg laying and to embryonic lethality. Morphological analysis via DAPI stainings indicates that early development is impaired in Tc-GSK-3 and Tc-HexA1 RNAi embryos. Importantly, glycogen levels are upregulated after Tc-GSK-3 RNAi and glucose levels are upregulated after Tc-HexA1 RNAi, indicating that both genes control metabolism during embryogenesis and oogenesis, respectively. Altogether our results show that T. castaneum embryogenesis depends on the proper control of glucose and glycogen.

Glycogen and Glucose Metabolism Are Essential for Early Embryonic Development of the Red Flour Beetle Tribolium castaneum

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Fraga, Amanda; Ribeiro, Lupis; Lobato, Mariana; Santos, Vitória; Silva, José Roberto; Gomes, Helga; da Cunha Moraes, Jorge Luiz; de Souza Menezes, Jackson

2013-01-01

Control of energy metabolism is an essential process for life. In insects, egg formation (oogenesis) and embryogenesis is dependent on stored molecules deposited by the mother or transcribed later by the zygote. In oviparous insects the egg becomes an isolated system after egg laying with all energy conversion taking place during embryogenesis. Previous studies in a few vector species showed a strong correlation of key morphogenetic events and changes in glucose metabolism. Here, we investigate glycogen and glucose metabolism in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, an insect amenable to functional genomic studies. To examine the role of the key enzymes on glycogen and glucose regulation we cloned and analyzed the function of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) and hexokinase (HexA) genes during T. castaneum embryogenesis. Expression analysis via in situ hybridization shows that both genes are expressed only in the embryonic tissue, suggesting that embryonic and extra-embryonic cells display different metabolic activities. dsRNA adult female injection (parental RNAi) of both genes lead a reduction in egg laying and to embryonic lethality. Morphological analysis via DAPI stainings indicates that early development is impaired in Tc-GSK-3 and Tc-HexA1 RNAi embryos. Importantly, glycogen levels are upregulated after Tc-GSK-3 RNAi and glucose levels are upregulated after Tc-HexA1 RNAi, indicating that both genes control metabolism during embryogenesis and oogenesis, respectively. Altogether our results show that T. castaneum embryogenesis depends on the proper control of glucose and glycogen. PMID:23750237

Activation of postnatal neural stem cells requires nuclear receptor TLX.

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Niu, Wenze; Zou, Yuhua; Shen, Chengcheng; Zhang, Chun-Li

2011-09-28

Neural stem cells (NSCs) continually produce new neurons in postnatal brains. However, the majority of these cells stay in a nondividing, inactive state. The molecular mechanism that is required for these cells to enter proliferation still remains largely unknown. Here, we show that nuclear receptor TLX (NR2E1) controls the activation status of postnatal NSCs in mice. Lineage tracing indicates that TLX-expressing cells give rise to both activated and inactive postnatal NSCs. Surprisingly, loss of TLX function does not result in spontaneous glial differentiation, but rather leads to a precipitous age-dependent increase of inactive cells with marker expression and radial morphology for NSCs. These inactive cells are mispositioned throughout the granular cell layer of the dentate gyrus during development and can proliferate again after reintroduction of ectopic TLX. RNA-seq analysis of sorted NSCs revealed a TLX-dependent global expression signature, which includes the p53 signaling pathway. TLX regulates p21 expression in a p53-dependent manner, and acute removal of p53 can rescue the proliferation defect of TLX-null NSCs in culture. Together, these findings suggest that TLX acts as an essential regulator that ensures the proliferative ability of postnatal NSCs by controlling their activation through genetic interaction with p53 and other signaling pathways.

Endogenous hydrogen peroxide production in the epithelium of the developing embryonic lens.

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Basu, Subhasree; Rajakaruna, Suren; Dickinson, Bryan C; Chang, Christopher J; Menko, A Sue

2014-01-01

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an endogenously produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) present in a variety of mammalian systems. This particular ROS can play dichotomous roles, being beneficial in some cases and deleterious in others, which reflects the level and location of H2O2 production. While much is known about the redox regulation of ROS by antioxidant and repair systems in the lens, little is known about the endogenous production of H2O2 in embryonic lens tissue or the physiologic relevance of endogenous H2O2 to lens development. This gap in knowledge exists primarily from a lack of reagents that can specifically detect endogenous H2O2 in the intact lens. Here, using a recently developed chemoselective fluorescent boronate probe, peroxyfluor-6 acetoxymethyl ester (PF6-AM), which selectively detects H2O2 over related ROS, we examined the endogenous H2O2 signals in the embryonic lens. Embryonic day 10 chick whole lenses in ex vivo organ culture and lens epithelial cells in primary culture were loaded with the H2O2 probe PF6-AM. To determine the relationship between localization of mitochondria with active membrane potential and the region of H2O2 production in the lens, cells were exposed to the mitochondrial probe MitoTracker Red CMXRos together with PF6-AM. Diphenyleneiodonium (DPI), a flavin inhibitor that blocks generation of intracellular ROS production, was used to confirm that the signal from PF6-AM was due to endogenous ROS production. All imaging was performed by live confocal microscopy. PF6-AM detected endogenous H2O2 in lens epithelial cells in whole lenses in ex vivo culture and in lens epithelial cells grown in primary culture. No endogenous H2O2 signal could be detected in differentiating lens fiber cells with this probe. Treatment with DPI markedly attenuated the fluorescence signal from the peroxide-specific probe PF6-AM in the lens epithelium, suggesting that basal generation of ROS occurs in this region. The lens epithelial cells producing an

Single-fiber myosin heavy chain polymorphism during postnatal development: modulation by hypothyroidism

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di Maso, N. A.; Caiozzo, V. J.; Baldwin, K. M.

2000-01-01

The primary objective of this study was to follow the developmental time course of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform transitions in single fibers of the rodent plantaris muscle. Hypothyroidism was used in conjunction with single-fiber analyses to better describe a possible linkage between the neonatal and fast type IIB MHC isoforms during development. In contrast to the general concept that developmental MHC isoform transitions give rise to muscle fibers that express only a single MHC isoform, the single-fiber analyses revealed a very high degree of MHC polymorphism throughout postnatal development. In the adult state, MHC polymorphism was so pervasive that the rodent plantaris muscles contained approximately 12-15 different pools of fibers (i.e., fiber types). The degree of polymorphism observed at the single-fiber level made it difficult to determine specific developmental schemes analogous to those observed previously for the rodent soleus muscle. However, hypothyroidism was useful in that it confirmed a possible link between the developmental regulation of the neonatal and fast type IIB MHC isoforms.

The primary role of zebrafish nanog is in extra-embryonic tissue.

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Gagnon, James A; Obbad, Kamal; Schier, Alexander F

2018-01-09

The role of the zebrafish transcription factor Nanog has been controversial. It has been suggested that Nanog is primarily required for the proper formation of the extra-embryonic yolk syncytial layer (YSL) and only indirectly regulates gene expression in embryonic cells. In an alternative scenario, Nanog has been proposed to directly regulate transcription in embryonic cells during zygotic genome activation. To clarify the roles of Nanog, we performed a detailed analysis of zebrafish nanog mutants. Whereas zygotic nanog mutants survive to adulthood, maternal-zygotic (MZ nanog ) and maternal mutants exhibit developmental arrest at the blastula stage. In the absence of Nanog, YSL formation and epiboly are abnormal, embryonic tissue detaches from the yolk, and the expression of dozens of YSL and embryonic genes is reduced. Epiboly defects can be rescued by generating chimeric embryos of MZ nanog embryonic tissue with wild-type vegetal tissue that includes the YSL and yolk cell. Notably, cells lacking Nanog readily respond to Nodal signals and when transplanted into wild-type hosts proliferate and contribute to embryonic tissues and adult organs from all germ layers. These results indicate that zebrafish Nanog is necessary for proper YSL development but is not directly required for embryonic cell differentiation. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Characterization of the onset of embryonic control and early development in the bovine embryo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnes, F.L.

1988-01-01

Bovine embryos were used to determine if morphological and molecular features of early development are similar to in vivo recovered bovine embryos and to determine at what level early bovine development is regulated. Radiolabeling of IVP embryos and in vivo recovered embryos with 35 S-methionine for SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis reveals that these embryos are equivalent. Few differences in protein profiles are observed between 1- and early 4-cell embryos. A change in protein profiles begins at the mid 4-cell stage and continues into the 8-cell stage. Few differences in protein profiles are observed between 1- and early 4-cell embryos. A change in protein profiles begins at the mid 4-cell stage and continues into the 8-cell stage. Few differences in protein profiles are observed between late 8-cells and morulae. This transition is α-amanitin sensitive therefore due to de novo embryonic transcription. Embryonic transcription is partially responsible for terminating the post-transcriptionally regulated period of early bovine development. Argentophillic nucleolar organizing regions (Ag-NORs) indicate onset of nucleolar activation. Ag-NORs were absent in 2- and 4-cell IVP embryos and rarely occurred in 8-cell IVP embryos cultured in vitro. IVP 1- and 2-cell embryos cultured to blastocysts in sheep oviducts demonstrated Ag-NORs. Thus the lack of nucleolar activation of IVP embryos cultured in vitro is culture induced between the 2- and 8-cell stage

Case Study: Organotypic human in vitro models of embryonic morphogenetic fusion

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Morphogenetic fusion of tissues is a common event in embryonic development and disruption of fusion is associated with birth defects of the eye, heart, neural tube, phallus, palate, and other organ systems. Embryonic tissue fusion requires precise regulation of cell-cell and cell...

Virtual voices: social support and stigma in postnatal mental illness Internet forums.

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Moore, Donna; Ayers, Susan

2017-06-01

Many women with postnatal mental illness do not get the treatment they need and this is often because stigma prevents disclosure. The purpose of this study was to explore online social support for postnatal mental illness, how women experience stigma and potential disadvantages of using Internet forums. Interviews were conducted with fifteen participants who had suffered postnatal mental illness and had used forums. Systematic thematic analysis identified common themes in relation to social support, stigma and disadvantages of using forums. Most women felt they benefited from visiting forums by developing a shared understanding and discourse about their illness. Findings suggest future research should investigate if women benefit from using online social support provided by forums, if use challenges stigma and further explore potential concerns about using forums.

Development and properties of a brief scale to assess intimate partner relationship in the postnatal period.

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Wynter, Karen; Tran, Thach Duc; Rowe, Heather; Fisher, Jane

2017-06-01

Poor quality intimate partner relationship is associated with postnatal depression and anxiety among women. Existing scales assessing the quality of this relationship are long and measure stable aspects of the relationship rather than specific behaviours which may respond to targeted interventions. The aim was to develop and investigate the properties of a brief, life stage-specific scale to assess potentially modifiable partner behaviours in the postpartum period. Participants were primiparous women from diverse geographical and socio-economic backgrounds in Victoria, Australia. Seven study-specific items were developed to assess potentially modifiable aspects of the intimate partner relationship at 6 months postpartum. Women's mental health was assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and the Patient Health Questionnaire depression and generalised anxiety modules. Factor analysis was conducted on the 7 items, and associations calculated between factor scores. Factor scores were compared for women with and without mental health problems. Mean inter-item correlations were computed to assess internal consistency. Factor analysis on data from 355 women revealed two factors with good internal consistency: Caring Partner Behaviours and Emotionally Abusive Partner Behaviours. Having mental health problems was associated with lower Caring Partner Behaviours and higher Emotionally Abusive Partner Behaviours scores. Interaction between partners was not observed; thus external criterion validity was not assessed. This brief scale is a promising means of assessing potentially modifiable aspects of the intimate partner relationship in the postnatal period. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dynamic changes in energy metabolism upon embryonic stem cell differentiation support developmental toxicant identification

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Dartel, van D.A.M.; Schulpen, S.H.; Theunissen, P.T.; Bunschoten, A.; Piersma, A.H.; Keijer, J.

2014-01-01

Embryonic stem cells (ESC) are widely used to study embryonic development and to identify developmental toxicants. Particularly, the embryonic stem cell test (EST) is well known as in vitro model to identify developmental toxicants. Although it is clear that energy metabolism plays a crucial role in

Stimulus-secretion coupling in the developing exocrine pancreas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, A.Y.S.

1986-01-01

Acinar cells of the embryonic pancreas are filled with zymogen granules containing, among others, the secretory protein, cholecystokinin (CCK) α-amylase, the rate of amylase secretion from pancreatic lobules incubated in vitro was not increased in response to CCK. In contrast, the rate of CCK-stimulated amylase discharge from the neonatal pancreas was increased 4- to 8-fold above that seen in the embryonic gland. The postnatal amplification of secretory responsiveness was not associated with an increase in the level of 125 I-CCK octapeptide specifically bound/cell equivalent or a change in the affinity of binding. Light microscopic autoradiography revealed a similar 125 I-CCK-33 labeling pattern in pancreatic lobules from both ages with autoradiographic grains specifically localized at the periphery of acinar cells. In order to determine whether CCK binding is coupled to a rise in the cytosolic Ca ++ concentration, [Ca ++ ]c, in the embryonic pancreas, 45 Ca ++ efflux from tracer-loaded lobules was measured. Efflux of 45 Ca ++ from both embryonic and neonatal pancreas was comparably increased in the presence of CCK

Regulation and functions of the lms homeobox gene during development of embryonic lateral transverse muscles and direct flight muscles in Drosophila.

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Dominik Müller

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Patterning and differentiation of developing musculatures require elaborate networks of transcriptional regulation. In Drosophila, significant progress has been made into identifying the regulators of muscle development and defining their interactive networks. One major family of transcription factors involved in these processes consists of homeodomain proteins. In flies, several members of this family serve as muscle identity genes to specify the fates of individual muscles, or groups thereof, during embryonic and/or adult muscle development. Herein, we report on the expression and function of a new Drosophila homeobox gene during both embryonic and adult muscle development. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The newly described homeobox gene, termed lateral muscles scarcer (lms, which has yet uncharacterized orthologs in other invertebrates and primitive chordates but not in vertebrates, is expressed exclusively in subsets of developing muscle tissues. In embryos, lms is expressed specifically in the four lateral transverse (LT muscles and their founder cells in each hemisegment, whereas in larval wing imaginal discs, it is expressed in myoblasts that develop into direct flight muscles (DFMs, which are important for proper wing positioning. We have analyzed the regulatory inputs of various other muscle identity genes with overlapping or complementary expression patterns towards the cell type specific regulation of lms expression. Further we demonstrate that lms null mutants exhibit reduced numbers of embryonic LT muscles, and null mutant adults feature held-out-wing phenotypes. We provide a detailed description of the pattern and morphology of the direct flight muscles in the wild type and lms mutant flies by using the recently-developed ultramicroscopy and show that, in the mutants, all DFMs are present and present normal morphologies. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We have identified the homeobox gene lms as a new muscle identity gene

Antenatal hydronephrosis: Negative predictive value of normal postnatal ultrasound - a 5-year study

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Moorthy, I.; Joshi, N.; Cook, J.V. E-mail: jcook@epsom-sthelier.nhs.uk; Warren, M

2003-12-01

AIM: To determine whether normal postnatal ultrasound, as part of a strict screening protocol for the detection and follow-up of antenatal hydronephrosis, effectively excludes the majority of babies with congenital urinary tract abnormalities that would otherwise present with a urinary tract infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all babies who had postnatal follow-up of antenatally detected hydronephrosis over a 5-year period at our institution, a district general Trust with a specialist paediatric unit. We then studied all babies presenting with urinary tract infection before their first birthday to our institution over the same period. By cross-referencing these two study groups we were able to determine which babies developed a urinary tract infection having been previously discharged after normal postnatal ultrasound. RESULTS: Four hundred and twenty-five babies had postnatal follow-up of antenatal hydronephrosis. Of these, 284 were investigated with ultrasound alone. In the same 5-year period, 230 babies presented with urinary tract infection before their first birthday. Only three of these babies had been previously discharged after normal postnatal ultrasound. The negative predictive value of a normal postnatal ultrasound was therefore 98.9% (281/284) for babies who subsequently presented with a urinary tract infection before their first birthday. CONCLUSION: Careful antenatal and postnatal ultrasound with strict protocols is effective in detecting congenital renal tract abnormalities. Infants discharged after normal postnatal ultrasound are highly unlikely to still have an undetected urinary tract abnormality. We suggest that all babies with antenatal hydronephrosis are started on prophylactic antibiotics at birth, pending further investigation. All babies without features of severe obstruction antenatally should have their postnatal ultrasound delayed for a month. We recommend selective use of micturating cystourethrogram (MCUG

Antenatal hydronephrosis: Negative predictive value of normal postnatal ultrasound - a 5-year study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moorthy, I.; Joshi, N.; Cook, J.V.; Warren, M.

