OBJECTIVE To evaluate in-vivo placental perfusion fraction, estimated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as a marker of placental function. METHODS A study population of 35 pregnant women, of whom 13 had pre-eclampsia (PE), were examined at 22-40 weeks' gestation. Within a 24-h period, each woman underwent an MRI diffusion-weighted sequence (from which we calculated the placental perfusion ...

Interspecific hybridization in the genus Mus results in male sterility and X-linked placental dysplasia. We have generated several congenic laboratory mouse lines (Mus musculus) in which different parts of the maternal X chromosome were derived from M. spretus. A strict positive correlation between placental weight and length of the M. spretus-derived part of the X chromosome was shown. Detaile...

BACKGROUND The pathogenesis of malaria during pregnancy is not fully understood. A proinflammatory cytokine, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is suggested as a factor involved in the pathogenesis of malaria during pregnancy. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in Medani Hospital, Sudan to investigate MIF levels in placental malaria. Obstetrical and medical characteristic...

Cadmium (Cd) is a developmental toxicant that induces fetal growth restriction (FGR). Placental endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is associated with FGR. This study investigated the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on Cd-induced placental ER stress and FGR. Pregnant mice were intraperitoneally injected with CdCl2 daily from gestational day (GD)13 to GD17. As expected, Cd reduced fetal weight a...

OBJECTIVE To explore the effects of maternal high-fat (HF) diet-induced obesity on fetal growth and the expression of placental nutrient transporters. METHODS Maternal obesity was established in rats by 8 weeks of pre-pregnancy fed HF diet, while rats in the control group were fed normal (CON) diet. Diet-induced obesity (DIO) rats and diet-induced obesity-resistant (DIR) rats were selected ac...

BACKGROUND Malaria is an important public health issue in pregnancy association with poor fetal and maternal outcome, especially in malaria endemic area like Nigeria. OBJECTIVE The objective was to determine the prevalence of placental malaria in asymptomatic women in labor and to compare the fetal and maternal outcome between affected and unaffected women. SUBJECTS AND METHODS A prospectiv...

AIM To determine whether the size and shape of the placental surface predict blood pressure in childhood. METHODS We studied blood pressure in 471 nine-year-old Indian children whose placental length, breadth and weight were measured in a prospective birth cohort study. RESULTS In the daughters of short mothers (<median height), systolic blood pressure (SBP) rose as placental breadth increa...

The mechanisms by which maternal and fetal weight are regulated during pregnancy are poorly understood. The ob protein, termed leptin, is produced by adipocytes. It is involved in the regulation of body weight by suppressing appetite and stimulating energy expenditure both in humans and rodents. In this study we examined whether leptin concentrations in the mother and the newborn correlate with...

We assessed the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to define placental hypoxic injury associated with fetal growth restriction. On embryonic day 18.5 (E18.5) we utilized dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI on a 4.7-tesla small animal scanner to examine the uptake and distribution of gadolinium-based contrast agent. Quantitative DCE parameter analysis was performed for the placenta and feta...

As in humans, obesity during pregnancy in mice results in elevated maternal insulin levels and metabolic programming of offspring. mTOR signaling regulates amino acid transport and may function as a placental nutrient sensor. Because obesity is a condition with increased nutrient availability, we hypothesized that diet-induced obesity activates placental mTOR signaling. To test this hypothesis,...