Innovative cardiovascular casting technique features the complex malformation of berry syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal diagnosis of Berry syndrome, a rare combination of cardiac anomalies including aortopulmonary window (APW), aortic origin of the right pulmonary artery (RPA), interrupted aortic arch (IAA), hypoplastic aortic arch, or coarctation of the aorta (COA), poses a significant challenge. Due to the rarity of the disease, and the limited case reports available to features the complex malformation of Berry syndrome postpartum, this article introduces an innovative approach to visually showcase this unusual disease. The proposed method provides a comprehensive display of the structural deformities, offering valuable insights for clinical practitioners seeking to comprehend this condition. CASE PRESENTATION: In this report, we present a case where fetal echocardiography aided in diagnosing Berry syndrome, which was later confirmed through postpartum cardiovascular casting. Our experience highlights the importance of using the three-vessel view to diagnose APW and aortic origin of the right pulmonary artery. Additionally, obtaining true cross-sectional and sagittal views by continuously scanning from the three-vessel-trachea view to the long-axis view of the aortic arch is necessary to image IAA or coarctation of the aortic arch. CONCLUSIONS: Early and accurate prenatal diagnosis of Berry syndrome is feasible and our cardiovascular cast can perfectly display the microvascular morphology of the fetal heart, which may have great application prospects for postpartum diagnosis and teaching of complex cardiac abnormalities.

[Feasibility of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells differentiation in diabetic pancreatic microenvironment].

OBJECTIVE: The bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have the capacity to differentiate into insulin-producing cells (IPCs) in vitro. However, low differentiation efficiency and poor maturity are the main obstacles. To investigate the feasibility of BMSCs differentiation into IPCs in diabetic pancreatic microenvironment of pigs. METHODS: BMSCs were isolated and purified from the bone marrow of a 4-week-old male pig. Fifteen female pigs (aged 8 to 10 weeks, weighing 8 to 10 kg) were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal control group (group A, n=5), diabetic control group (group B, n=5), and BMSCs transplanted group (group C, n=5). The pigs of groups B and C were treated by auris vein injections of streptozocin and alloxan for 3 days to induce diabetes mellitus (DM) model, whose blood glucose level 2 days all greater than 17 mmol/L was successful DM model. A total of 1.1 mL of the 3rd passage BMSCs labeled with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), with cell density of 5 x 10(7)/ mL, were injected into subcapsular pancreas of group C at multiple points, normal saline at the same dosage into those of groups A and B. After 30 days of monitoring blood glucose, the histological analysis of islet number and size were done; the immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the protein expression of insulin in the new-formed islets. The EGFP+ cells were collected from the sections using laser-capture microdissection; RT-PCR was used to detect insulin mRNA and pancreatic and duodenal homeobox factor 1 (PDX1) mRNA expressions from EGFP+ cells, and the insulin and sex determining region of the Y chromosome (SRY) genes were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). RESULTS: The blood glucose level decreased significantly in group C when compared with that in group B from 18 days and gradually decreased with time (P < 0.05). The histological observation showed that the number of islets was increased significantly in group C when compared with that in group B (10.9 +/- 2.2 vs. 4.6 +/- 1.4, P < 0.05), and there was no significant difference when compared with that in group A (10.9 +/- 2.2 vs.12.6 +/- 2.6, P > 0.05). The size of new-formed islets in group C was significantly smaller than that in group A [(47.2 +/- 19.6) microm vs. (119.6 +/- 27.7) microm, P < 0.05]. The immunofluorescence staining showed that new-formed islets of group C expressed insulin protein. RT-PCR showed that the microdissected EGFP+ cells of group C expressed insulin mRNA and PDX-1 mRNA. FISH showed that the new-formed islet cells of group C contained SRY gene in Y chromosome and insulin double positive cells. CONCLUSION: BMSCs can differentiate into IPCs in diabetic pancreatic microenvironment of pigs.

Mesenchymal stem cells adopt beta-cell fate upon diabetic pancreatic microenvironment.

OBJECTIVES: : This study observed whether mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) adopt beta-cell fate upon diabetic microenvironment. METHODS: : We transplanted male porcine MSCs to diabetic female pigs by directly injecting into pancreas. Recipients' sera and pancreatic tissue were analyzed to assess the therapeutic effect. Islets were collected from the sections using laser-capture microdissection. The RNAs from these specimens were extracted and analyzed for insulin and pancreas duodenum homeobox 1 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression. SRY gene was detected from the specimens. RESULTS: : Compared with untreated diabetic controls, blood glucose level decreased greatly in recipients from 18 days (15.44 +/- 0.31 mmol/L vs 16.66 +/- 0.11 mmol/L) and insulin increased from 14 days (0.048 +/- 0.006 U/L vs 0.030 +/- 0.004 U/L). Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections demonstrated increased islets in recipients and few lymphocytes present. The newly formed islets were smaller than normal islets (47.2 mum +/- 19.6 vs 119.6 +/- 27.7 mum). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed that microdissected cells expressed insulin and pancreas duodenum homeobox 1 mRNA (79.3% +/- 16.2% of control, 65.2% +/- 14.8% of control, respectively). Immunoreactivity showed that the transplanted MSCs expressed insulin. SRY gene and insulin mRNA double-positive cells were found in microdissected cells by fluorescence in situ hybridization. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that MSCs could adopt beta-cell fate in diabetic pancreatic microenvironment without obvious immune rejections. Stem cell transplantation in orthotope is a promising therapy for diabetes.

Analysis of TAP1 and TAP2 polymorphism of mother-infant in Chinese patients with pre-eclampsia.

To analyze the polymorphism of TAP gene and the shared rates of alleles between mothers and their infants in Chinese patients with pre-eclampsia, TAP1 and TAP2 genotyping was performed by the amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) in 42 patients, 106 normal pregnant women, and their neonates. The allelic frequency of TAP and the alleles shared in maternal-fetus were compared and analyzed in the two groups. Our results showed that, with totally eight alleles of TAP1 and TAP2 examined in the samples, no significant difference was found in allelic frequencies between pre-eclampsia group and control group, as well as between mothers and their neonates. Similar finding was obtained in the comparison with shared alleles. In conclusion, our results do not support a role for the polymorphisms of TAP in the etiology of pre-eclampsia.

Studies on activity of NK cells in preeclampsia patients.

The activity of the NK cells in patients with preeclampsia was studied to investigate the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. By using MTT and 51Cr releasing technique, the proliferation and killing ability of the NK cells in maternal and umbilical blood from preeclampsia patients (n = 18) and normal third trimester pregnant women (n = 18) were detected. The NK-92 cell line was as the positive control. The results showed that the NK cell counts of umbilical blood in preeclampsia patients and normal third trimester pregnant women were significantly greater than those of maternal blood (both P<0.05). Compared with that in normal third trimester pregnant women, the proliferative ability of the NK cells in preeclampsia patients was apparently increased (P<0.05). Compared with that in maternal blood, the proliferative ability of the NK cells in umbilical blood from both preeclampsia patients and normal third trimester pregnant women was dramatically increased. The killing ability of the NK cells in preeclampsia patients was significantly higher than that in normal third trimester pregnant women (P <0.05). It was suggested that both number and function of the NK cells in preeclampsia women were increased, and that in umbilical blood was greater than that in maternal blood, speculating that the function of the NK cells may affect the maintenance of the maternal and fetal immune tolerance during pregnancy.