BACKGROUND Iron metabolism during pregnancy maintains fetal iron levels at the expense of the mother. The mechanism behind this regulation is still not clear despite recent advances. Here we examine the role of maternal and fetal Hfe, its downstream signaling molecule, hepcidin and dietary iron in the regulation of placental iron transfer. DESIGN AND METHODS Hfe wild-type, knockout and hetero...

F etal cells are consistently found in the maternal circulation, and polymerase chain reaction based studies have led to the identification of cell free fetal DNA (fetal DNA) in maternal blood. Approximately 1.2 nucleated fetal cells/ml of whole blood from women carrying a male fetus were detectable, and relative enrichment of fetal DNA was detected in the maternal plasma and serum. The amount ...

BACKGROUND To investigate mechanisms of fetal-maternal cell interactions in the bovine placenta, we developed a model of transgenic enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein (t-eGFP) expressing bovine embryos produced by nuclear transfer (NT) to assess the distribution of fetal-derived products in the bovine placenta. In addition, we searched for male specific DNA in the blood of females carrying in v...

The sequestration of infected erythrocytes in the placenta can activate the syncytiotrophoblast to release cytokines that affect the micro-environment and influence the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to fetus. The high level of IL-10 has been reported in the intervillous space and could prevent the pathological effects. There is still no data of Th17 involvement in the pathogenesis of placent...

Lactic acid accumulates in the fetal body during hypoxic periods (fetogenic acidosis) and disappears duririg normoxic periods. In sheep and other species with an epitheliochorial placenta which is virtually impermeable for lactate [12] the rate of accumulation and disappearance seems to be determined only by the rate of fetal lactate production and utilisation. In man, however, and other specie...

F etal cells are consistently found in the maternal circulation, and polymerase chain reaction based studies have led to the identification of cell free fetal DNA (fetal DNA) in maternal blood. Approximately 1.2 nucleated fetal cells/ml of whole blood from women carrying a male fetus were detectable, and relative enrichment of fetal DNA was detected in the maternal plasma and serum. The amount ...

which excluded false-positive results because of amplicon contamination. The second case was identifi ed among the 86 sheep investigated. Placenta and fetal lung and liver exhibited necrotizing placentitis and vasculitis (Figure, panel A), interstitial pneumonia (Figure, panel B), and mixed cellular periportal hepatitis. Fetal liver was negative by parachlamydial 16S rRNA real-time PCR and immu...

Prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis based on cultured amniotic fluid cells demand confirmation from other fetal tissues in the event of pregnancy termination. Various fetal tissues, including cord blood, have been utilized for such cytogenetic confirmation. We wish to report a hazard which may be encountered in the use of fetal blood for such verification. Partial trisomy 15 (Fig. la) was diagnosed ...

BACKGROUND The paca is a South American rodent with potential as a commercial food animal. We examined paca placenta as part of a wider effort to understand the reproductive biology of this species. METHODS Thirteen specimens between midgestation and term of pregnancy were studied by light and transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS The placenta is divided into several lobes separated by ...

trauma during pregnancy is remarkably common, motor vehicle crashes are cause of hospitalized trauma during pregnancy. trauma occurs in 5% of pregnancies that appropriate high proportion of maternal and fetal mortality. motor vehicle crashes, falls, assaults, including domestic violence, are all important mechanisms of injury. motor vehicle accidents account for more than 50% of all traumas dur...