2003-01-01

AIM: To determine whether normal postnatal ultrasound, as part of a strict screening protocol for the detection and follow-up of antenatal hydronephrosis, effectively excludes the majority of babies with congenital urinary tract abnormalities that would otherwise present with a urinary tract infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all babies who had postnatal follow-up of antenatally detected hydronephrosis over a 5-year period at our institution, a district general Trust with a specialist paediatric unit. We then studied all babies presenting with urinary tract infection before their first birthday to our institution over the same period. By cross-referencing these two study groups we were able to determine which babies developed a urinary tract infection having been previously discharged after normal postnatal ultrasound. RESULTS: Four hundred and twenty-five babies had postnatal follow-up of antenatal hydronephrosis. Of these, 284 were investigated with ultrasound alone. In the same 5-year period, 230 babies presented with urinary tract infection before their first birthday. Only three of these babies had been previously discharged after normal postnatal ultrasound. The negative predictive value of a normal postnatal ultrasound was therefore 98.9% (281/284) for babies who subsequently presented with a urinary tract infection before their first birthday. CONCLUSION: Careful antenatal and postnatal ultrasound with strict protocols is effective in detecting congenital renal tract abnormalities. Infants discharged after normal postnatal ultrasound are highly unlikely to still have an undetected urinary tract abnormality. We suggest that all babies with antenatal hydronephrosis are started on prophylactic antibiotics at birth, pending further investigation. All babies without features of severe obstruction antenatally should have their postnatal ultrasound delayed for a month. We recommend selective use of micturating cystourethrogram (MCUG

Late gestational hypoxia and a postnatal high salt diet programs endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness in adult mouse offspring.

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Walton, Sarah L; Singh, Reetu R; Tan, Tiffany; Paravicini, Tamara M; Moritz, Karen M

2016-03-01

Gestational hypoxia and high dietary salt intake have both been associated with impaired vascular function in adulthood. Using a mouse model of prenatal hypoxia, we examined whether a chronic high salt diet had an additive effect in promoting vascular dysfunction in offspring. Pregnant CD1 dams were placed in a hypoxic chamber (12% O2) or housed under normal conditions (21% O2) from embryonic day 14.5 until birth. Gestational hypoxia resulted in a reduced body weight for both male and female offspring at birth. This restriction in body weight persisted until weaning, after which the animals underwent catch-up growth. At 10 weeks of age, a subset of offspring was placed on a high salt diet (5% NaCl). Pressurized myography of mesenteric resistance arteries at 12 months of age showed that both male and female offspring exposed to maternal hypoxia had significantly impaired endothelial function, as demonstrated by impaired vasodilatation to ACh but not sodium nitroprusside. Endothelial dysfunction caused by prenatal hypoxia was not exacerbated by postnatal consumption of a high salt diet. Prenatal hypoxia increased microvascular stiffness in male offspring. The combination of prenatal hypoxia and a postnatal high salt diet caused a leftward shift in the stress-strain relationship in both sexes. Histopathological analysis of aortic sections revealed a loss of elastin integrity and increased collagen, consistent with increased vascular stiffness. These results demonstrate that prenatal hypoxia programs endothelial dysfunction in both sexes. A chronic high salt diet in postnatal life had an additive deleterious effect on vascular mechanics and structural characteristics in both sexes. © 2015 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2015 The Physiological Society.

The role of RNA-polymerase II transcription in embryonic nucleologenesis by bovine embryos

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kovalská, Mária; Petrovicová, Ida; Strejcek, Frantisek

2010-01-01

The early stages of embryonic development are maternally driven. As development proceeds, maternally inherited informational molecules decay, and embryogenesis becomes dependent on de novo synthesized RNAs of embryonic genome. The aim of the present study is to investigate the role of de novo tra...

Do embryonic polar bodies commit suicide?

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Fabian, Dušan; Čikoš, Štefan; Rehák, Pavol; Koppel, Juraj

2014-02-01

The extrusion and elimination of unnecessary gametic/embryonic material is one of the key events that determines the success of further development in all living organisms. Oocytes produce the first polar body to fulfill the maturation process just before ovulation, and release the second polar body immediately after fertilization. The aim of this study was to compile a physiological overview of elimination of polar bodies during early preimplantation development in mice. Our results show that three-quarters of the first polar bodies were lost even at the zygotic stage; the 4-cell stage embryos contained only one (second) polar body, and the elimination of second polar bodies proceeded continuously during later development. Both first and second polar bodies showed several typical features of apoptosis: phosphatidylserine redistribution (observed for the first time in the first polar body), specific DNA degradation, condensed nuclear morphology, and inability to exclude cationic dye from the nucleus during the terminal stage of the apoptotic process. Caspase-3 activity was recorded only in the second polar body. From the morphological point of view, mouse polar bodies acted very similarly to damaged embryonic cells which have lost contact with their neighboring blastomeres. In conclusion, polar bodies possess all the molecular equipment necessary for triggering and executing an active suicide process. Furthermore, similarly as in dying embryonic cells, stressing external conditions (culture in vitro) might accelerate and increase the incidence of apoptotic elimination of the polar bodies in embryos.

The Endocannabinoid System across Postnatal Development in Transmembrane Domain Neuregulin 1 Mutant Mice

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Rose Chesworth

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The use of cannabis is a well-established component risk factor for schizophrenia, particularly in adolescent individuals with genetic predisposition for the disorder. Alterations to the endocannabinoid system have been found in the prefrontal cortex of patients with schizophrenia. Thus, we assessed whether molecular alterations exist in the endocannabinoid signalling pathway during brain development in a mouse model for the schizophrenia risk gene neuregulin 1 (Nrg1. We analysed transcripts encoding key molecules of the endocannabinoid system in heterozygous transmembrane domain Nrg1 mutant mice (Nrg1 TM HET, which is known to have increased sensitivity to cannabis exposure. Tissue from the prelimbic cortex and hippocampus of male and female Nrg1 TM HET mice and wild type-like littermates was collected at postnatal days (PNDs 7, 10, 14, 21, 28, 35, 49, and 161. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was conducted to assess mRNA levels of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R and enzymes for the synthesis and breakdown of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol [i.e., diacylglycerol lipase alpha (DAGLα, monoglyceride lipase (MGLL, and α/β-hydrolase domain-containing 6 (ABHD6]. No sex differences were found for any transcripts in either brain region; thus, male and female data were pooled. Hippocampal and cortical mRNA expression of DAGLα, MGLL, and ABHD6 increased until PND 21–35 and then decreased and stabilised for the rest of postnatal development. Hippocampal CB1R mRNA expression increased until PND 21 and decreased after this age. Expression levels of these endocannabinoid markers did not differ in Nrg1 TM HET compared to control mice at any time point. Here, we demonstrate dynamic changes in the developmental trajectory of several key endocannabinoid system transcripts in the mouse brain, which may correspond with periods of endocannabinoid system maturation. Nrg1 TM HET mutation did not alter the developmental trajectory of the

High glucose suppresses embryonic stem cell differentiation into neural lineage cells

OpenAIRE

Yang, Penghua; Shen, Wei-bin; Reece, E. Albert; Chen, Xi; Yang, Peixin

2016-01-01

Abnormal neurogenesis occurs during embryonic development in human diabetic pregnancies and in animal models of diabetic embryopathy. Our previous studies in a mouse model of diabetic embryopathy have implicated that high glucose of maternal diabetes delays neurogenesis in the developing neuroepithelium leading to neural tube defects. However, the underlying process in high glucose-impaired neurogenesis is uncharacterized. Neurogenesis from embryonic stem (ES) cells provides a valuable model ...

Postnatally acquired cytomegalovirus infections in preterm infants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijman, J.

2013-01-01

A postnatal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is common in very low birth weight infants with an estimated prevalence of 6–59%. Breast milk from CMV seropositive mothers is the main source of postnatal CMV infection. Ninety-six percent of these mothers shed CMV in their breast milk after delivery due

Probing Embryonic Stem Cell Autocrine and Paracrine Signaling Using Microfluidics

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Przybyla, Laralynne; Voldman, Joel

2012-07-01

Although stem cell fate is traditionally manipulated by exogenously altering the cells' extracellular signaling environment, the endogenous autocrine and paracrine signals produced by the cells also contribute to their two essential processes: self-renewal and differentiation. Autocrine and/or paracrine signals are fundamental to both embryonic stem cell self-renewal and early embryonic development, but the nature and contributions of these signals are often difficult to fully define using conventional methods. Microfluidic techniques have been used to explore the effects of cell-secreted signals by controlling cell organization or by providing precise control over the spatial and temporal cellular microenvironment. Here we review how such techniques have begun to be adapted for use with embryonic stem cells, and we illustrate how many remaining questions in embryonic stem cell biology could be addressed using microfluidic technologies.

A chronological expression profile of gene activity during embryonic mouse brain development.

Science.gov (United States)

Goggolidou, P; Soneji, S; Powles-Glover, N; Williams, D; Sethi, S; Baban, D; Simon, M M; Ragoussis, I; Norris, D P

2013-12-01

The brain is a functionally complex organ, the patterning and development of which are key to adult health. To help elucidate the genetic networks underlying mammalian brain patterning, we conducted detailed transcriptional profiling during embryonic development of the mouse brain. A total of 2,400 genes were identified as showing differential expression between three developmental stages. Analysis of the data identified nine gene clusters to demonstrate analogous expression profiles. A significant group of novel genes of as yet undiscovered biological function were detected as being potentially relevant to brain development and function, in addition to genes that have previously identified roles in the brain. Furthermore, analysis for genes that display asymmetric expression between the left and right brain hemispheres during development revealed 35 genes as putatively asymmetric from a combined data set. Our data constitute a valuable new resource for neuroscience and neurodevelopment, exposing possible functional associations between genes, including novel loci, and encouraging their further investigation in human neurological and behavioural disorders.

Recent advances in engineering of tooth and tooth structures using postnatal dental cells

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Masaki J. Honda

2010-02-01

This review focuses on the performance of postnatal and adult dental cells that have been used for generating teeth. Their ability to contribute to tooth development was assessed in the omentum or in the tooth socket. Adult dental cells were limited in their potential owing to various parameters. From these results described, new approaches for regenerated teeth are proposed in this review. One strategy to replace teeth is tooth root engineering using tissue from postnatal teeth. Since the enamel organ epithelium disappears after tooth maturation, the epithelial rest cells of Malassez were evaluated to determine their capacity to generate enamel. From these results, it is suggested that erupted mature teeth have cell sources with the capacity to produce tooth root. The development of biological approaches for tooth root regeneration using postnatal dental cells is promising and remains one of the greatest challenges in the dental field in the years to come.

Risk factors for antenatal depression, postnatal depression and parenting stress

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Milgrom Jeannette

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Given that the prevalence of antenatal and postnatal depression is high, with estimates around 13%, and the consequences serious, efforts have been made to identify risk factors to assist in prevention, identification and treatment. Most risk factors associated with postnatal depression have been well researched, whereas predictors of antenatal depression have been less researched. Risk factors associated with early parenting stress have not been widely researched, despite the strong link with depression. The aim of this study was to further elucidate which of some previously identified risk factors are most predictive of three outcome measures: antenatal depression, postnatal depression and parenting stress and to examine the relationship between them. Methods Primipara and multiparae women were recruited antenatally from two major hoitals as part of the beyondblue National Postnatal Depression Program 1. In this subsidiary study, 367 women completed an additional large battery of validated questionnaires to identify risk factors in the antenatal period at 26–32 weeks gestation. A subsample of these women (N = 161 also completed questionnaires at 10–12 weeks postnatally. Depression level was measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI. Results Regression analyses identified significant risk factors for the three outcome measures. (1. Significant predictors for antenatal depression: low self-esteem, antenatal anxiety, low social support, negative cognitive style, major life events, low income and history of abuse. (2. Significant predictors for postnatal depression: antenatal depression and a history of depression while also controlling for concurrent parenting stress, which was a significant variable. Antenatal depression was identified as a mediator between seven of the risk factors and postnatal depression. (3. Postnatal depression was the only significant predictor for parenting stress and also acted as a mediator

Risk factors for antenatal depression, postnatal depression and parenting stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Leigh, Bronwyn; Milgrom, Jeannette

2008-04-16

Given that the prevalence of antenatal and postnatal depression is high, with estimates around 13%, and the consequences serious, efforts have been made to identify risk factors to assist in prevention, identification and treatment. Most risk factors associated with postnatal depression have been well researched, whereas predictors of antenatal depression have been less researched. Risk factors associated with early parenting stress have not been widely researched, despite the strong link with depression. The aim of this study was to further elucidate which of some previously identified risk factors are most predictive of three outcome measures: antenatal depression, postnatal depression and parenting stress and to examine the relationship between them. Primipara and multiparae women were recruited antenatally from two major hoitals as part of the beyondblue National Postnatal Depression Program 1. In this subsidiary study, 367 women completed an additional large battery of validated questionnaires to identify risk factors in the antenatal period at 26-32 weeks gestation. A subsample of these women (N = 161) also completed questionnaires at 10-12 weeks postnatally. Depression level was measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Regression analyses identified significant risk factors for the three outcome measures. (1). Significant predictors for antenatal depression: low self-esteem, antenatal anxiety, low social support, negative cognitive style, major life events, low income and history of abuse. (2). Significant predictors for postnatal depression: antenatal depression and a history of depression while also controlling for concurrent parenting stress, which was a significant variable. Antenatal depression was identified as a mediator between seven of the risk factors and postnatal depression. (3). Postnatal depression was the only significant predictor for parenting stress and also acted as a mediator for other risk factors. Risk factor profiles for

Neuropeptidomic analysis of the embryonic Japanese quail diencephalon

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Sköld Karl

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Endogenous peptides such as neuropeptides are involved in numerous biological processes in the fully developed brain but very little is known about their role in brain development. Japanese quail is a commonly used bird model for studying sexual dimorphic brain development, especially adult male copulatory behavior in relation to manipulations of the embryonic endocrine system. This study uses a label-free liquid chromatography mass spectrometry approach to analyze the influence of age (embryonic days 12 vs 17, sex and embryonic day 3 ethinylestradiol exposure on the expression of multiple endogenous peptides in the developing diencephalon. Results We identified a total of 65 peptides whereof 38 were sufficiently present in all groups for statistical analysis. Age was the most defining variable in the data and sex had the least impact. Most identified peptides were more highly expressed in embryonic day 17. The top candidates for EE2 exposure and sex effects were neuropeptide K (downregulated by EE2 in males and females, gastrin-releasing peptide (more highly expressed in control and EE2 exposed males and gonadotropin-inhibiting hormone related protein 2 (more highly expressed in control males and displaying interaction effects between age and sex. We also report a new potential secretogranin-2 derived neuropeptide and previously unknown phosphorylations in the C-terminal flanking protachykinin 1 neuropeptide. Conclusions This study is the first larger study on endogenous peptides in the developing brain and implies a previously unknown role for a number of neuropeptides in middle to late avian embryogenesis. It demonstrates the power of label-free liquid chromatography mass spectrometry to analyze the expression of multiple endogenous peptides and the potential to detect new putative peptide candidates in a developmental model.

Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Adherent Cell Differentiation and Cytotoxicity (ACDC) assay

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The Embryonic Stem Cell Test (EST) is an assay which evaluates xenobiotic-induced effects using three endpoints: mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) differentiation, mESC viability, and 3T3-cell viability. Our research goal was to develop an improved high-throughput assay by establi...

The influence of postnatal nutrition on reproductive tract and endometrial gland development in dairy calves.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Meghan L; McCoski, Sarah R; Geiger, Adam J; Akers, R Michael; Johnson, Sally E; Ealy, Alan D

2017-04-01

Uterine gland development occurs after birth in cattle and other mammals. The timeline of gland development has been described in various species, but little is known about how postnatal diet influences uterine gland development. This is especially concerning in dairy heifers, where a variety of milk replacer and whole milk nutrition options exist. Little work also exists in cattle to describe how early exposure to steroids influences reproductive tract and uterine gland development. The objective of this work was to determine the effects of early postnatal plane of nutrition and estrogen supplementation on uterine gland development in calves. In both studies, Holstein heifer calves were assigned to restricted milk replacer (R-MR) or enhanced milk replacer (EH-MR) diets. In study 1, calves (R-MR, n = 6; EH-MR, n = 5) were euthanized at 8 wk. In study 2, calves were weaned at 8 wk and administered estradiol (R-MR, n = 6; EH-MR, n = 6) or placebo (R-MR, n = 6; EH-MR, n = 5) for an additional 14 d before euthanasia. Average daily gain and final body weight was greater in both studies in heifers fed the enhanced diet. At 8 wk, EH-MR calves had a greater number of glands and a smaller average gland size, but total gland area was not different from the R-MR group. At 10 wk, uterine gland number and size were not affected by diet or estrogen. Expression profiles of several paracrine mediators of gland development were examined. Increases in transcript abundance for IGF1 and IGFBP3 and a decrease in abundance of WNT7A were detected in calves fed the enhanced diet at 8 wk of age. Plane of nutrition did not affect transcript profiles at 10 wk of age, but estradiol supplementation decreased MET and WNT7A transcript abundance. To conclude, heifer calves on a restricted diet exhibited a uterine morphology and transcript profile suggestive of delayed uterine gland development. These changes appear to be corrected by wk 10 of life. Also, this work provides evidence supporting the

Understanding exercise self-efficacy and barriers to leisure-time physical activity among postnatal women.

