BACKGROUND Increased fetal DNA in maternal plasma/serum has been reported in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia. We hypothesize that fetal RNA may also be increased in maternal plasma in preeclampsia. METHODS We developed a real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR assay to measure the concentration of the mRNA of the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) locus. Peripheral blood s...

maternal leukemia inhibitory factor (lif) is required for successful implanta¬tion in mice, but little is known about its role and expression in human reproduc¬tion. here we report on the pattern of lif mrna expression in 30 samples of previously fertile and 11 infertile human endometrium, 10 samples of previously fertile post-menopausal endometrium and 10 uterine (fallopian) tubes from pre¬vio...

INTRODUCTION Preeclampsia is associated with increased levels of the circulating anti-angiogenic factor sFlt-1 as well as with an excessive shedding of placenta-derived multinucleated syncytial aggregates into the maternal circulation. However, it remains unclear whether these aggregates are transcriptionally active in the maternal organs and can therefore contribute to the systemic manifestati...

Maternal care experienced during postnatal development has enduring effects on neuroendocrine function and behavior. Previous studies in rats have illustrated the effect of maternal licking/grooming (LG) on hormone receptors and maternal behavior of adult female offspring associated with altered DNA methylation. However, the developmental timing of these effects, which provide insight into the ...

BACKGROUND We have shown recently that maternal undernutrition (UN) advanced female pubertal onset in a manner that is dependent upon the timing of UN. The long-term consequence of this accelerated puberty on ovarian function is unknown. Recent findings suggest that oxidative stress may be one mechanism whereby early life events impact on later physiological functioning. Therefore, using an est...

BACKGROUND mRNA of placental origin (i.e., human placental lactogen and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin) has been demonstrated to be easily detectable in maternal plasma. We tested whether detection of chromosome 21-encoded mRNA of placental origin is possible in maternal plasma obtained during the first trimester. METHODS Plasma samples were obtained from pregnant women between weeks 9-13 ...

The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily that regulates cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) gene transcription in a ligand-dependent manner. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced downregulation on PXR and cyp3a11 in adult mouse liver has been well characterized. In this study, we investigated the effects of maternal LPS exposure on PXR and cyp3a11 expression in fetal mous...

Abnormal conditions during early development adversely affect later health. We investigated whether maternal exercise could protect offspring from adverse effects of a maternal high-fat diet (HFD) with a focus on the metabolic outcomes and epigenetic regulation of the metabolic master regulator, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (Pgc-1α). Female C57BL/6 mice were expos...

The prolactin (PRL) family of hormones/cytokines is involved in the maintenance of pregnancy and adaptations to physiological stressors. In this report, we identify and characterize a new member of the rat PRL family, examine the impact of maternal hypoxia on placental PRL family gene expression, and investigate maternal adaptive responses to hypoxia. Perusal of the PRL gene family locus in the...

Maternal hypertriglyceridemia is a normal condition in late gestation and is an adaptation to ensure an adequate nutrient supply to the fetus. Placental lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is involved in the initial step in transplacental fatty acid transport as it hydrolyzes maternal triglycerides (TG) to release free fatty acids (FFA). We investigated LPL activity and protein (Western blot) and mRNA exp...