ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study examined the effects of maternal deficiency of folic acid during pregnancy on pulmonary development and protein A (SP-A) expression in newborn rats in order to explore the possible mechanism of lung developmental disorders.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-six adult Sprague-Dawley female rats were randomly assigned into two groups: control and study (n=18). The study and the control groups were fed with fodder containing folic acid or not respectively. Two weeks later, the female rats in the two groups copulated with normal male rats. Newborn rats were sacrificed at 1, 7 and 14 days after birth (8 pups at each time point). Lung sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histological examination. SP-A expression of protein and mRNA were determined by immunohistochemistry and real-time quantitative RT-PCR, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The newborn rats from the study group showed damaged lung tissue structures. The mean optical density of type II cells with positive expression of SP-A decreased significantly from 1 to 14 days in newborn rats of the study group compared with the control newborn rats (P<0.05). The real-time quantitative RT-PCR showed that the expression of lung SP-A mRNA also decreased significantly from 1 to 14 days in newborn rats of the study group compared with control newborn rats (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Maternal deficiency of folic acid during pregnancy can decrease the expression of SP-A in lung tissues of newborn rats, which might lead to the disorder of lung development maturation.</p>
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Male , Pregnancy , Rats , Animals, Newborn , Folic Acid Deficiency , Metabolism , Immunohistochemistry , Lung , Embryology , Pregnancy Complications , Metabolism , Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A , Genetics , RNA, Messenger , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain ReactionABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To understand the genetic polymorphism of DC-SIGN's and DC-SIGNR's neck regions in normal Chinese Han population, and to obtain the genetic data of the two loci in Chinese Han population.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The genotypes and alleles of repeat sequences of DC-SIGN and DC-SIGNR neck region were typed by PCR, agarose gel electrophoresis and sequencing. Polymorphism information content (PIC) of DC-SIGNR was calculated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>DC-SIGN genetic polymorphism was rare. Allele 7 was most and its frequency was 0.9808. 4-, 5-, 6- and 8- alleles were also found, although their frequencies were very low. Caucasians had only 6- and 8- allele mutants; DC-SIGNR genetic polymorphism was high, its PIC was 0.5312, 4-,5-,6-,7-,8-,9- alleles and 16 genotypes were found in normal Chinese Han population. The differences of 6/5,7/4,7/5,7/6,7/7,9/5,9/7,9/9 genotypes distribution and 5-,6-,7-,9- alleles frequency between normal Chinese Han population and Caucasian population were all extremely distinct (P<0.01). The inserted mutation seemed more in Chinese Hans than Caucasian population.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>DC-SIGN and DC-SIGNR genotypes and alleles distribution in Chinese Han population are significantly different from Caucasian population and with Chinese own population genetic characteristics, compared with Caucasians.</p>
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Young Adult , Alleles , Asian People , Genetics , Cell Adhesion Molecules , Genetics , China , Gene Frequency , Genotype , Lectins, C-Type , Genetics , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Polymorphism, Genetic , Genetics , Receptors, Cell Surface , GeneticsABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the correlation between vertical infection of hepatitis B virus(HBV) and Hofbauer cell in placenta.Methods Placental structural change,the correlation between HBV infection and Hofbauer cell in 14 vertical transmission cases(HBsAg and HBV-DNA seropositive in both mothers and their neonates),62 non-vertical transmission cases(HBsAg and HBV-DNA seropositive in mothers,but HBsAg and HBV-DNA seronegative in their neonates) and 10 controls(HBsAg and HBV-DNA seronegative in both mothers and their neonates) were determined by inmumohistochemical techniques and photomicroscopy.Results 1.necrosis,edema,villi capillary sclerosis,intravillifibrosis,fibrinoial sendimentation,morphokarrioleukocyet,lymphacyte,granulocyte were observed in placentas both vertical transmission cases and non-vertical transmission cases.2.Placental HBsAg postive rate in vertical transmission cases was 100%,but 58% in non-vertical transmission cases.There was significant difference in two groups(P=(0.013)).The positive sign was observed in trophoblast cell,Hofbauer cell and endothelial cell.3.Total Hobauer cell and ones combined with HBV in placentas of vertical transmission cases obviously increased(P