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Cramp, Anita G; Bray, Steven R

2011-07-01

Studies have demonstrated that postnatal women are at high risk for physical inactivity and generally show lower levels of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) compared to prepregnancy. The overall purpose of the current study was to investigate social cognitive correlates of LTPA among postnatal women during a 6-month period following childbirth. A total of 230 women (mean age = 30.9) provided descriptive data regarding barriers to LTPA and completed measures of LTPA and self-efficacy (exercise and barrier) for at least one of the study data collection periods. A total of 1,520 barriers were content analyzed. Both exercise and barrier self-efficacy were positively associated with subsequent LTPA. Exercise self-efficacy at postnatal week 12 predicted LTPA from postnatal weeks 12 to 18 (β = .40, R (2) = .18) and exercise self-efficacy at postnatal week 24 predicted LTPA during weeks 24-30 (β = .49, R (2) = .30). Barrier self-efficacy at week 18 predicted LTPA from weeks 18 to 24 (β = .33, R (2) = .13). The results of the study identify a number of barriers to LTPA at multiple time points closely following childbirth which may hinder initiation, resumption or maintenance of LTPA. The results also suggest that higher levels of exercise and barrier self-efficacy are prospectively associated with higher levels of LTPA in the early postnatal period. Future interventions should be designed to investigate causal effects of developing participants' exercise and barrier self-efficacy for promoting and maintaining LTPA during the postnatal period.

A macroscopic classification of the embryonic development of the one-sided livebearer Jenynsia multidentata (Teleostei: Anablepidae

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Nathalia C. López-Rodríguez

2017-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study proposes eight stages according to the main discernible changes recorded throughout the embryonic development of Jenynsia multidentata. The development of morphological embryo structures, pigmentation, and changes in tissues connecting mother and embryo were included in the stage characterization. From the fertilized egg (Stage 1, an embryo reaches the intermediary stages when presenting yolk syncytial layer (Stage 2, initial pigmentation of the outer layers of the retina and dorsal region of the head (Stage 3, and the sprouting of the caudal (Stage 4, dorsal and anal fins (Stage 5. During the later stages, the ovarian folds enter the gills, and the body pigmentation becomes more intense (Stage 6, the body becomes elongated (Stage 7, and there is a greater intensity in body pigmentation and increased muscle mass (Stage 8. The dry weight of the batches varied between 0.6 ± 0.3 mg (Stage 3 to 54.6 ± 19.7 mg (Stage 8, but the dry weight of the maternal-embryonic connecting tissues remained almost constant. After controlling the effect of those reproductive tissues, the gain in dry weight of the batches throughout development increased exponentially from Stage 6, reflecting the increase in size and weight of the embryos due to matrotrophy.

Effects of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field on Differentiation of HUES-17 Human Embryonic Stem Cell Line

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Yi-Lin Wu

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Electromagnetic fields are considered to potentially affect embryonic development, but the mechanism is still unknown. In this study, human embryonic stem cell (hESC line HUES-17 was applied to explore the mechanism of exposure on embryonic development to pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF for 400 pulses at different electric field intensities and the differentiation of HUES-17 cells was observed after PEMF exposure. The expression of alkaline phosphatase (AP, stage-specific embryonic antigen-3 (SSEA-3, SSEA-4 and the mRNA level and protein level of Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog in HUES-17 cells remained unchanged after PEMF exposure at the electric field intensities of 50, 100, 200 or 400 kV/m. Four hundred pulses PEMF exposure at the electric field intensities of 50, 100, 200 or 400 kV/m did not affect the differentiation of HUES-17 cells. The reason why electromagnetic fields affect embryonic development may be due to other mechanisms rather than affecting the differentiation of embryonic stem cells.

Expression Analysis of the Hippo Cascade Indicates a Role in Pituitary Stem Cell Development

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Emily J Lodge

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The pituitary gland is a primary endocrine organ that controls major physiological processes. Abnormal development or homeostatic disruptions can lead to human disorders such as hypopituitarism or tumours. Multiple signalling pathways, including WNT, BMP, FGF and SHH regulate pituitary development but the role of the Hippo-YAP1/TAZ cascade is currently unknown. In multiple tissues, the Hippo kinase cascade underlies neoplasias; it influences organ size through the regulation of proliferation and apoptosis, and has roles in determining stem cell potential. We have used a sensitive mRNA in situ hybridisation method (RNAscope to determine the expression patterns of the Hippo pathway components during mouse pituitary development. We have also carried out immunolocalisation studies to determine when YAP1 and TAZ, the transcriptional effectors of the Hippo pathway, are active. We find that YAP1/TAZ are active in the stem/progenitor cell population throughout development and at postnatal stages, consistent with their role in promoting the stem cell state. Our results demonstrate for the first time the collective expression of major components of the Hippo pathway during normal embryonic and postnatal development of the pituitary gland.

Identification of microRNAs controlling hepatic mRNA levels for metabolic genes during the metabolic transition from embryonic to posthatch development in the chicken.

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Hicks, Julie A; Porter, Tom E; Liu, Hsiao-Ching

2017-09-05

The transition from embryonic to posthatch development in the chicken represents a massive metabolic switch from primarily lipolytic to primarily lipogenic metabolism. This metabolic switch is essential for the chick to successfully transition from the metabolism of stored egg yolk to the utilization of carbohydrate-based feed. However, regulation of this metabolic switch is not well understood. We hypothesized that microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the metabolic switch that is essential to efficient growth of chickens. We used high-throughput RNA sequencing to characterize expression profiles of mRNA and miRNA in liver during late embryonic and early posthatch development of the chicken. This extensive data set was used to define the contributions of microRNAs to the metabolic switch during development that is critical to growth and nutrient utilization in chickens. We found that expression of over 800 mRNAs and 30 miRNAs was altered in the embryonic liver between embryonic day 18 and posthatch day 3, and many of these differentially expressed mRNAs and miRNAs are associated with metabolic processes. We confirmed the regulation of some of these mRNAs by miRNAs expressed in a reciprocal pattern using luciferase reporter assays. Finally, through the use of yeast one-hybrid screens, we identified several proteins that likely regulate expression of one of these important miRNAs. Integration of the upstream regulatory mechanisms governing miRNA expression along with monitoring the downstream effects of this expression will ultimately allow for the construction of complete miRNA regulatory networks associated with the hepatic metabolic switch in chickens. Our findings support a key role for miRNAs in controlling the metabolic switch that occurs between embryonic and posthatch development in the chicken.

mRNA Fragments in In-Vitro Culture Media are Associated with Bovine Preimplantation Embryonic Development

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Jenna eKropp

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In vitro production (IVP systems have been used to bypass problems of fertilization and early embryonic development. However, embryos produced by IVP are commonly selected for implantation based on morphological assessment, which is not a strong indicator of establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. Thus, there is a need to identify additional indicators of embryonic developmental potential. Previous studies have identified microRNA expression in in vitro culture media to be indicative of embryo quality in both bovine and human embryos. Like microRNAs, mRNAs have been shown to be secreted from cells into the extracellular environment, but it is unknown whether or not these RNAs are secreted by embryos. Thus, the objective of the present study was to determine whether mRNAs are secreted into in vitro culture media and if their expression in the media is indicative of embryo quality. In vitro culture medium was generated and collected from both blastocyst and degenerate (those which fail to develop from the morula to blastocyst stage embryos. Small-RNA sequencing revealed that many mRNA fragments were present in the culture media. A total of 17 mRNA fragments were differentially expressed between blastocyst and degenerated conditioned media. Differential expression was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR for

Maturation of Cerebellar Purkinje Cell Population Activity during Postnatal Refinement of Climbing Fiber Network

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Jean-Marc Good

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Neural circuits undergo massive refinements during postnatal development. In the developing cerebellum, the climbing fiber (CF to Purkinje cell (PC network is drastically reshaped by eliminating early-formed redundant CF to PC synapses. To investigate the impact of CF network refinement on PC population activity during postnatal development, we monitored spontaneous CF responses in neighboring PCs and the activity of populations of nearby CF terminals using in vivo two-photon calcium imaging. Population activity is highly synchronized in newborn mice, and the degree of synchrony gradually declines during the first postnatal week in PCs and, to a lesser extent, in CF terminals. Knockout mice lacking P/Q-type voltage-gated calcium channel or glutamate receptor δ2, in which CF network refinement is severely impaired, exhibit an abnormally high level of synchrony in PC population activity. These results suggest that CF network refinement is a structural basis for developmental desynchronization and maturation of PC population activity.

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.

Rac1 modulates cardiomyocyte adhesion during mouse embryonic development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abu-Issa, Radwan

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Conditional knockout of Rac1 using Nkx2.5 Cre line is lethal at E13.5. • The myocardium of the mutant is thin and disorganized. • The phenotype is not due to cardiomyocyte low proliferation or apoptosis. • The phenotype is due to specific defect in cardiomyocyte adhesion. - Abstract: Rac1, a member of the Rho subfamily of small GTPases, is involved in morphogenesis and differentiation of many cell types. Here we define a role of Rac1 in cardiac development by specifically deleting Rac1 in the pre-cardiac mesoderm using the Nkx2.5-Cre transgenic driver line. Rac1-conditional knockout embryos initiate heart development normally until embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5); their cardiac mesoderm is specified, and the heart tube is formed and looped. However, by E12.5-E13.5 the mutant hearts start failing and embryos develop edema and hemorrhage which is probably the cause for the lethality observed soon after. The hearts of Rac1-cKO embryos exhibit disorganized and thin myocardial walls and defects in outflow tract alignment. No significant differences of cardiomyocyte death or proliferation were found between developing control and mutant embryos. To uncover the role of Rac1 in the heart, E11.5 primary heart cells were cultured and analyzed in vitro. Rac1-deficient cardiomyocytes were less spread, round and loosely attached to the substrate and to each other implying that Rac1-mediated signaling is required for appropriate cell–cell and/or cellmatrix adhesion during cardiac development

Rac1 modulates cardiomyocyte adhesion during mouse embryonic development

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Abu-Issa, Radwan, E-mail: rabuissa@umich.edu

2015-01-24

Highlights: • Conditional knockout of Rac1 using Nkx2.5 Cre line is lethal at E13.5. • The myocardium of the mutant is thin and disorganized. • The phenotype is not due to cardiomyocyte low proliferation or apoptosis. • The phenotype is due to specific defect in cardiomyocyte adhesion. - Abstract: Rac1, a member of the Rho subfamily of small GTPases, is involved in morphogenesis and differentiation of many cell types. Here we define a role of Rac1 in cardiac development by specifically deleting Rac1 in the pre-cardiac mesoderm using the Nkx2.5-Cre transgenic driver line. Rac1-conditional knockout embryos initiate heart development normally until embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5); their cardiac mesoderm is specified, and the heart tube is formed and looped. However, by E12.5-E13.5 the mutant hearts start failing and embryos develop edema and hemorrhage which is probably the cause for the lethality observed soon after. The hearts of Rac1-cKO embryos exhibit disorganized and thin myocardial walls and defects in outflow tract alignment. No significant differences of cardiomyocyte death or proliferation were found between developing control and mutant embryos. To uncover the role of Rac1 in the heart, E11.5 primary heart cells were cultured and analyzed in vitro. Rac1-deficient cardiomyocytes were less spread, round and loosely attached to the substrate and to each other implying that Rac1-mediated signaling is required for appropriate cell–cell and/or cellmatrix adhesion during cardiac development.

Impact of electromagnetic radiation exposure during pregnancy on embryonic skeletal development in rats

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Ali SAEED H Alchalabi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the teratogenic effect of mobile phone radiation exposure during pregnancy on embryonic skeletal development at the common used mobile phone frequency in our environment. Methods: Sixty female Sprague-Dawley rats were distributed into three experiment groups; control and two exposed groups (1 h/day, 2 h/day exposure groups (n=20/ each group and exposed to whole body radiation during gestation period from day 1- day 20. Electromagnetic radiofrequency signal generator was used to generate 1 800 MHz GSM-like signals at specific absorption rate value 0.974 W/kg. Animals were exposed during experiment in an especial designed Plexiglas box (60 cm × 40 cm × 30 cm. At the end of exposure duration at day 20 of pregnancy animals were sacrificed and foetuses were removed, washed with normal saline and processed to Alizarin red and Alcian blue stain. Skeleton specimens were examined under a stereo microscope and skeleton's snaps were being carefully captured by built in camera fixed on the stereo microscope. Results: Intrauterine exposure to electromagnetic radiation lead to variation in degree of ossification, mineralization, formation of certain parts of the skeleton majorly in head and lesser in other parts. Deformity and absence of formation of certain bones in the head, ribs, and coccygeal vertebrae were recorded in skeleton of foetuses from exposed dams compare to control group. Conclusions: The electromagnetic radiation exposure during pregnancy alter the processes of bone mineralization and the intensity of bone turnover processes, and thus impact embryonic skeleton formation and development directly.

Plasma membrane proteomics of human embryonic stem cells and human embryonal carcinoma cells.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dormeyer, W.; van Hoof, D.; Braam, S.R.; Heck, A.J.R.; Mummery, C.L.; Krijgsveld, J.

2008-01-01

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are of immense interest in regenerative medicine as they can self-renew indefinitely and can give rise to any adult cell type. Human embryonal carcinoma cells (hECCs) are the malignant counterparts of hESCs found in testis tumors. hESCs that have acquired

Catecholaminergic development of fetal rat ventral mesencephalon : Characterization by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection and immunohistochemistry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tomasini, R; Kema, IP; Muskiet, FAJ; Meiborg, G; Staal, MJ; Go, KG

We determined dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NA), and adrenaline (A), as well as immunohistochemically stained tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and DA in dissected rat ventral mesencephalon (VM) tissue from Embryonic Day (ED) 14 to Postnatal Day (P) 17. Whole VM tissue DA, NA, and A contents increased with

Effects of prenatal X-irradiation on the 14th-18th days of gestation on postnatal growth and development in the rat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jensh, R.P.; Brent, R.L.

1988-01-01

Thirty-nine pregnant adult Wistar strain rats were randomly assigned to one of three exposure groups: 0, 0.75, or 1.50 Gy X-radiation total exposure. Animals were exposed from the 14th to the 18th days of gestation at 0, 0.15, or 0.30 Gy per day. At term, 15 rats were killed and morphologic analyses were completed. Twenty-four rats were allowed to deliver their offspring. On the first day of postnatal life, litters were reduced to a maximum of eight pups per litter, with equal numbers of male and female offspring wherever possible. A total of 187 pups were observed for the age of acquisition of five reflexes (air righting, surface righting, visual placing, negative geotaxis, auditory startle) and the appearance of four physiologic markers (pinna detachment, eye opening, vaginal opening, testes descent). There was significant dose-related weight reduction in term fetuses and offspring throughout the 86-day postnatal period. Postnatal growth rate (g gained/day) was unaffected. Adult offspring brain and gonadal weight and organ weight:body weight ratios were reduced. Using the PAC50 methodology, dose-related alterations occurred in the acquisition of several reflexes. All physiologic markers exhibited a dose-related delay in appearance. These results indicate that fractionated exposure to X-radiation during the fetal period in the rat results in dose-dependent alterations in postnatal growth and physiologic development. These studies are important for our understanding of the long-range effects of prenatal exposure to ionizing radiation late in gestation

Cadmium inhibits neurogenesis in zebrafish embryonic brain development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chow, Elly Suk Hen [Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, 1200 California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Hui, Michelle Nga Yu; Lin Chunchi [Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China); Cheng Shukhan [Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China)], E-mail: bhcheng@cityu.edu.hk

2008-05-01

Cadmium is a non-essential heavy metal found abundantly in the environment. Children of women exposed to cadmium during pregnancy display lower motor and perceptual abilities. High cadmium body burden in children is also related to impaired intelligence and lowered school achievement. However, little is known about the molecular and cellular basis of developmental neurotoxicity in the sensitive early life stages of animals. In this study, we explore neurological deficits caused by cadmium during early embryonic stages in zebrafish by examining regionalization of the neural tube, pattern formation and cell fate determination, commitment of proneural genes and induction of neurogenesis. We show that cadmium-treated embryos developed a smaller head with unclear boundaries between the brain subdivisions, particularly in the mid-hindbrain region. Embryos display normal anterior to posterior regionalization; however, the commitment of neural progenitor cells was affected by cadmium. We observe prominent reductions in the expression of several proneuronal genes including ngn1 in cell clusters, zash1a in the developing optic tectum, and zash1b in the telencephalon and tectum. Cadmium-treated embryos also have fewer differentiated neurons and glia in the facial sensory ganglia as indicated by decreased zn-12 expression. Also, a lower transcription level of neurogenic genes, ngn1 and neuroD, is observed in neurons. Our data suggest that cadmium-induced neurotoxicity can be caused by impaired neurogenesis, resulting in markedly reduced neuronal differentiation and axonogenesis.

