Search results for "ETU"

SARS-CoV2 vertical transmission with adverse effects on the newborn revealed through integrated immunohistochemical, electron microscopy and molecula…

2020

Background: The occurrence of trans-placental transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection remains highly debated. Placental positivity for SARS-CoV-2 has been reported in selected cases, but infection or virus-associated disease of fetal tissues or newborns remains to be demonstrated. Methods: We screened for SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein expression placentas from 101 women who delivered between February 7 and May 15 2020, including 15 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, 34 tested negative, and 52 not evaluated as they did not meet testing criteria (32), or delivered before COVID-19 pandemic declaration (20). Immunostain for SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid…

Extending the ALDH18A1 clinical spectrum to severe autosomal recessive fetal cutis laxa with corpus callosum agenesis

2018

IF 3.822 (2018); International audience

Mosaic-activating FGFR2 mutation in two fetuses with papillomatous pedunculated sebaceous naevus

2016

International audience; Papillomatous pedunculated sebaceous naevus (PPSN) has been described as a subtype of sebaceous naevus (SN), typically affecting the scalp and face. In contrast with Schimmelpenning syndrome, no cerebral, ocular or skeletal anomalies have hitherto been reported. We report two unrelated fetuses with PPSN, one with large pink exophytic tumours, the other with minor features but similar microscopic findings. We performed whole-exome sequencing in affected skin tissue from fetus 1, which identified a postzygotic de novo FGFR2 c.1144T>C (p.Cys382Arg) mutation in 34[middle dot]6% of reads which was absent in the parents' blood. Targeted deep sequencing of FGFR2 confirmed i…

Prenatal Air Pollution and Reduced Birth Weight: Decline in Placental Mitochondria as a Potential Mechanism.

2016

Strong epidemiological evidence links prenatal exposure to ambient air pollution and outcomes including low birth weight, intrauterine growth restriction, and preterm birth.1,2 A new study finds evidence that the association between prenatal air pollution exposure and reduced birth weight may be mediated in part by a decline in the mitochondrial content of the placenta.3 During pregnancy, the placenta supports the nourishment, growth, and development of the fetus, and mitochondria within the cells of the placenta are essential to these processes.4 Mitochondria, the cellular organelles that regulate energy production, are easily damaged by reactive oxygen species generated by oxidative stres…

Estrogen Receptor Signaling and the PI3K/Akt Pathway Are Involved in Betulinic Acid-Induced eNOS Activation

2016

Betulinic acid (BA) is a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenoid with anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anti-cancer properties. Beneficial cardiovascular effects such as increased nitric oxide (NO) production through enhancement of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) activity and upregulation of eNOS expression have been demonstrated for this compound. In the present study, immortalized human EA.hy 926 endothelial cells were incubated for up to 1 h with 1–100 µM BA and with the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors LY294002 and wortmannin, or the estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist ICI 182,780. Phosphorylation status of eNOS and total eNOS protein were analyzed by Western blotting us…

2020

Aims: Current anti-hypertensive therapies cannot cure hypertension and a life-long medication is necessary. Maternal treatment may represent a promising strategy for hypertension treatment. We have previously shown that maternal treatment of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) leads to a persistent blood pressure reduction in the female offspring at age of 6-8 months. The underlying mechanisms include improved endothelial function resulting from long-lasting epigenetic changes. In the present study, we address the renal effects of maternal PETN treatment. Methods and Results: F0 parental SHR were fed with either normal chow or PETN-containing (1 g/…

Pharmacological research on natural substances in Latvia: Focus on lunasin, betulin, polyprenol and phlorizin

2016

In this concise review the current research in plant bioactive compound studies in Latvia is described. The paper summarizes recent studies on substances from edible plants (e.g., cereals and apples) or their synthetic analogues, such as peptide lunasin, as well as substances isolated from inedible plants (e.g., birch and conifer), such as pentacyclic triterpenes (e.g., betulin, betulinic acid, and lupeol) and polyprenols. Latvian researchers have been first to demonstrate the presence of lunasin in triticale and oats. Additionally, the impact of genotype on the levels of lunasin in cereals was shown. Pharmacological studies have revealed effects of lunasin and synthetic triterpenes on the …

HCN1 mutation spectrum: from neonatal epileptic encephalopathy to benign generalized epilepsy and beyond

2018

International audience; Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels control neuronal excitability and their dysfunction has been linked to epileptogenesis but few individuals with neurological disorders related to variants altering HCN channels have been reported so far. In 2014, we described five individuals with epileptic encephalopathy due to de novo HCN1 variants. To delineate HCN1-related disorders and investigate genotype-phenotype correlations further, we assembled a cohort of 33 unpublished patients with novel pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants: 19 probands carrying 14 different de novo mutations and four families with dominantly inherited variants segre…

Mechanisms of beauvericin toxicity and antioxidant cellular defense

2015

Beauvericin (BEA) is a secondary metabolite produced by many species of fungus Fusarium. This study determines the injury (cell viability, cell proliferation, mitochondrial membrane potential, cell death and DNA damage) and the intracellular defense mechanisms (catalase and superoxide dismutase) in Chinese Hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells after BEA exposure. The results obtained in this study demonstrated that BEA induces cytotoxicity in a dose- and time-dependent manner in CHO-K1 cells. Moreover, disruption in mitochondrial enzymatic activity and cell proliferation has been observed after BEA exposure, which can lead or be consequence of cell death. BEA inhibits cell proliferation by arresting…

Betulinic Acid Kills Colon Cancer Stem Cells

2016

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered to be the origin of cancer and it is suggested that they are resistant to chemotherapy. Current therapies fail to eradicate CSCs and therefore selecting a resistant cell subset that is able to facilitate tumor recurrences. Betulinic acid (BetA) is a broad acting natural compound, shown to induce cell death via the inhibition of the stearoyl-CoA- desaturase (SCD- 1). This enzyme converts saturated fatty acids into unsaturated fatty acids and is over-expressed in tumor cells. Here we show that BetA induces rapid cell death in all colon CSCs tested and is able to affect the CSCs directly as shown, via the loss of clonogenic capacity. Similar results were…