Cadmium inhibits neurogenesis in zebrafish embryonic brain development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chow, Elly Suk Hen; Hui, Michelle Nga Yu; Lin Chunchi; Cheng Shukhan

2008-01-01

Cadmium is a non-essential heavy metal found abundantly in the environment. Children of women exposed to cadmium during pregnancy display lower motor and perceptual abilities. High cadmium body burden in children is also related to impaired intelligence and lowered school achievement. However, little is known about the molecular and cellular basis of developmental neurotoxicity in the sensitive early life stages of animals. In this study, we explore neurological deficits caused by cadmium during early embryonic stages in zebrafish by examining regionalization of the neural tube, pattern formation and cell fate determination, commitment of proneural genes and induction of neurogenesis. We show that cadmium-treated embryos developed a smaller head with unclear boundaries between the brain subdivisions, particularly in the mid-hindbrain region. Embryos display normal anterior to posterior regionalization; however, the commitment of neural progenitor cells was affected by cadmium. We observe prominent reductions in the expression of several proneuronal genes including ngn1 in cell clusters, zash1a in the developing optic tectum, and zash1b in the telencephalon and tectum. Cadmium-treated embryos also have fewer differentiated neurons and glia in the facial sensory ganglia as indicated by decreased zn-12 expression. Also, a lower transcription level of neurogenic genes, ngn1 and neuroD, is observed in neurons. Our data suggest that cadmium-induced neurotoxicity can be caused by impaired neurogenesis, resulting in markedly reduced neuronal differentiation and axonogenesis

Experiment on radiotherapy of postnatal mastitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhut'ko, A.A.

1978-01-01

The results of radiotherapy of postnatal mastitis in 78 women are presented. It is shown that the radiotherapy is the method of choice. Application of radiotherapy at different stages of disease promotes either complete resolution of infiltration (1-2 irradiations) or stipulates the decrease in temperature, abatement of pains and improvement of general state (at the presence of purulent fusion of mammary tissue). X-ray therapy of postnatal mastitis has does not affect the lactational function of mammary gland

Origin of pluripotent germ cell tumours: the role of microenvironment during embryonic development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, David Møbjerg; Sonne, Si Brask; Ottesen, Anne Marie

2008-01-01

into virtually any type of tissue and form teratomas (non-seminomas). CIS cells display a close phenotypic similarity to fetal germ cells (primordial germ cells or gonocytes) suggesting an origin due to a developmental delay or arrest of differentiation of early germ cells. The pluripotency of these neoplasms...... in several tissue specific stem cells, such as TFAP2C (AP-2gamma) or KIT. CIS and seminomas highly express a number of pre-meiotic germ cell specific genes, which are down-regulated during development to non-seminomas, while the expression of other embryonic markers, such as SOX2, is up...

An epidemiological study of urban and rural children in Pakistan: examining the relationship between delayed psychomotor development, low birth weight and postnatal growth failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Avan, Bilal I; Raza, Syed A; Kirkwood, Betty R

2015-03-01

Low birth weight is known to be associated with postnatal growth failure. It is not yet established that both conditions are determinants of psychomotor development. The study investigated whether or not low birth weight leads to delayed psychomotor development of a child, and whether it can be mitigated by adequate postnatal growth. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2002 in 15 rural and 11 urban communities of Sindh province, Pakistan. Assessment of 1234 children less than 3 years of age included Bayley's Scale of Infant Development II, socioeconomic questionnaire and anthropometry; WHO standards were used to calculate z-scores of height-for-age, weight-for-height and weight-for-age. The underlying study hypotheses were tested through multiple regression modelling. Out of 1219 children, 283 (23.2%) had delayed psychomotor development and 639 (52.4%) were undernourished according to the composite index of anthropometric failure. Strong negative associations with the psychomotor development index were detected between stunting and being underweight, with a larger magnitude of effect for stunting (pchildren. The psychomotor index increased by 2.07 points with every unit increase in height-for-age z-score. The relationship between low birth weight and psychomotor development appears to be mediated largely by postnatal growth and nutritional status. This association suggests that among undernourished children there is significant likelihood of a group that is developmentally delayed. It is important to emphasize developmental needs in programmes that target underprivileged children. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Oocyte exposure to ZnO nanoparticles inhibits early embryonic development through the γ-H2AX and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jing; Zhao, Yong; Ge, Wei; Zhang, Pengfei; Liu, Xinqi; Zhang, Weidong; Hao, Yanan; Yu, Shuai; Li, Lan; Chu, Meiqiang; Min, Lingjiang; Zhang, Hongfu; Shen, Wei

2017-06-27

The impacts of zinc oxide nanoparticles on embryonic development following oocyte stage exposure are unknown and the underlying mechanisms are sparsely understood. In the current investigation, intact nanoparticles were detected in ovarian tissue in vivo and cultured cells in vitro under zinc oxide nanoparticles treatment. Zinc oxide nanoparticles exposure during the oocyte stage inhibited embryonic development. Notably, in vitro culture data closely matched in vivo embryonic data, in that the impairments caused by Zinc oxide nanoparticles treatment passed through cell generations; and both gamma-H2AX and NF-kappaB pathways were involved in zinc oxide nanoparticles caused embryo-toxicity. Copper oxide and silicon dioxide nanoparticles have been used to confirm that particles are important for the toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles. The toxic effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles emanate from both intact nanoparticles and Zn2+. Our investigation along with others suggests that zinc oxide nanoparticles are toxic to the female reproductive system [ovaries (oocytes)] and subsequently embryo-toxic and that precaution should be taken regarding human exposure to their everyday use.

Tritium toxicity on postnatally developing mice testes: a qualitative and quantitative evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatia, A.L.

1982-01-01

The present study is an attempt to evaluate the possible radiobiological effects of tritiated water (HTO) on the testes of Swiss albino mice during postnatal development. Mice were continuously irradiated with different doses providing 46, 93 and 185 kBq of HTO per ml drinking water (after a priming injection) from day 1 after brith up to 6 weeks of age. Qualitative and quantitative studies were made at 6 weeks old mice testes and were compared with the sham-irradiated controls. A dose-dependent damage is noticed in the testes in the form of various radiopathological lesions such as intertubular edema, necrotic and pycnotic cells at various stages, mild cytoplasmic vacuolation, fibrosis, sclerosis, cellular edema etc. The number of various germ cells at their different phases were greatly reduced. 185 kBq/ml affect severely the spermatogonia and spermatid populations. The primary spermatocyte level was maintained at the range 64 +- 3.5%

Tritium toxicity on postnatally developing mice testes: a qualitative and quantitative evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhatia, A.L. (Rajasthan Univ., Jaipur (India). Radiation Biology Lab.)

1982-11-01

The present study is an attempt to evaluate the possible radiobiological effects of tritiated water (HTO) on the testes of Swiss albino mice during postnatal development. Mice were continuously irradiated with different doses providing 46, 93 and 185 kBq of HTO per ml drinking water (after a priming injection) from day 1 after brith up to 6 weeks of age. Qualitative and quantitative studies were made at 6 weeks old mice testes and were compared with the sham-irradiated controls. A dose-dependent damage is noticed in the testes in the form of various radiopathological lesions such as intertubular edema, necrotic and pycnotic cells at various stages, mild cytoplasmic vacuolation, fibrosis, sclerosis, cellular edema etc. The number of various germ cells at their different phases were greatly reduced. 185 kBq/ml affect severely the spermatogonia and spermatid populations. The primary spermatocyte level was maintained at the range 64 +- 3.5%.

Consequences of pre-natal radiation exposure for post-natal development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mole, R.H.

1982-01-01

A review of revised observations on Japanese bomb survivors suggests that 10-18 weeks of pregnancy is the period of greatest sensitivity for foetal brain damage leading to severe mental retardation. Severe food deficiencies suggest a cause for the apparently high frequency of severe mental retardation in the unexposed control population and may also have contributed to the dose-dependent increase in those irradiated in utero. The author concludes that there is no confirmed evidence to suggest that the pre-implantation stage of mammalian development is unusually radiosensitive. In the human, the succeeding period of major organogenesis seems to be less sensitive and important than the following 10-18 week period of pregnancy. It is suggested that malformation (teratogenesis) should be distinguished from maldevelopment. Malformations are the result of failure of embryonic organization and ionizing radiation is not an efficient teratogen in this sense. Maldevelopment after exposure to radiation is the consequence of cell depletion of sufficient degree randomly distributed throughout an irradiated tissue. It is concluded that dose thresholds for maldevelopments are to be expected after irradiation both in pre-implantation and post-implantation stages, and that somatic mutation has a possible role as a mechanism without threshold for development damage by pre-natal irradiation, but not likely to be of practical significance. (U.K.)

Barriers to postnatal care and exclusive breastfeeding among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Conclusion: Poor knowledge and inaccessibility to health facilities were the main obstacles to postnatal care while the practice of exclusive breastfeeding was limited by the stress and mothers refusal. Keywords: Exclusive breastfeeding, postnatal care, southeastern Nigeria, urban women. Nigerian Medical Journal | Vol.

Diploid, but not haploid, human embryonic stem cells can be derived from microsurgically repaired tripronuclear human zygotes

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Yong; Li, Rong; Huang, Jin; Yu, Yang; Qiao, Jie

2013-01-01

Human embryonic stem cells have shown tremendous potential in regenerative medicine, and the recent progress in haploid embryonic stem cells provides new insights for future applications of embryonic stem cells. Disruption of normal fertilized embryos remains controversial; thus, the development of a new source for human embryonic stem cells is important for their usefulness. Here, we investigated the feasibility of haploid and diploid embryo reconstruction and embryonic stem cell derivation using microsurgically repaired tripronuclear human zygotes. Diploid and haploid zygotes were successfully reconstructed, but a large proportion of them still had a tripolar spindle assembly. The reconstructed embryos developed to the blastocyst stage, although the loss of chromosomes was observed in these zygotes. Finally, triploid and diploid human embryonic stem cells were derived from tripronuclear and reconstructed zygotes (from which only one pronucleus was removed), but haploid human embryonic stem cells were not successfully derived from the reconstructed zygotes when two pronuclei were removed. Both triploid and diploid human embryonic stem cells showed the general characteristics of human embryonic stem cells. These results indicate that the lower embryo quality resulting from abnormal spindle assembly contributed to the failure of the haploid embryonic stem cell derivation. However, the successful derivation of diploid embryonic stem cells demonstrated that microsurgical tripronuclear zygotes are an alternative source of human embryonic stem cells. In the future, improving spindle assembly will facilitate the application of triploid zygotes to the field of haploid embryonic stem cells. PMID:23255130

ECR-MAPK regulation in liver early development.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xiu-Ju; Zhuo, Hexian

2014-01-01

Early growth is connected to a key link between embryonic development and aging. In this paper, liver gene expression profiles were assayed at postnatal day 22 and week 16 of age. Meanwhile another independent animal experiment and cell culture were carried out for validation. Significance analysis of microarrays, qPCR verification, drug induction/inhibition assays, and metabonomics indicated that alpha-2u globulin (extracellular region)-socs2 (-SH2-containing signals/receptor tyrosine kinases)-ppp2r2a/pik3c3 (MAPK signaling)-hsd3b5/cav2 (metabolism/organization) plays a vital role in early development. Taken together, early development of male rats is ECR and MAPK-mediated coordination of cancer-like growth and negative regulations. Our data represent the first comprehensive description of early individual development, which could be a valuable basis for understanding the functioning of the gene interaction network of infant development.

Distribution of epidermal growth factor receptors in rat tissues during embryonic skin development, hair formation, and the adult hair growth cycle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Green, M R; Couchman, J R

1984-01-01

on the binding distribution of [125I]EGF, representing the tissue localization of available EGF receptors, during embryonic rat skin development including hair follicle formation and the adult hair growth cycle. At 16 days embryonic development a relatively low receptor density is seen over all the epidermal...... condensates marking the first stage of hair follicle development. This restricted and temporary loss of EGF receptors above these specialized mesenchymal condensates implies a role for the EGF receptor and possibly EGF or an EGF-like ligand in stimulating the epithelial downgrowth required for hair follicle...... development. In the anagen hair bulb, receptors for EGF are detected over the outer root sheath and the epithelial cell layers at the base of the follicle and show a correlation with the areas of epithelial proliferation in the hair bulb. During the catagen and telogen phases of the hair cycle, receptors...

Bioprotective effect of zinc in macro- and nanoaquachelate form on embryonal development of rats in conditions of lead intoxication

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Beletskaya E.M.

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The article presents results of studied influence of low doses of lead and zinc (nanozinc on embryonal development in a la¬boratory experiment on rats. Negative influence of lead on pregnancy of laboratory animals, manifested in violation of the physiological dynamics of the rectal temperature and decrease in body weight gain was revealed. Embryotoxic effect of low doses of lead results in increased fetal mortality by 2.16 times compared to the control group of animals, de¬terioration of the morphometric indices of fetuses, violation of placentogenesis. Simultaneous injections of zinc on back¬ground of lead intoxication causes a protective effect on the body of pregnant rats and embryonal development of the offspring, more pronounced for zinc citrate, received by using aquananotehnology, as compared to zinc chloride. Thus, by morphometry indices, male fetuses were more sensitive to prenatal lead exposure in comparison to female fetuses.

Effect of ambient temperature on the proliferation of brown adipocyte progenitors and endothelial cells during postnatal BAT development in Syrian hamsters.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagaya, Kazuki; Okamatsu-Ogura, Yuko; Nio-Kobayashi, Junko; Nakagiri, Shohei; Tsubota, Ayumi; Kimura, Kazuhiro

2018-04-02

In Syrian hamsters, brown adipose tissue (BAT) develops postnatally through the proliferation and differentiation of brown adipocyte progenitors. In the study reported here, we investigated how ambient temperature influenced BAT formation in neonatal hamsters. In both hamsters raised at 23 or 30 °C, the interscapular fat changed from white to brown coloration in an age-dependent manner and acquired the typical morphological features of BAT by day 16. However, the expression of uncoupling protein 1, a brown adipocyte marker, and of vascular endothelial growth factor α were lower in the group raised at 30 °C than in that raised at 23 °C. Immunofluorescent staining revealed that the proportion of Ki67-expressing progenitors and endothelial cells was lower in the 30 °C group than in the 23 °C group. These results indicate that warm ambient temperature suppresses the proliferation of brown adipocyte progenitors and endothelial cells and negatively affects the postnatal development of BAT in Syrian hamsters.

KCC2-mediated regulation of respiration-related rhythmic activity during postnatal development in mouse medulla oblongata.

Science.gov (United States)

Okabe, Akihito; Shimizu-Okabe, Chigusa; Arata, Akiko; Konishi, Shiro; Fukuda, Atsuo; Takayama, Chitoshi

2015-03-19

GABA acts as inhibitory neurotransmitter in the adult central nervous system but as excitatory neurotransmitter during early postnatal development. This shift in GABA's action from excitation to inhibition is caused by a decrease in intracellular chloride concentration ([Cl(-)]i), which in turn is caused by changes in the relative expression levels of the K(+)-Cl(-) co-transporter (KCC2) and the Na(+), K(+)-2Cl(-) co-transporter (NKCC1) proteins. Previous studies have used slices containing the medullary pre-Bötzinger complex (pre-BötC) to record respiration-related rhythmic activity (RRA) from the hypoglossal nucleus (12 N). The role of GABAergic transmission in the regulation of medullary RRA neonatally, however, is yet to be determined. Here, we examined how GABA and chloride co-transporters contribute to RRA during development in the 12 N where inspiratory neurons reside. We recorded extracellular RRA in medullary slices obtained from postnatal day (P) 0-7 mice. RRA was induced by soaking slices in artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) containing 8mM-K(+). Application of GABA significantly increased the frequency of RRA after P3, whereas application of a KCC2 blocker (R (+)-[(2-n-butyl-6,7-dichloro-2-cyclopentyl-2,3-dihydro-1-oxo-1H-indenyl-5-yl)oxy]acetic acid (DIOA)) significantly decreased the frequency of RRA after P1. In addition, dense KCC2 immunolabeling was seen in the superior longitudinalis (SL) of the 12 N, which is responsible for retraction of the tongue, from P0 and P7. These results indicate that GABA administration can increase RRA frequency during the first week following birth. This in turn suggests that decreasing [Cl(-)]i levels caused by increasing KCC2 levels in the 12 N could play important roles in regulating the frequency of RRA during development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human Embryonic Stem Cells: A Model for the Study of Neural Development and Neurological Diseases

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Piya Prajumwongs

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Although the mechanism of neurogenesis has been well documented in other organisms, there might be fundamental differences between human and those species referring to species-specific context. Based on principles learned from other systems, it is found that the signaling pathways required for neural induction and specification of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs recapitulated those in the early embryo development in vivo at certain degree. This underscores the usefulness of hESCs in understanding early human neural development and reinforces the need to integrate the principles of developmental biology and hESC biology for an efficient neural differentiation.

Effects of different feeder layers on culture of bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells in vitro

OpenAIRE

Cong, Shan; Cao, Guifang; Liu, Dongjun

2014-01-01

To find a suitable feeder layer is important for successful culture conditions of bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells. In this study, expression of pluripotency-related genes OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG in bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells on mouse embryonic fibroblast feeder layers at 1–5 passages were monitored in order to identify the possible reason that bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells could not continue growth and passage. Here, we developed two novel feeder layers, mixed embryonic ...

Postnatal brain and skull growth in an Apert syndrome mouse model

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Cheryl A.; Martínez-Abadías, Neus; Motch, Susan M.; Austin, Jordan R.; Wang, Yingli; Jabs, Ethylin Wang; Richtsmeier, Joan T.; Aldridge, Kristina

2012-01-01

Craniofacial and neural tissues develop in concert throughout pre- and postnatal growth. FGFR-related craniosynostosis syndromes, such as Apert syndrome (AS), are associated with specific phenotypes involving both the skull and the brain. We analyzed the effects of the FGFR P253R mutation for Apert syndrome using the Fgfr2+/P253R mouse to evaluate the effects of this mutation on these two tissues over the course of development from day of birth (P0) to postnatal day 2 (P2). Three-dimensional magnetic resonance microscopy and computed tomography images were acquired from Fgfr2+/P253R mice and unaffected littermates at P0 (N=28) and P2 (N=23). 3D coordinate data for 23 skull and 15 brain landmarks were statistically compared between groups. Results demonstrate that the Fgfr2+/P253R mice show reduced growth in the facial skeleton and the cerebrum, while the height and width of the neurocranium and caudal regions of the brain show increased growth relative to unaffected littermates. This localized correspondence of differential growth patterns in skull and brain point to their continued interaction through development and suggest that both tissues display divergent postnatal growth patterns relative to unaffected littermates. However, the change in the skull-brain relationship from P0 to P2 implies that each tissue affected by the mutation retains a degree of independence, rather than one tissue directing the development of the other. PMID:23495236

Localization of c-MYB in differentiated cells during postnatal molar and alveolar bone development

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lungová, Vlasta; Buchtová, Marcela; Janečková, Eva; Tucker, A.S.; Knopfová, L.; Šmarda, J.; Matalová, Eva

2012-01-01

Roč. 120, č. 6 (2012), 495-504 ISSN 0909-8836 R&D Projects: GA ČR GCP302/12/J059 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50450515 Keywords : c-myb * tooth * postnatal Subject RIV: FF - HEENT, Dentistry Impact factor: 1.420, year: 2012

Postnatal development and behaviour of Wistar rats after prenatal toluene exposure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thiel, R. [Fachbereich Humanmedizin, Universitaetsklinikum Benjamin Franklin, Inst. fuer Toxikologie und Embryopharmakologie, Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany); Chahoud, I. [Fachbereich Humanmedizin, Universitaetsklinikum Benjamin Franklin, Inst. fuer Toxikologie und Embryopharmakologie, Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany)

1997-02-01

Pregnant Wistar rats were treated with different concentrations of toluene by inhalation (300, 600, 1000 and 1200 ppm) from day 9 to day 21 of pregnancy for 6 h a day in a whole-body inhalation chamber (controls inhaled fresh air only). From day 22, rats were kept single-caged and were allowed to deliver. Besides a detailed evaluation of the physical development of the offspring we performed the following tests: forelimb-grasp reflex, righting reflex, cliff-drop aversion reflex, maintainance of balance on a rotating rod, measurement of locomotor activity and learning ability in a discrimination learning test. A toluene exposure of 1200 ppm resulted in a reduced body weight of rat dams and offspring and a higher mortality until weaning. The physical development (incisor eruption, eye opening and vaginal opening) was retarded in this group. There were no clear-cut and concentration-dependent differences in the development of reflexes, rota rod performance and locomotor activity between the offspring of animals exposed to toluene and the controls. Likewise, no effects were found on learning ability in the operant conditioning task. Compared to the controls there were no differences in mating, fertility and pregnancy indexes in the F{sub 1}-generation. The tests performed have provided no evidence that toluene exposures {<=} 1200 ppm induce adverse effects on the behaviour of rat offspring exposed during late embryonic and fetal development. (orig.). With 8 figs., 7 tabs.

In Utero and Postnatal Propylthiouracil-Induced Mild Hypothyroidism Impairs Maternal Behavior in Mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miski Aghnia Khairinisa

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Thyroid hormones (THs play crucial roles in general and brain development. Even if the hypothyroidism is mild, it may alter brain function, resulting in irreversible behavioral alterations. Although various behavioral analyses have been conducted, the effects of propylthiouracil (PTU treatment during in utero and postnatal periods on maternal behavior have not yet been studied. The present study examined in mice whether THs insufficiency during development induce behavioral changes. Pregnant C57BL/6j mice were divided into three groups, and each group was administered different dosages of PTU (0, 5, or 50 ppm in drinking water during in utero and postnatal periods (from gestational day 14 to postnatal day 21. First, locomotor activity and cognitive function were assessed in the offspring at 10 weeks. Next, female offspring were mated with normal mice and they and their offspring were used to assess several aspects of maternal behavior (identifying first pup, returning all pups to nest, time spent nursing, and licking pups. As expected, locomotor and cognitive functions in these mice were disrupted in a PTU dose-dependent manner. On postpartum day 2, dams who had been exposed 50 ppm PTU during in utero and postnatal periods displayed a significantly longer time identifying the first pup and returning all three pups back to the nest, less time nursing, and decreased licking behavior. The decrease in maternal behavior was significantly correlated with a decrease in cognition. These results indicate that insufficiency of THs during in utero and postnatal periods impairs maternal behavior, which may be partly induced by impaired cognitive function.

Gro/TLE enables embryonic stem cell differentiation by repressing pluripotent gene expression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laing, Adam F; Lowell, Sally; Brickman, Joshua M

2015-01-01

Gro/TLE proteins (TLE1-4) are a family of transcriptional corepressors acting downstream of multiple signalling pathways. Several TLEs are expressed in a dynamic manner throughout embryonic development and at high levels in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Here we find that Gro/TLE is not required...

Developmental and behavioral effects of postnatal amitraz exposure in rats

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J. Palermo-Neto

1997-08-01

Full Text Available The effects of postnatal amitraz exposure on physical and behavioral parameters were studied in Wistar rats, whose lactating dams received the pesticide (10 mg/kg orally on days 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16 and 19 of lactation; control dams received distilled water (1 ml/kg on the same days. A total of 18 different litters (9 of them control and 9 experimental born after a 21-day gestation were used. The results showed that the median effective time (ET50 for fur development, eye opening, testis descent and onset of the startle response were increased in rats postnatally exposed to amitraz (2.7, 15.1, 21.6 and 15.3 days, respectively compared to those of the control pups (1.8, 14.0, 19.9 and 12.9 days, respectively. The ages of incisor eruption, total unfolding of the external ears, vaginal and ear opening and the time taken to perform the grasping hindlimb reflex were not affected by amitraz exposure. Pups from dams treated with amitraz during lactation took more time (in seconds to perform the surface righting reflex on postnatal days (PND 3 (25.0 ± 2.0, 4 (12.3 ± 1.2 and 5 (8.7 ± 0.9 in relation to controls (10.6 ± 1.2; 4.5 ± 0.6 and 3.4 ± 0.4, respectively; the climbing response was not changed by amitraz. Postnatal amitraz exposure increased spontaneous motor activity of male and female pups in the open-field on PND 16 (140 ± 11 and 17 (124 ± 12, and 16 (104 ± 9, 17 (137 ± 9 and 18 (106 ± 8, respectively. Data on spontaneous motor activity of the control male and female pups were 59 ± 11 and 69 ± 10 for days 16 and 17 and 49 ± 9, 48 ± 7 and 56 ± 7 for days 16, 17 and 18, respectively. Some qualitative differences were also observed in spontaneous motor behavior; thus, raising the head, shoulder and pelvis matured one or two days later in the amitraz-treated offspring. Postnatal amitraz exposure did not change locomotion and rearing frequencies or immobility time in the open-field on PND 30, 60 and 90. The present findings indicate

Postnatal development of bile secretory physiology in the dog

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tavoloni, N.; Jones, M.J.; Berk, P.D.

1985-01-01

To determine whether bile formation in the dog is an immature process at birth, several determinants of bile secretion were studied in anesthetized, bile duct-cannulated puppies of 0-42 days of age and adult dogs. Basal canalicular bile flow rate, estimated by 14 C-erythritol biliary clearance, averaged 0.182 microliter/min/g liver in 0-3 day-old puppies and increased to 0.324 and 0.461 microliter/min/g in puppies 7-21 and 28-42 days of age, respectively. Calculated ductular bile water reabsorption ( 14 C-erythritol biliary clearance-bile flow) was virtually absent in 0-3 day-old puppies, and averaged 0.017 and 0.092 microliter/min/g in puppies of 7-21 and 28-42 days of age, respectively. In adult dogs, ductular bile water reabsorption was 0.132 microliter/min/g. These functional deficiencies of the newborn dog were associated with an increased biliary permeability to 3 H-inulin which could not be accounted for solely by an increased solute diffusion due to the lower rate of canalicular bile flow. Administration of taurocholate up to 2000 nmol/min/kg produced in all animals a similar increase in canalicular bile flow and bile acid excretion, and was not associated with changes in ductular bile water reabsorption rate. These findings are interpreted to indicate that, in the dog, bile secretory function is immature at birth and develops during postnatal life

The initiation of embryonic-like collagen fibrillogenesis by adult human tendon fibroblasts when cultured under tension

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bayer, Monika L; Yeung, Chin-Yan C; Kadler, Karl E

2010-01-01

Tendon fibroblasts synthesize collagen and form fibrils during embryonic development, but to what extent mature fibroblasts are able to recapitulate embryonic development and develop normal tendon structure is unknown. The present study examined the capability of mature human tendon fibroblasts t...

Postnatal events in intestinal gene expression and splenic cell composition is altered in NOD mice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damlund, Dina Silke Malling; Metzdorff, Stine Broeng; Kristensen, Matilde Bylov

2013-01-01

microbiota seems to play an important role in the development and control of T1D. We hypothesized that NOD mice in the perinatal period respond differently than mice not prone to develop T1D (C57/Bl6), and we investigated the differences in postnatal expression of genes in gut, spleen, liver and pancreas......Evidence suggests that colonisation pattern of the gut in the early postnatal period is highly correlated with the risk of developing type 1 diabetes (T1D). We have recently shown that colonization in SPF mice accelerates gut maturation and that at postnatal day (PND) 1, in comparison with germ...... free mice, certain chemokines, including Cxcl2 encoding macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2 and involved in attraction of neutrophils was downregulated in the gut epithelium. The non-obese diabetes (NOD) mouse is widely used as a model for studying the pathogenesis of T1D. The neonatal gut...

Adiposity associated changes in serum glucose and adiponectin levels modulate ovarian steroidogenesis during delayed embryonic development in the fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx.

Science.gov (United States)

Anuradha; Krishna, Amitabh

2018-06-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the mechanism by which embryonic development in Cynopterus sphinx is impaired during the period of increased accumulation of white adipose tissue during winter scarcity of food. The change in the mass of white adipose tissue during adipogenesis showed significant positive correlation with the circulating glucose level. But increase in circulating glucose level during the adipogenesis showed negative correlation with circulating progesterone and adiponectin levels. The in vivo study showed increased glucose uptake by the adipose tissue during adipogenesis due to increased expression of insulin receptor (IR) and glucose transporter (GLUT) 4 proteins. This study showed decline in the adiponectin level during fat accumulation. In the in vitro study, ovary treated with high doses of glucose showed impaired progesterone synthesis. This is due to decreased glucose uptake mediated decrease in the expression of luteinizing hormone-receptor, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, IR, GLUT4 and AdipoR1 proteins. But the ovary treated with adiponectin either alone or with higher concentration of glucose showed improvement in progesterone synthesis due to increased expression of IR, GLUT4 and AdipoR1 mediated increased glucose uptake. In conclusion, increased circulating glucose level prior to winter dormancy preferably transported to white adipose tissue for fat accumulation diverting glucose away from the ovary. Consequently the decreased availability of adiponectin and glucose to the ovary and utero-embryonic unit may be responsible for impaired progesterone synthesis and delayed embryonic development. The delayed embryonic development in Cynopterus sphinx may have evolved, in part, as a mechanism to prevent pregnancy loss during the period of decreased energy availability. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anxiety disorders in pregnancy and the postnatal period ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Anxiety disorders in pregnancy and the postnatal period. ... Continuing Medical Education ... There is a growing realisation that many women suffer from either new onset or worsening of existing anxiety disorders during pregnancy and postnatally (the perinatal period).1 The occurrence of an anxiety disorder during this time ...

Distributional shift of urea production site from the extraembryonic yolk sac membrane to the embryonic liver during the development of cloudy catshark (Scyliorhinus torazame).

Science.gov (United States)

Takagi, Wataru; Kajimura, Makiko; Tanaka, Hironori; Hasegawa, Kumi; Ogawa, Shuntaro; Hyodo, Susumu

2017-09-01

Urea is an essential osmolyte for marine cartilaginous fishes. Adult elasmobranchs and holocephalans are known to actively produce urea in the liver, muscle and other extrahepatic organs; however, osmoregulatory mechanisms in the developing cartilaginous fish embryo with an undeveloped urea-producing organ are poorly understood. We recently described the contribution of extraembryonic yolk sac membranes (YSM) to embryonic urea synthesis during the early developmental period of the oviparous holocephalan elephant fish (Callorhinchus milii). In the present study, to test whether urea production in the YSM is a general phenomenon among oviparous Chondrichthyes, we investigated gene expression and activities of ornithine urea cycle (OUC) enzymes together with urea concentrations in embryos of the elasmobranch cloudy catshark (Scyliorhinus torazame). The intracapsular fluid, in which the catshark embryo develops, had a similar osmolality to seawater, and embryos maintained a high concentration of urea at levels similar to that of adult plasma throughout development. Relative mRNA expressions and activities of catshark OUC enzymes were significantly higher in YSM than in embryos until stage 32. Concomitant with the development of the embryonic liver, the expression levels and activities of OUC enzymes were markedly increased in the embryo from stage 33, while those of the YSM decreased from stage 32. The present study provides further evidence that the YSM contributes to embryonic urea homeostasis until the liver and other extrahepatic organs become fully functional, and that urea-producing tissue shifts from the YSM to the embryonic liver in the late developmental period of oviparous marine cartilaginous fishes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Virtual reality imaging techniques in the study of embryonic and early placental health.

Science.gov (United States)

Rousian, Melek; Koster, Maria P H; Mulders, Annemarie G M G J; Koning, Anton H J; Steegers-Theunissen, Régine P M; Steegers, Eric A P

2018-04-01

Embryonic and placental growth and development in the first trimester of pregnancy have impact on the health of the fetus, newborn, child and even the adult. This emphasizes the importance of this often neglected period in life. The development of three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasonography in combination with virtual reality (VR) opens the possibility of accurate and reliable visualization of embryonic and placental structures with real depth perception. These techniques enable new biometry and volumetry measurements that contribute to the knowledge of the (patho)physiology of embryonic and early placental health. Examples of such measurements are the length of complex structures like the umbilical cord, vitelline duct, limbs and cerebellum or the volume of the whole embryo and brain cavities. Moreover, for the first time, embryos can now be staged in vivo (Carnegie stages) and vasculature volumes of both the embryo and the early placenta can be measured when VR is combined with power Doppler signals. These innovative developments have already been used to study associations between periconceptional maternal factors, such as age, smoking, alcohol use, diet and vitamin status, and embryonic and early placental growth and development. Future studies will also focus on the identification of abnormal embryonic and early placental development already in the earliest weeks of pregnancy, which provides opportunities for early prevention of pregnancy complications. Copyright © 2018 IFPA, Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Couple comorbidity and correlates of postnatal depressive symptoms in mothers and fathers in the first two weeks following delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Anding, Jana Eos; Röhrle, Bernd; Grieshop, Melita; Schücking, Beate; Christiansen, Hanna

2016-01-15

Postnatal depression affects a significant number of parents; however, its co-occurrence in mothers and fathers has not been studied extensively. Identifying predictors and correlates of postnatal depressive symptoms can help develop effective interventions. Questionnaires on several socio-demographic and psychosocial factors were administered to 276 couples within two weeks after birth. Depressive symptoms in mothers and fathers were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). After calculating the correlation coefficient between mothers and fathers' EPDS scores, univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to identify significant correlates of postnatal depressive symptoms in mothers and fathers. Prevalence of maternal and paternal postnatal depressive symptoms was 15.9% (EPDS>12) and 5.4% (EPDS>10), respectively. There was a moderate positive correlation between mothers and fathers' EPDS scores (r=.30, pparental stress was the strongest predictor for maternal and paternal postnatal depressive symptoms. Pregnancy- and birth-related distress and partners' EPDS scores were also associated with depressive symptoms in both parents. Relationship satisfaction was only inversely related with fathers' EPDS scores, while mothers' EPDS scores were additionally associated with critical life events, history of childhood violence, and birth-related physiological complaints. Since information about participation rates (those who declined) is unavailable, we cannot rule out sampling bias. Further, some psychosocial factors were assessed using single items. Since co-occurrence of depressive symptoms in mothers and fathers is high, developing and evaluating postnatal depression interventions for couples may be beneficial. Interventions to reduce parenting stress may help prevent parental postnatal depression. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Promotion of hair follicle development and trichogenesis by Wnt-10b in cultured embryonic skin and in reconstituted skin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouji, Yukiteru; Yoshikawa, Masahide; Shiroi, Akira; Ishizaka, Shigeaki

2006-01-01

We previously showed that Wnt-10b promoted the differentiation of primary skin epithelial cells (MPSEC) toward hair shaft and inner root sheath of the hair follicle (IRS) cells in vitro. In the present study, we found that Wnt-10b promotes the development of hair follicles using a culture of mouse embryonic skin tissue and trichogenesis using a reconstitution experiment with nude mice. Hair follicle development was observed in skin taken from mouse embryos on embryonic day 10.5 following a 2-day culture with recombinant Wnt-10b (rWnt-10b), however, not without rWnt-10b. Brown hair growth was observed at the site of reconstituted skin in Balb/c nude mice where dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes, derived from C3H/HeN new born mice, were transplanted with Wnt-10b-producing COS cells (Wnt-COS). Without the co-transplantation of Wnt-COS, no hair growth was observed. Our results suggest an important role of Wnt-10b in the initiation of hair follicle development and following trichogenesis

The effectiveness of exercise as a treatment for postnatal depression: study protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daley Amanda J

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Postnatal depression can have a substantial impact on the woman, the child and family as a whole. Thus, there is a need to examine different ways of helping women experiencing postnatal depression; encouraging them to exercise may be one way. A meta analysis found some support for exercise as an adjunctive treatment for postnatal depression but the methodological inadequacy of the few small studies included means that it is uncertain whether exercise reduces symptoms of postnatal depression. We aim to determine whether a pragmatic exercise intervention that involves one-to-one personalised exercise consultations and telephone support plus usual care in women with postnatal depression, is superior to usual care only, in reducing symptoms of postnatal depression. Methods We aim to recruit 208 women with postnatal depression in the West Midlands. Recently delivered women who meet the ICD-10 diagnosis for depression will be randomised to usual care plus exercise or usual care only. The exercise intervention will be delivered over 6 months. The primary outcome measure is difference in mean Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score between the groups at six month follow-up. Outcome measures will be assessed at baseline and at six and 12 month post randomisation. Discussion Findings from the research will inform future clinical guidance on antenatal and postnatal mental health, as well as inform practitioners working with postnatal depression. Trial registration number ISRCTN84245563

Effects of prenatal 60Co irradiation on postnatal neural, learning, and hormonal development of the squirrel monkey

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Ordy, J.M.; Brizzee, K.R.; Dunlap, W.P.; Knight, C.

1982-01-01

The goals of this study were to examine the effects of 0, 50, and 100 rad of 60 Co administered prenatally on postnatal development of neuromuscular coordination, visual discrimination learning, spontaneous light-dark stabilimeter activity, plasma cortisol, and somatometric growth rates of diurnal squirrel monkeys from birth to 90 days. In terms of accuracy, completeness, and time required for performance of reflexes and neuromuscular coordination, the performance of 50- and 100-rad offspring was less accurate and poorly coordinated and required more time for completion to that of controls. In visual orientation, discrimination, and reversal learning, the percentage correct responses of the 50- and 100-rad offspring were significantly lower than those of controls. Spontaneous light-dark stabilimeter activity of 50- and 100-rad offspring was significantly higher in the dark session than that of controls. Plasma cortisol was significantly higher in 100-rad infants than in controls. Comparisons of somatometric growth rates indicated that postnatal head circumference, crown-rump length, and to a lesser extent body weight increased at significantly slower rates in 50- and 100-rad offspring. These findings should provide essential information for formulating and carrying out multivariate behavioral, biochemical, and morphometric assessments of low-dose effects on the brain of primate offspring within demonstrable dose-response curves

Postnatal Phencyclidine (PCP) as a Neurodevelopmental Animal Model of Schizophrenia Pathophysiology and Symptomatology: A Review.

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Grayson, B; Barnes, S A; Markou, A; Piercy, C; Podda, G; Neill, J C

Cognitive dysfunction and negative symptoms of schizophrenia remain an unmet clinical need. Therefore, it is essential that new treatments and approaches are developed to recover the cognitive and social impairments that are seen in patients with schizophrenia. These may only be discovered through the use of carefully validated, aetiologically relevant and translational animal models. With recent renewed interest in the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia, postnatal administration of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonists such as phencyclidine (PCP) has been proposed as a model that can mimic aspects of schizophrenia pathophysiology. The purpose of the current review is to examine the validity of this model and compare it with the adult subchronic PCP model. We review the ability of postnatal PCP administration to produce behaviours (specifically cognitive deficits) and neuropathology of relevance to schizophrenia and their subsequent reversal by pharmacological treatments. We review studies investigating effects of postnatal PCP on cognitive domains in schizophrenia in rats. Morris water maze and delayed spontaneous alternation tasks have been used for working memory, attentional set-shifting for executive function, social novelty discrimination for selective attention and prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle for sensorimotor gating. In addition, we review studies on locomotor activity and neuropathology. We also include two studies using dual hit models incorporating postnatal PCP and two studies on social behaviour deficits following postnatal PCP. Overall, the evidence we provide supports the use of postnatal PCP to model cognitive and neuropathological disturbances of relevance to schizophrenia. To date, there is a lack of evidence to support a significant advantage of postnatal PCP over the adult subchronic PCP model and full advantage has not been taken of its neurodevelopmental component. When thoroughly characterised, it is likely

Psychosocial factors associated with paternal postnatal depression.

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Demontigny, Francine; Girard, Marie-Eve; Lacharité, Carl; Dubeau, Diane; Devault, Annie

2013-08-15

While maternal postpartum depression is a well-known phenomenon, paternal postnatal depression has been less studied. It is known that paternal postnatal depression impacts on children's and families' development, affects marital satisfaction and affects the economic health of industrialized countries. The aim of this study was to identify the psychosocial factors associated with paternal postnatal depression. A descriptive-correlational study was conducted with a sample of fathers of infants (average age: 11 months) who were breastfed exclusively or predominantly for at least 6 months, comparing psychosocial factors in fathers with (n: 17, 8.2%) and without a positive score for depression on the EPDS scale (n: 188). Psychosocial factors were assessed through questionnaires. Depression in fathers of breastfed infants is associated with the experience of perinatal loss in a previous pregnancy, parenting distress, infant temperament (difficult child), dysfunctional interactions with the child, decreased marital adjustment and perceived low parenting efficacy. Multivariate analysis suggests an independent effect of psychosocial factors such as parenting distress, quality of the marital relationship and perceived parenting efficacy on paternal depression. The sample focused on fathers of breastfed infant, since breastfeeding has become the feeding norm, and this should be taken into account when considering the generalization of findings. These findings emphasize the need to consider a set of psychosocial factors when examining fathers' mental health in the first year of a child's birth. Health professionals can enhance parenting efficacy and alleviate parenting distress by supporting fathers' unique experiences and addressing their needs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Postnatal development of bitter taste avoidance behavior in mice is associated with ACTIN-dependent localization of bitter taste receptors to the microvilli of taste cells.

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Yamashita, Atsuko; Kondo, Kaori; Kunishima, Yoshimi; Iseki, Sachiko; Kondo, Takashi; Ota, Masato S

2018-01-22

Bitter taste avoidance behavior (BAB) plays a fundamental role in the avoidance of toxic substances with a bitter taste. However, the molecular basis underlying the development of BAB is unknown. To study critical developmental events by which taste buds turn into functional organs with BAB, we investigated the early phase development of BAB in postnatal mice in response to bitter-tasting compounds, such as quinine and thiamine. Postnatal mice started to exhibit BAB for thiamine and quinine at postnatal day 5 (PD5) and PD7, respectively. Histological analyses of taste buds revealed the formation of microvilli in the taste pores starting at PD5 and the localization of type 2 taste receptor 119 (TAS2R119) at the microvilli at PD6. Treatment of the tongue epithelium with cytochalasin D (CytD), which disturbs ACTIN polymerization in the microvilli, resulted in the loss of TAS2R119 localization at the microvilli and the loss of BAB for quinine and thiamine. The release of ATP from the circumvallate papillae tissue due to taste stimuli was also declined following CytD treatment. These results suggest that the localization of TAS2R119 at the microvilli of taste pores is critical for the initiation of BAB. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Distinctive Roles of Canonical and Noncanonical Wnt Signaling in Human Embryonic Cardiomyocyte Development

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Silvia Mazzotta

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Wnt signaling is a key regulator of vertebrate heart development; however, specific roles for human cardiomyocyte development remain uncertain. Here we use human embryonic stem cells (hESCs to analyze systematically in human cardiomyocyte development the expression of endogenous Wnt signaling components, monitor pathway activity, and dissect stage-specific requirements for canonical and noncanonical Wnt signaling mechanisms using small-molecule inhibitors. Our analysis suggests that WNT3 and WNT8A, via FZD7 and canonical signaling, regulate BRACHYURY expression and mesoderm induction; that WNT5A/5B, via ROR2 and noncanonical signaling, regulate MESP1 expression and cardiovascular development; and that later in development WNT2, WNT5A/5B, and WNT11, via FZD4 and FZD6, regulate functional cardiomyocyte differentiation via noncanonical Wnt signaling. Our findings confirm in human development previously proposed roles for canonical Wnt signaling in sequential stages of vertebrate cardiomyogenesis, and identify more precise roles for noncanonical signaling and for individual Wnt signal and Wnt receptor genes in human cardiomyocyte development.

Defective postnatal endochondral bone development by chondrocyte-specific targeted expression of parathyroid hormone type 2 receptor.

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Panda, Dibyendu Kumar; Goltzman, David; Karaplis, Andrew C

2012-12-15

The human parathyroid hormone type 2 receptor (PTH2R) is activated by PTH and by tuberoinfundibular peptide of 39 residues (TIP39), the latter likely acting as its natural ligand. Although the receptor is expressed at highest levels in the nervous system, we have observed that both PTH2R and TIP39 are expressed in the newborn mouse growth plate, with the receptor localizing in the resting zone and the ligand TIP39 localizing exclusively in prehypertrophic and hypertrophic chondrocytes. To address the role of PTH2R in postnatal skeletal growth and development, Col2a1-hPTH2R (PTH2R-Tg) transgenic mice were generated. The mice were viable and of nearly normal size at birth. Expression of the transgene in the growth plate was limited to chondrocytes. We found that chondrocyte proliferation was decreased, as determined by in vivo BrdU labeling of proliferating chondrocytes and CDK4 and p21 expression in the growth plate of Col2a1-hPTH2R transgenic mice. Similarly, the differentiation and maturation of chondrocytes was delayed, as characterized by decreased Sox9 expression and weaker immunostaining for the chondrocyte differentiation markers collagen type II and type X and proteoglycans. As well, there was altered expression of Gdf5, Wdr5, and β-catenin, factors implicated in chondrocyte maturation, proliferation, and differentiation.These effects impacted on the process of endochondral ossification, resulting in delayed formation of the secondary ossification center, and diminished trabecular bone volume. The findings substantiate a role for PTH2R signaling in postnatal growth plate development and subsequent bone mass acquisition.

Sexual reproduction of Nausithoe aurea (Scyphozoa, Coronatae. Gametogenesis, egg release, embryonic development, and gastrulation

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André C. Morandini

2001-06-01

Full Text Available The structure of the ovaries and testes of Nausithoe aurea, reared in the laboratory, is described to update the knowledge of coronate scyphomedusae gametogenesis and early development. The testis is similar to those of other scyphozoans. The organization of the ovary agrees with the description for other coronates, with free oocytes in the mesoglea. The oocytes develop in a limited region of the gastrodermis, and a maturation gradient is observed from this point on. Egg release, embryonic development, and gastrulation mode of Nausithoe aurea are also described. Egg production was continuous for 55 days, and the output of released eggs oscillated without observed cue. Cleavage was holoblastic and adequal, but after the 8-cell stage, the cleavage became pseudospiral. Gastrulation occurred through multipolar ingression and began 24 hours after fertilization.

Fecundity, embryonic and ovarian development of blue swimming crab, Portunus pelagicus (Linnaeus, 1758) in coastal water of Johor, Malaysia.

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Ikhwanuddin, M; Azra, M N; Siti-Aimuni, H; Abol-Munafi, A B

2012-08-01

Blue swimming crab, Portunus pelagicus is widely study and research throughout the Indo-West Pacific, but little is known of its reproductive biology in Malaysia. The present study describes the fecundity, embryonic development and ovarian development stages of the P. pelagicus from Johor coastal water, Malaysia. Carapace width range of berried crabs sampled was from 9.64 to 13.32 cm, while the body weight range was from 75 to 235 g. The mean number of egg produced by females in different sizes ranged from 105443.333 +/- 35448.075 per eggs batch. Mean egg size during embryonic development at stage 1 was 0.307 +/- 0.037, while 0.386 +/- 0.039 and 0.396 +/- 0.033 for stage 2 and stage 3, respectively. Study showed that there was significant (p < 0.05) relationship between the number of eggs and carapace width/body weight. Mean diameter oocyte during ovarian development at stage 1 was 97.732 +/- 12.391 while for stage 2 was 149.516 +/- 23.287. Stage 3 showed increasingly of size with mean diameter was 158.506 +/- 27.616 and 181.013 +/- 24.339 for stage 4.

Alterations to embryonic serotonin change aggression and fearfulness

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Prenatal environment, including maternal hormones, affects the development of the serotonin (5-HT) system, with long-lasting effects on mood and behavioral exhibition in children and adults. The chicken provides a unique animal model to study the effects of embryonic development on childhood and ado...

Prenatal and postnatal depression among low income Brazilian women

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V.A. Da-Silva

1998-06-01

Full Text Available Postnatal depression is a significant problem affecting 10-15% of mothers in many countries and has been the subject of an increasing number of publications. Prenatal depression has been studied less. The aims of the present investigation were: 1 to obtain information on the prevalence of prenatal and postnatal depression in low income Brazilian women by using an instrument already employed in several countries, i.e., the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS; 2 to evaluate the risk factors involved in prenatal and postnatal depression in Brazil. The study groups included 33 pregnant women interviewed at home during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, and once a month during the first six months after delivery. Questions on life events and the mother's relationship with the baby were posed during each visit. Depressed pregnant women received less support from their partners than non-depressed pregnant women (36.4 vs 72.2%, P<0.05; Fisher exact test. Black women predominated among pre- and postnatally depressed subjects. Postnatal depression was associated with lower parity (0.4 ± 0.5 vs 1.1 ± 1.0, P<0.05; Student t-test. Thus, the period of pregnancy may be susceptible to socio-environmental factors that induce depression, such as the lack of affective support from the partner. The prevalence rate of 12% observed for depression in the third month postpartum is comparable to that of studies from other countries.

Differential expression of secreted phosphoprotein 1 in the motor cortex among primate species and during postnatal development and functional recovery.

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Tatsuya Yamamoto

Full Text Available We previously reported that secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1 mRNA is expressed in neurons whose axons form the corticospinal tract (CST of the rhesus macaque, but not in the corresponding neurons of the marmoset and rat. This suggests that SPP1 expression is involved in the functional or structural specialization of highly developed corticospinal systems in certain primate species. To further examine this hypothesis, we evaluated the expression of SPP1 mRNA in the motor cortex from three viewpoints: species differences, postnatal development, and functional/structural changes of the CST after a lesion of the lateral CST (l-CST at the mid-cervical level. The density of SPP1-positive neurons in layer V of the primary motor cortex (M1 was much greater in species with highly developed corticospinal systems (i.e., rhesus macaque, capuchin monkey, and humans than in those with less developed corticospinal systems (i.e., squirrel monkey, marmoset, and rat. SPP1-positive neurons in the macaque monkey M1 increased logarithmically in layer V during postnatal development, following a time course consistent with the increase in conduction velocity of the CST. After an l-CST lesion, SPP1-positive neurons increased in layer V of the ventral premotor cortex, in which compensatory changes in CST function/structure may occur, which positively correlated with the extent of finger dexterity recovery. These results further support the concept that the expression of SPP1 may reflect functional or structural specialization of highly developed corticospinal systems in certain primate species.

Storage of Hatching Eggs : Effects of storage and early incubation conditions on egg characteristics, embryonic development, hatchability, and chicken quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reijrink, I.A.M.

2010-01-01

Key words: egg storage, embryonic development, albumen quality, hatchability, chick quality

It is well known that an increase in the storage duration increases incubation duration and decreases hatchability and chick quality. The negative effects of prolonged egg storage (> 7 days)

Intact calcium signaling in adrenergic-deficient embryonic mouse hearts.

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Peoples, Jessica N; Taylor, David G; Katchman, Alexander N; Ebert, Steven N

2018-01-22

Mouse embryos that lack the ability to produce the adrenergic hormones, norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI), due to disruption of the dopamine beta-hydroxylase (Dbh -/- ) gene inevitably perish from heart failure during mid-gestation. Since adrenergic stimulation is well-known to enhance calcium signaling in developing as well as adult myocardium, and impairments in calcium signaling are typically associated with heart failure, we hypothesized that adrenergic-deficient embryonic hearts would display deficiencies in cardiac calcium signaling relative to adrenergic-competent controls at a developmental stage immediately preceding the onset of heart failure, which first appears beginning or shortly after mouse embryonic day 10.5 (E10.5). To test this hypothesis, we used ratiometric fluorescent calcium imaging techniques to measure cytosolic calcium transients, [Ca 2+ ] i in isolated E10.5 mouse hearts. Our results show that spontaneous [Ca 2+ ] i oscillations were intact and robustly responded to a variety of stimuli including extracellular calcium (5 mM), caffeine (5 mM), and NE (100 nM) in a manner that was indistinguishable from controls. Further, we show similar patterns of distribution (via immunofluorescent histochemical staining) and activity (via patch-clamp recording techniques) for the major voltage-gated plasma membrane calcium channel responsible for the L-type calcium current, I Ca,L , in adrenergic-deficient and control embryonic cardiac cells. These results demonstrate that despite the absence of vital adrenergic hormones that consistently leads to embryonic lethality in vivo, intracellular and extracellular calcium signaling remain essentially intact and functional in embryonic mouse hearts through E10.5. These findings suggest that adrenergic stimulation is not required for the development of intracellular calcium oscillations or extracellular calcium signaling through I Ca,L and that aberrant calcium signaling does not likely contribute

Postnatal corticosteroids and risk of retinopathy of prematurity.

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Movsas, Tammy Z; Spitzer, Alan R; Gewolb, Ira H

2016-08-01

To investigate the association between postnatal steroids and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in neonates born with birth weights at the limit of viability (large study cohort of critically low birth weight infants ROP was more common in neonates exposed to postnatal steroids. Copyright © 2016 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experimental evidence showing that no mitotically active female germline progenitors exist in postnatal mouse ovaries.

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Zhang, Hua; Zheng, Wenjing; Shen, Yan; Adhikari, Deepak; Ueno, Hiroo; Liu, Kui

2012-07-31

It has been generally accepted for more than half a century that, in most mammalian species, oocytes cannot renew themselves in postnatal or adult life, and that the number of oocytes is already fixed in fetal or neonatal ovaries. This assumption, however, has been challenged over the past decade. In this study, we have taken an endogenous genetic approach to this question and generated a multiple fluorescent Rosa26(rbw/+);Ddx4-Cre germline reporter mouse model for in vivo and in vitro tracing of the development of female germline cell lineage. Through live cell imaging and de novo folliculogenesis experiments, we show that the Ddx4-expressing cells from postnatal mouse ovaries did not enter mitosis, nor did they contribute to oocytes during de novo folliculogenesis. Our results provide evidence that supports the traditional view that no postnatal follicular renewal occurs in mammals, and no mitotically active Ddx4-expressing female germline progenitors exist in postnatal mouse ovaries.

ECR-MAPK Regulation in Liver Early Development

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Xiu-Ju Zhao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Early growth is connected to a key link between embryonic development and aging. In this paper, liver gene expression profiles were assayed at postnatal day 22 and week 16 of age. Meanwhile another independent animal experiment and cell culture were carried out for validation. Significance analysis of microarrays, qPCR verification, drug induction/inhibition assays, and metabonomics indicated that alpha-2u globulin (extracellular region-socs2 (-SH2-containing signals/receptor tyrosine kinases-ppp2r2a/pik3c3 (MAPK signaling-hsd3b5/cav2 (metabolism/organization plays a vital role in early development. Taken together, early development of male rats is ECR and MAPK-mediated coordination of cancer-like growth and negative regulations. Our data represent the first comprehensive description of early individual development, which could be a valuable basis for understanding the functioning of the gene interaction network of infant development.

Staffing in postnatal units: is it adequate for the provision of quality care? Staff perspectives from a state-wide review of postnatal care in Victoria, Australia

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Lumley Judith

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background State-wide surveys of recent mothers conducted over the past decade in Victoria, one state of Australia, have identified that women are consistently less satisfied with the care they received in hospital following birth compared with other aspects of maternity care. Little is known of caregivers' perspectives on the provision ofhospital postnatal care: how care is organised and provided in different hospitals; what constrains the provision of postnatal care (apart from funding and what initiatives are being undertaken to improve service delivery. A state-widereview of organisational structures and processes in relation to the provision of hospital postnatal care in Victoria was undertaken. This paper focuses on the impact of staffing issues on the provision of quality postnatal care from the perspective of care providers. Methods A study of care providers from Victorian public hospitals that provide maternity services was undertaken. Datawere collected in two stages. Stage one: a structured questionnaire was sent to all public hospitals in Victoria that provided postnatal care (n = 73, exploring the structure and organisation of care (e.g. staffing, routine observations, policy framework and discharge planning. Stage two: 14 maternity units were selected and invited to participate in a more in-depth exploration of postnatal care. Thirty-eight key informant interviews were undertaken with midwives (including unit managers, associate unit managers and clinical midwives and a medical practitioner from eachselected hospital. Results Staffing was highlighted as a major factor impacting on the provision of quality postnatal care. There were significant issues associated with inadequate staff/patient ratios; staffing mix; patient mix; prioritisation of birth suites over postnatal units; and the use of non-permanent staff. Forty-three percent of hospitals reported having only midwives (i.e. no non-midwives providing postnatal care

Postnatal development of depth-dependent collagen density in ovine articular cartilage

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Kranenbarg Sander

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Articular cartilage (AC is the layer of tissue that covers the articulating ends of the bones in diarthrodial joints. Adult AC is characterised by a depth-dependent composition and structure of the extracellular matrix that results in depth-dependent mechanical properties, important for the functions of adult AC. Collagen is the most abundant solid component and it affects the mechanical behaviour of AC. The current objective is to quantify the postnatal development of depth-dependent collagen density in sheep (Ovis aries AC between birth and maturity. We use Fourier transform infra-red micro-spectroscopy to investigate collagen density in 48 sheep divided over ten sample points between birth (stillborn and maturity (72 weeks. In each animal, we investigate six anatomical sites (caudal, distal and rostral locations at the medial and lateral side of the joint in the distal metacarpus of a fore leg and a hind leg. Results Collagen density increases from birth to maturity up to our last sample point (72 weeks. Collagen density increases at the articular surface from 0.23 g/ml ± 0.06 g/ml (mean ± s.d., n = 48 at 0 weeks to 0.51 g/ml ± 0.10 g/ml (n = 46 at 72 weeks. Maximum collagen density in the deeper cartilage increases from 0.39 g/ml ± 0.08 g/ml (n = 48 at 0 weeks to 0.91 g/ml ± 0.13 g/ml (n = 46 at 72 weeks. Most collagen density profiles at 0 weeks (85% show a valley, indicating a minimum, in collagen density near the articular surface. At 72 weeks, only 17% of the collagen density profiles show a valley in collagen density near the articular surface. The fraction of profiles with this valley stabilises at 36 weeks. Conclusions Collagen density in articular cartilage increases in postnatal life with depth-dependent variation, and does not stabilize up to 72 weeks, the last sample point in our study. We find strong evidence for a valley in collagen densities near the articular surface that is present in the youngest

Meeting embryonic requirements of broilers throughout incubation: a review

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R Molenaar

2010-09-01

Full Text Available During incubation of chicken embryos, environmental conditions, such as temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 concentration, must be controlled to meet embryonic requirements that change during the different phases of embryonic development. In the current review, the effects of embryo temperature, egg weight loss, and CO2 concentration on hatchability, hatchling quality, and subsequent performance are discussed from an embryonic point of view. In addition, new insights related to the incubation process are described. Several studies have shown that a constant eggshell temperature (EST of 37.5 to 38.0°C throughout incubation results in the highest hatchability, hatchling quality, and subsequent performance. Egg weight loss must be between 6.5 and 14.0% of the initial egg weight, to obtain an adequate air cell size before the embryo internally pips. An increased CO2 concentration during the developmental phase of incubation (first 10 days can accelerate embryonic development and hatchability, but the physiological mechanisms of this acceleration are not completely understood. Effects of ar increased CO2 concentration during late incubation also need further investigation. The preincubation warming profile, thermal manipulation, and in ovo feeding are new insights related to the incubation process and show that the optimal situation for the embryo during incubation highly depends on the conditions of the eggs before (storage duration and during incubation (environmental conditions and on the conditions of the chickens after hatching (environmental temperature.

Maternal transfer of methimazole and effects on thyroid hormone availability in embryonic tissues.

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Van Herck, Stijn L J; Geysens, Stijn; Bald, Edward; Chwatko, Grazyna; Delezie, Evelyne; Dianati, Elham; Ahmed, R G; Darras, Veerle M

2013-07-01

Methimazole (MMI) is an anti-thyroid drug used in the treatment of chronic hyperthyroidism. There is, however, some debate about its use during pregnancy as MMI is known to cross the mammalian placenta and reach the developing foetus. A similar problem occurs in birds, where MMI is deposited in the egg and taken up by the developing embryo. To investigate whether maternally derived MMI can have detrimental effects on embryonic development, we treated laying hens with MMI (0.03% in drinking water) and measured total and reduced MMI contents in the tissues of hens and embryos at different stages of development. In hens, MMI was selectively increased in the thyroid gland, while its levels in the liver and especially brain remained relatively low. Long-term MMI treatment induced a pronounced goitre with a decrease in thyroxine (T₄) content but an increase in thyroidal 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T₃) content. This resulted in normal T₃ levels in tissues except in the brain. In chicken embryos, MMI levels were similar in the liver and brain. They gradually decreased during development but always remained above those in the corresponding maternal tissues. Contrary to the situation in hens, T₄ availability was only moderately affected in embryos. Peripheral T₃ levels were reduced in 14-day-old embryos but normal in 18-day-old embryos, while brain T₃ content was decreased at all embryonic stages tested. We conclude that all embryonic tissues are exposed to relatively high doses of MMI and its oxidised metabolites. The effect of maternal MMI treatment on embryonic thyroid hormone availability is most pronounced for brain T₃ content, which is reduced throughout the embryonic development period.

Pre- and postnatal ultrasound and MRI imaging of the obstructive uropathies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balev, B.; Bliznakova, D.; Popova, R.; Baleva, D.

2013-01-01

Full text: Introduction: Hydronephrosis is the most common congenital pathology that is detected on prenatal ultrasound. Prenatal established unilateral or bilateral hydronephrosis is an increased risk for postnatal pathology, such as the severity of the disease is directly related to the degree of retention antenatal. The most used method to detect the hydronephrosis is the measurement of front - back size of the basin of the fetus. What you will learn: The need to actively seek for prenatal retention due to the high frequency of anomalies; To distinguish degrees of fetal hydronephrosis in different periods of prenatal development; Algorithm for behavior in case of hydronephrosis detection - frequency of the control ultrasound examination and consultation with pediatric nephrologist; Indications for use of a supplementary method - pre-and postnatal MRI and MR urography. Discussion: The degree of retention is mild, moderate and severe, depending on the size of the pelvis during different periods of pregnancy. Postnatal pathology is established at 11% in fetuses with mild hydronephrosis in 45% medium and 88% with severe hydronephrosis. The condition is subject to monitoring during pregnancy, in the first month after birth, and by the end of the first year. MRI is established as a specifying alternate method as pre- and postnatally in severe hydronephrosis and suspecting for concomitant pathology. We present our results of prenatal ultrasound and MRI as well as postnatal follow-up of children with hydronephrosis. Conclusion: The results of imaging studies directly influence on the appropriate therapeutic approach. MRI study of the urogenital system is an addition of ultrasound in prenatal periods and an alternative to contrast x-ray after the birth. The objective is to preserve the renal function and to prevent the urinary tract infections later in life by antibiotic prophylaxis

Tyrosine pathway regulation is host-mediated in the pea aphid symbiosis during late embryonic and early larval development.

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Rabatel, Andréane; Febvay, Gérard; Gaget, Karen; Duport, Gabrielle; Baa-Puyoulet, Patrice; Sapountzis, Panagiotis; Bendridi, Nadia; Rey, Marjolaine; Rahbé, Yvan; Charles, Hubert; Calevro, Federica; Colella, Stefano

2013-04-10

Nutritional symbioses play a central role in insects' adaptation to specialized diets and in their evolutionary success. The obligatory symbiosis between the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, and the bacterium, Buchnera aphidicola, is no exception as it enables this important agricultural pest insect to develop on a diet exclusively based on plant phloem sap. The symbiotic bacteria provide the host with essential amino acids lacking in its diet but necessary for the rapid embryonic growth seen in the parthenogenetic viviparous reproduction of aphids. The aphid furnishes, in exchange, non-essential amino acids and other important metabolites. Understanding the regulations acting on this integrated metabolic system during the development of this insect is essential in elucidating aphid biology. We used a microarray-based approach to analyse gene expression in the late embryonic and the early larval stages of the pea aphid, characterizing, for the first time, the transcriptional profiles in these developmental phases. Our analyses allowed us to identify key genes in the phenylalanine, tyrosine and dopamine pathways and we identified ACYPI004243, one of the four genes encoding for the aspartate transaminase (E.C. 2.6.1.1), as specifically regulated during development. Indeed, the tyrosine biosynthetic pathway is crucial for the symbiotic metabolism as it is shared between the two partners, all the precursors being produced by B. aphidicola. Our microarray data are supported by HPLC amino acid analyses demonstrating an accumulation of tyrosine at the same developmental stages, with an up-regulation of the tyrosine biosynthetic genes. Tyrosine is also essential for the synthesis of cuticular proteins and it is an important precursor for cuticle maturation: together with the up-regulation of tyrosine biosynthesis, we observed an up-regulation of cuticular genes expression. We were also able to identify some amino acid transporter genes which are essential for the switch

Metal sensitivity of the embryonic development of the ramshorn snail Marisa cornuarietis (Prosobranchia).

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Sawasdee, Banthita; Köhler, Heinz-R

2010-11-01

We investigated the effects of metal ions on the embryonic development of the ramshorn snail, Marisa cornuarietis, by exposing embryos to varying concentrations of copper (0, 50, 100, and 250 μg Cu(2+)/L), lead (0, 5, 10, and 15 mg Pb(2+)/L), lithium (0, 1, 2.5, and 3 mg Li(+)/L), or palladium (0, 50, 100, and 500 μg Pd(2+)/L). Effects of these metals were examined by recording mortality, the rate of tentacles and eyes formation, heart rate, hatching success, and weight after hatching. Compared to the control, we found a significant delay in the formation of tentacles and eyes after treatment with 100 μg Cu(2+)/L, 15 mg Pb(2+)/L, 2.5 mg Li(+)/L or 500 μg Pd(2+)/L. The heart rate decreased significantly at 500 μg Pd(2+)/L. At 10 mg Pb(2+)/L, 2.5 mg Li(+)/L, or 500 μg Pd(2+)/L, hatching was delayed significantly; 50 μg Cu(2+)/L induced a significantly earlier hatching, and reduced body weight. The LC(50) values were calculated to be about 50 μg Cu(2+)/L, 500 μg Pd(2+)/L, 2500 μg Li(+)/L, and 10000 μg Pb(2+)/L. These results show that the embryonic development of M. cornuarietis is about as sensitive to copper and lithium, compared to the most sensitive fishes used in embryo toxicity testing. Even though the MariETT is a laboratory-based assay focusing on toxicological endpoints of a selected model species, future application is envisaged to include testing of "natural" samples such as stream water or sediment interstitial water.

Distribution of ELOVL4 in the Developing and Adult Mouse Brain

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David M. Sherry

2017-05-01

Full Text Available ELOngation of Very Long chain fatty acids (ELOVL-4 is essential for the synthesis of very long chain-fatty acids (fatty acids with chain lengths ≥ 28 carbons. The functions of ELOVL4 and its very long-chain fatty acid products are poorly understood at present. However, mutations in ELOVL4 cause neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative diseases that vary according to the mutation and inheritance pattern. Heterozygous inheritance of different ELOVL4 mutations causes Stargardt-like Macular Dystrophy or Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 34. Homozygous inheritance of ELOVL4 mutations causes more severe disease characterized by seizures, intellectual disability, ichthyosis, and premature death. To better understand ELOVL4 and very long chain fatty acid function in the brain, we examined ELOVL4 expression in the mouse brain between embryonic day 18 and postnatal day 60 by immunolabeling using ELOVL4 and other marker antibodies. ELOVL4 was widely expressed in a region- and cell type-specific manner, and was restricted to cell bodies, consistent with its known localization to endoplasmic reticulum. ELOVL4 labeling was most prominent in gray matter, although labeling also was present in some cells located in white matter. ELOVL4 was widely expressed in the developing brain by embryonic day 18 and was especially pronounced in regions underlying the lateral ventricles and other neurogenic regions. The basal ganglia in particular showed intense ELOVL4 labeling at this stage. In the postnatal brain, cerebral cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum, thalamus, hypothalamus, midbrain, pons, and medulla all showed prominent ELOVL4 labeling, although ELOVL4 distribution was not uniform across all cells or subnuclei within these regions. In contrast, the basal ganglia showed little ELOVL4 labeling in the postnatal brain. Double labeling studies showed that ELOVL4 was primarily expressed by neurons, although presumptive oligodendrocytes located in white matter tracts also showed

Postnatal depression: a review of recent literature.

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Richards, J P

1990-01-01

Depression affects 5-22% of women after childbirth. Some women with postnatal depression will experience a prolonged or relapsing illness that may last until their children enter school. It has adverse effects upon the coping abilities of women, their relationships with their infants, partners and social networks and may adversely affect the educational attainment and behaviour of their children. Since many more women are now active in the workforce, the effects of postnatal depression have o...

Micro-computed tomography-based phenotypic approaches in embryology: procedural artifacts on assessments of embryonic craniofacial growth and development.

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Schmidt, Eric J; Parsons, Trish E; Jamniczky, Heather A; Gitelman, Julian; Trpkov, Cvett; Boughner, Julia C; Logan, C Cairine; Sensen, Christoph W; Hallgrímsson, Benedikt

2010-02-17

Growing demand for three dimensional (3D) digital images of embryos for purposes of phenotypic assessment drives implementation of new histological and imaging techniques. Among these micro-computed tomography (microCT) has recently been utilized as an effective and practical method for generating images at resolutions permitting 3D quantitative analysis of gross morphological attributes of developing tissues and organs in embryonic mice. However, histological processing in preparation for microCT scanning induces changes in organ size and shape. Establishing normative expectations for experimentally induced changes in size and shape will be an important feature of 3D microCT-based phenotypic assessments, especially if quantifying differences in the values of those parameters between comparison sets of developing embryos is a primary aim. Toward that end, we assessed the nature and degree of morphological artifacts attending microCT scanning following use of common fixatives, using a two dimensional (2D) landmark geometric morphometric approach to track the accumulation of distortions affecting the embryonic head from the native, uterine state through to fixation and subsequent scanning. Bouin's fixation reduced average centroid sizes of embryonic mouse crania by approximately 30% and substantially altered the morphometric shape, as measured by the shift in Procrustes distance, from the unfixed state, after the data were normalized for naturally occurring shape variation. Subsequent microCT scanning produced negligible changes in size but did appear to reduce or even reverse fixation-induced random shape changes. Mixtures of paraformaldehyde + glutaraldehyde reduced average centroid sizes by 2-3%. Changes in craniofacial shape progressively increased post-fixation. The degree to which artifacts are introduced in the generation of random craniofacial shape variation relates to the degree of specimen dehydration during the initial fixation. Fixation methods that

Lung development and postnatal survival for rats exposed in utero to a high-boiling coal liquid

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Springer, D.L.; Hackett, P.L.; Miller, R.A.; Buschbom, R.L.

1986-01-01

The study reported determines postnatal viability and development of survivors following in utero exposure to Harmarville process solvent (HPS), a wide-boiling-range (150 to > 455/sup 0/C) coal liquid. For this study, 0.74 g kg/sup -1/ of the coal liquid was administered (by intragastric intubation) to rats from 12 to 14 dg. Offspring were evaluated for postnatal survival, growth and lung and thymus weights. Fifty-four percent of the exposed pups and 9% of the control pups died between birth and 3 days postpartum. Of the treated pups that died, 10% (6/5; pups/litters) had cleft palate, 27% (17/9) had small lungs and 33% (21/8) had both cleft palate and small lungs. No gross malformations were observed in the remaining 30% of the dead pups. Microscopic examination of lungs from HPS-treated pups revealed no evident histological abnormalities. Body, lung and thymus weights for treated animals that died were significantly less than those of controls. Surviving exposed pups weighed significantly less than control pups from 0.25 to 21 days postpartum and their thymus weights were also depressed through 21 days postpartum. These data suggest that retarded lung growth during prenatal life as a result of in utero exposure to the coal liquid contributes to a significant portion of the observed neonatal mortality. Furthermore, lung weights of survivors, although significantly lower than control values through 7 days postpartum, appeared to have recovered by 21 days postpartum.

THE EFFECTS OF WATER TEMPERATURE REGIME FLUCTUATIONS ON THE EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT OF SILVER CARP (HYPOPHTHALMICHTHYS MOLITRIX

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А. Vodyanitskyi

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To determine the effect of temperature regime fluctuations on the development of silver carp embryos, as well as the activity of enzymatic reactions in fish eggs. Methodology. The studies were conducted at the experimental station of the Institute of Hydrobiology of Bila Tserkov, Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences, from June to July. The biological materials were silver carp eggs, embryos and larvae. The dissolved oxygen content was determined using the Winkler method at four o’clock in the morning. Alkalinity phosphatase and LDG activity were determined using a set of reagents «Alkalinity phosphatase» and «LDG» (Phyllis diagnosis, Ukraine. SDH activity was determined by Vexy. The activity of Na, K-Mg-dependent-activated ATPase was determined as growth of inorganic phosphorus in the incubation medium by Kindratova M.N. et al. Protease activity was determined using immune enzymatic method of Tyurina et al. The obtained results were processed statistically in Statistica 5.5, Epaprobit analysis was used for calculating LC/EC values (Version 1.5. Findings The results showed that a delay of embryonic stages of development occur, the number of abnormal embryos increases, and the reproduction efficiency of fish reduces with an increase in water temperature and decrease in the dissolved oxygen content in water. The temperature factor had a significant effect on the activity of key enzymes, in particular the energetic metabolism changed from aerobic to anaerobic. Originality. It was found a negative effect of abiotic factors of water medium and drastic fluctuations in water temperature and gas regime of water bodies on the course of embryogenesis of silver carp that is especially important in the conditions of climate change. Practical value. The obtained results showed that the level of optimum and unfavorable environmental factors during the change of embryonic stages in embryonic and larval fish can be established based on the

Generation of Functional Thymic Epithelium from Human Embryonic Stem Cells that Supports Host T Cell Development

OpenAIRE

Parent, Audrey V.; Russ, Holger A.; Khan, Imran S.; LaFlam, Taylor N.; Metzger, Todd C.; Anderson, Mark S.; Hebrok, Matthias

2013-01-01

Inducing immune tolerance to prevent rejection is a key step toward successful engraftment of stem-cell-derived tissue in a clinical setting. Using human pluripotent stem cells to generate thymic epithelial cells (TECs) capable of supporting T cell development represents a promising approach to reach this goal; however, progress toward generating functional TECs has been limited. Here, we describe a robust in vitro method to direct differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into th...

Morphometry of megakaryocytes in the liver of New Zealand White rabbits during intrauterine and postnatal development

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Pacheco Maria Rita

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The hepatic megakaryocytic cells of New Zealand White rabbit in the intrauterine phase and in the immediate postnatal period were studied. Statistical analysis of the data concerning the cytoplasm and nucleus of those cells, i.e., area, perimeter, maximum diameter, minimum diameter, volume and shape factor, presented significant differences (p<0.01 for F values concerning the life phases studied on15th, 22nd and 29th day of intrauterine life and 10th day of postnatal life, and for F values for animal within each phase. The Tukey?s test showed that most of the parameters studied in the cytoplasm and nucleus of these megakaryocytic cells presented the lowest values on the 15th day of intrauterine life and the highest on the 22nd day of the same phase.

Postnatal Psychosocial Assessment and Clinical Decision-Making, a Descriptive Study.

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Sims, Deborah; Fowler, Cathrine

2018-05-18

The aim of this study is to describe experienced child and family health nurses' clinical decision-making during a postnatal psychosocial assessment. Maternal emotional wellbeing in the postnatal year optimises parenting and promotes infant development. Psychosocial assessment potentially enables early intervention and reduces the risk of a mental disorder occurring during this time of change. Assessment accuracy, and the interventions used are determined by the standard of nursing decision-making. A qualitative methodology was employed to explore decision-making behaviour when conducting a postnatal psychosocial assessment. This study was conducted in an Australian early parenting organisation. Twelve experienced child and family health nurses were interviewed. A detailed description of a postnatal psychosocial assessment process was obtained using a critical incident technique. Template analysis was used to determine the information domains the nurses accessed, and content analysis was used to determine the nurses' thinking strategies, to make clinical decisions from this assessment. The nurses described 24 domains of information and used 17 thinking strategies, in a variety of combinations. The four information domains most commonly used were parenting, assessment tools, women-determined issues and sleep. The seven thinking strategies most commonly used were searching for information, forming relationships between the information, recognising a pattern, drawing a conclusion, setting priorities, providing explanations for the information and judging the value of the information. The variety and complexity of the clinical decision-making involved in postnatal psychosocial assessment confirms that the nurses use information appropriately and within their scope of nursing practice. The standard of clinical decision-making determines the results of the assessment and the optimal access to care. Knowledge of the information domains and the decision-making strategies

Distribution of peptidergic populations in the human dentate gyrus (somatostatin [SOM-28, SOM-12] and neuropeptide Y [NPY]) during postnatal development.

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Cebada-Sánchez, S; Insausti, R; González-Fuentes, J; Arroyo-Jiménez, M M; Rivas-Infante, E; Lagartos, M J; Martínez-Ruiz, J; Lozano, G; Marcos, P

2014-10-01

The postnatal development of the human hippocampal formation establishes the time and place at which we start autobiographical memories. However, data concerning the maturation of the neurochemical phenotypes characteristic of interneurons in the human hippocampus are scarce. We have studied the perinatal and postnatal changes of the dentate gyrus (DG) interneuron populations at three rostrocaudal levels. Immunohistochemically identified neurons and fibers for somatostatin (SOM-12 and SOM-28) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) and the co-localization of SOM-28 and NPY were analyzed. In total, 13 cases were investigated from late pregnancy (1 case), perinatal period (6 cases), first year (1 case), early infancy (3 cases), and late infancy (2 cases). Overall, the pattern of distribution of these peptides in the DG was similar to that of the adult. The distribution of cells was charted, and the cell density (number of positive cells/mm(2)) was calculated. The highest density corresponded to the polymorphic cell layer and was higher at pre- and perinatal periods. At increasing ages, neuron density modifications revealed a decrease from 5 postnatal months onward. In contrast, by late infancy, two immunoreactive bands for SOM-28 and NPY in the molecular layer were much better defined. Double-immunohistochemistry showed that NPY-positive neurons co-localized with SOM-28, whereas some fibers contained only one or other of the neuropeptides. Thus, this peptidergic population, presumably inhibitory, probably has a role in DG maturation and its subsequent functional activity in memory processing.

Long-Term Supplementation with Beta Serum Concentrate (BSC, a Complex of Milk Lipids, during Post-Natal Brain Development Improves Memory in Rats

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Jian Guan

2015-06-01

Full Text Available We have previously reported that the supplementation of ganglioside-enriched complex-milk-lipids improves cognitive function and that a phospholipid-enriched complex-milk-lipid prevents age-related cognitive decline in rats. This current study evaluated the effects of post-natal supplementation of ganglioside- and phospholipid-enriched complex-milk-lipids beta serum concentrate (BSC on cognitive function in young rats. The diet of male rats was supplemented with either gels formulated BSC (n = 16 or blank gels (n = 16 from post-natal day 10 to day 70. Memory and anxiety-like behaviors were evaluated using the Morris water maze, dark–light boxes, and elevated plus maze tests. Neuroplasticity and white matter were measured using immunohistochemical staining. The overall performance in seven-day acquisition trials was similar between the groups. Compared with the control group, BSC supplementation reduced the latency to the platform during day one of the acquisition tests. Supplementation improved memory by showing reduced latency and improved path efficiency to the platform quadrant, and smaller initial heading error from the platform zone. Supplemented rats showed an increase in striatal dopamine terminals and hippocampal glutamate receptors. Thus BSC supplementation during post-natal brain development improved learning and memory, independent from anxiety. The moderately enhanced neuroplasticity in dopamine and glutamate may be biological changes underlying the improved cognitive function.

The impact of early postnatal environmental enrichment on maternal care and offspring behaviour following weaning.

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Li, Ki Angel; Lund, Emilie Torp; Voigt, Jörg-Peter W

2016-01-01

The early postnatal period is a sensitive period in rodents as behavioural systems are developing and maturing during this time. However, relatively little information is available about the impact of environmental enrichment on offspring behaviour if enrichment is implemented only during this period. Here, environmental enrichment was provided from postnatal day 1 until weaning. On post-natal day 9, maternal behaviour and nonmaternal behaviour of the dam was observed. Nursing time in the enriched group was reduced but dams showed more non-maternal appetitive behaviours. Offspring were exposed to either the open field or the elevated plus maze (EPM) after weaning. In the open field, rats from the enriched group approached the more aversive inner zone of the open field later than control rats. Offspring from the enriched group made fewer entries into the inner zone and spent less time in this part of the arena. Enrichment had no impact on behaviour in the EPM. The present study provides evidence that postnatal enrichment can interfere with maternal behaviour in rats and can possibly lead to increased anxiety in the offspring. The findings suggest that enrichment procedures can have potentially unintended effects, interfering with the development of emotional behaviours in rats. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A central to peripheral progression of cell cycle exit and hair cell differentiation in the developing mouse cristae.

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Slowik, Amber D; Bermingham-McDonogh, Olivia

2016-03-01

The inner ear contains six distinct sensory organs that each maintains some ability to regenerate hair cells into adulthood. In the postnatal cochlea, there appears to be a relationship between the developmental maturity of a region and its ability to regenerate as postnatal regeneration largely occurs in the apical turn, which is the last region to differentiate and mature during development. In the mature cristae there are also regional differences in regenerative ability, which led us to hypothesize that there may be a general relationship between the relative maturity of a region and the regenerative competence of that region in all of the inner ear sensory organs. By analyzing adult mouse cristae labeled embryonically with BrdU, we found that hair cell birth starts in the central region and progresses to the periphery with age. Since the peripheral region of the adult cristae also maintains active Notch signaling and some regenerative competence, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that the last regions to develop retain some of their regenerative ability into adulthood. Further, by analyzing embryonic day 14.5 inner ears we provide evidence for a wave of hair cell birth along the longitudinal axis of the cristae from the central regions to the outer edges. Together with the data from the adult inner ears labeled with BrdU as embryos, these results suggest that hair cell differentiation closely follows cell cycle exit in the cristae, unlike in the cochlea where they are uncoupled. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Manic fringe is not required for embryonic development, and fringe family members do not exhibit redundant functions in the axial skeleton, limb, or hindbrain

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Moran, Jennifer L.; Shifley, Emily T.; Levorse, John M.; Mani, Shyamala; Ostmann, Kristin; Perez-Balaguer, Ariadna; Walker, Dawn M.; Vogt, Thomas F.; Cole, Susan E.

2009-01-01

Tight regulation of Notch pathway signaling is important in many aspects of embryonic development. Notch signaling can be modulated by expression of fringe genes, encoding glycosyltransferases that modify EGF repeats in the Notch receptor. Although Lunatic fringe (Lfng) has been shown to play important roles in vertebrate segmentation, comparatively little is known regarding the developmental functions of the other vertebrate fringe genes, Radical fringe (Rfng) and Manic fringe (Mfng). Here we report that Mfng expression is not required for embryonic development. Further, we find that despite significant overlap in expression patterns, we detect no obvious synergistic defects in mice in the absence of two, or all three, fringe genes during development of the axial skeleton, limbs, hindbrain and cranial nerves. PMID:19479951

Postnatal care utilization among urban women in northern Ethiopia: cross-sectional survey.

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Gebrehiwot, Genet; Medhanyie, Araya Abrha; Gidey, Gebreamlak; Abrha, Kidan

2018-05-30

Postnatal care service enables health professionals to identify post-delivery problems including potential complications for the mother with her baby and to provide treatments promptly. In Ethiopia, postnatal care service is made accessible to all women for free however the utilization of the service is very low. This study assessed the utilization of postnatal care services of urban women and the factors associated in public health facilities in Mekelle city, Tigrai Region, Northern Ethiopia. A facility based cross sectional study design was used to assess post natal service utilization. Using simple random sampling 367 women who visited maternal and child health clinics in Mekelle city for postnatal care services during January 27 to April 2014 were selected. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS Version 20.0 software. A binary and multivariable logistic regression was used to identify risk factors associated with the outcome variables. P-value less than 0.05 is used to declare statistical significance. The prevalence of women who utilized postnatal care service was low (32.2%). Women who were private employees and business women were more likely to utilize postnatal care services (AOR = 6.46, 95% CI: 1.91-21.86) and (3.35, 95% CI: 1.10-10.19) respectively compared to house wives., Women who had history of one pregnancy were more likely to utilize the service (AOR = 3.19, 95% CI: 1.06-9.57) compared to women who had history of four and above pregnancies. Women who had knowledge of postnatal care service were also more likely to utilize postnatal care service (AOR = 14.46, 95% CI: 7.55-27.75) than women who lacked knowledge about the services. Postnatal care utilization in the study area is low. Knowledge on postnatal care services and occupation of women had positive impact on postnatal care service utilization. The Mekelle city administration health office and other stakeholders should support and encourage urban health extension workers and

Effects of different feeder layers on culture of bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells in vitro.

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Cong, Shan; Cao, Guifang; Liu, Dongjun

2014-12-01

To find a suitable feeder layer is important for successful culture conditions of bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells. In this study, expression of pluripotency-related genes OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG in bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells on mouse embryonic fibroblast feeder layers at 1-5 passages were monitored in order to identify the possible reason that bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells could not continue growth and passage. Here, we developed two novel feeder layers, mixed embryonic fibroblast feeder layers of mouse and bovine embryonic fibroblast at different ratios and sources including mouse fibroblast cell lines. The bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells generated in our study displayed typical stem cell morphology and expressed specific markers such as OCT4, stage-specific embryonic antigen 1 and 4, alkaline phosphatase, SOX2, and NANOG mRNA levels. When feeder layers and cell growth factors were removed, the bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells formed embryoid bodies in a suspension culture. Furthermore, we compared the expression of the pluripotent markers during bovine embryonic stem cell-like cell in culture on mixed embryonic fibroblast feeder layers, including mouse fibroblast cell lines feeder layers and mouse embryonic fibroblast feeder layers by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results suggested that mixed embryonic fibroblast and sources including mouse fibroblast cell lines feeder layers were more suitable for long-term culture and growth of bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells than mouse embryonic fibroblast feeder layers. The findings may provide useful experimental data for the establishment of an appropriate culture system for bovine embryonic stem cell lines.