Prenatal diagnosis and treatment for fetal angiotensin converting enzyme deficiency

OBJECTIVE

To elucidate an etiology in a case with persistent oligohydramnios by prenatal diagnosis and actively treat the case to achieve good prognosis.

METHODS

We performed whole exome sequencing (WES) of DNA from the fetus and parents. Serial amnioinfusions were conducted until birth. Pressors were required to maintain normal blood pressure. The infant angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity, angiotensin II (Ang II, a downstream product of ACE), and compensatory enzymes (CEs) activities were measured. Compensatory enzyme activities in plasma from age-matched healthy controls were also detected.

RESULTS

We identified a fetus with a severe ACE mutation prenatally. The infant was born prematurely without pulmonary dysplasia. Hypotension and anuria resolved spontaneously. He had almost no ACE activity, but his Ang II level and CE activity exceeded the upper limit of the normal range and the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval of controls, respectively. His renal function also largely recovered.

CONCLUSION

Fetuses with ACE mutations can be diagnosed prenatally through WES. Serial amnioinfusion permits the continuation of pregnancy in fetal ACE deficiency. Compensatory enzymes for defective ACE appeared postnatally. Renal function may be spared by preterm delivery; furthermore, for postnatal vasopressor therapy to begin, improving renal perfusion pressure before nephrogenesis has been completed.

Spatial learning and memory deficits induced by prenatal glucocorticoid exposure depend on hippocampal CRHR1 and CXCL5 signaling in rats

Background

Prenatal synthetic glucocorticoid (sGC) exposure increases the susceptibility to cognitive and affective disorders in postnatal life. We previously demonstrated that prenatal sGC exposure results in an increase in corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) receptor type 1 (CRHR1) expression in the hippocampus of rats, and CRHR1 is involved in synapse formation via regulation of C-X-C chemokine ligand 5 (CXCL5) in hippocampus. We sought to investigate that the roles of CRHR1 and CXCL5 in learning and memory impairment caused by prenatal sGC exposure.

Methods

Pregnant rats were administered with saline or dexamethasone (DEX) from gestational day (GD) 14 to GD21. DEX offspring at 2-day old were treated with saline and CRHR1 antagonists (antalarmin and CP154526) for 7 days. Some DEX offspring received intra-hippocampal injection of AAV9 carrying CXCL5 gene. Spatial learning and memory was assessed by Morris water maze test. Immunofluorescence analysis was applied to show synapsin I and PSD95 signals in hippocampus. Synapsin I and PSD95 protein level and CXCL5 concentration were determined by western blotting and ELISA, respectively. Organotypic hippocampal slice cultures were used to investigate the effect of DEX on CXCL5 production in vitro.

Results

Both male and female DEX offspring displayed impairment of spatial learning and memory in adulthood. Synapsin I and PSD95 signals and CXCL5 levels were decreased in DEX offspring. DEX offspring with antalarmin and CP154526 treatment showed improved spatial learning and memory. Antalarmin and CP154526 treatment increased synapsin I and PSD95 signals and CXCL5 concentration in hippocampus. Bilaterally hippocampal injection of AAV9 carrying CXCL5 gene improved the spatial learning and memory and increased CXCL5 concentration and synapsin I and PSD95 levels in hippocampus. DEX dose-dependently suppressed CXCL5 production in cultured hippocammpal slices, which was prevented by antalarmin treatment.

Conclusion

CRHR1 and CXCL5 signaling in the hippocampus are involved in spatial learning and memory deficits caused by prenatal DEX exposure. CRHR1 activation contributes to decreased CXCL5 production in hippocampus induced by prenatal DEX treatment. Our study provides a molecular basis of prenatal GC exposure programming spatial learning and memory.

Temperature-Dependent Asymmetry of Anisotropic Magnetoresistance in Silicon p-n Junctions

We report a large but asymmetric magnetoresistance in silicon p-n junctions, which contrasts with the fact of magnetoresistance being symmetric in magnetic metals and semiconductors. With temperature decreasing from 293 K to 100 K, the magnetoresistance sharply increases from 50% to 150% under a magnetic field of 2 T. At the same time, an asymmetric magnetoresistance, which manifests itself as a magnetoresistance voltage offset with respect to the sign of magnetic field, occurs and linearly increases with magnetoresistance. More interestingly, in contrast with other materials, the lineshape of anisotropic magnetoresistance in silicon p-n junctions significantly depends on temperature. As temperature decreases from 293 K to 100 K, the width of peak shrinks from 90° to 70°. We ascribe these novel magnetoresistance to the asymmetric geometry of the space charge region in p-n junction induced by the magnetic field. In the vicinity of the space charge region the current paths are deflected, contributing the Hall field to the asymmetric magnetoresistance. Therefore, the observed temperature-dependent asymmetry of magnetoresistance is proved to be a direct consequence of the spatial configuration evolution of space charge region with temperature.

Effects of highly hygroscopic excipients on the hydrolysis of simvastatin in tablet at high relative humidity

Effects of highly hygroscopic sorbitol, citric acid, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose or polyvinylpolypyrrolidone, on the hydrolysis of simvastatin in tablets at 25°/90% RH were studied. The simvastatin tablets were prepared by direct powder compression. Simvastatin and its hydrolyte, simvastatin acid, were quantitatively analysed by high performance liquid chromotography. The hygroscopicity, water swelling ratio, water solubility and pH of the four hygroscopic excipients were investigated. During the investigation period, the weight gain of sorbitol or citric acid increased faster than that of polyvinylpolypyrrolidone or sodium carboxymethyl cellulose at 25°/90% RH, accordingly, the moisture sorption of the tablets containing citric acid or sorbitol (T-3 or T-6) were more than that of the tablets containing sodium carboxymethyl cellulose or polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (T-4 or T-5). The increase of simvastatin acid content with time at 25°/90% RH for the tablets was in the following order: T-6 < T-4 < T-3 < T-5. The effects of the four excipients on the hydrolysis of simvastatin in tablet were related to not only their hygroscopicity but also their other properties, such as moisture retention capacity and pH. Sorbitol as hygroscopic excipient in tablet can most effectively prevent the hydrolysis of simvastatin in tablet.

Structure and polymorphism of 16 novel Y-STRs in Chinese Han population

Y-chromosome short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) are useful tools for identifying paternity origin and male-female mixed samples because of their male-specificity, haploid inheritance and relatively simplicity. We focused on novel Y-STRs deposited in the human Genome database from DYS708 to DYS726. We typed 16 male-specific Y-STRs from males of a Chinese Han population residing in Shanxi Province (north China), including DYS708-719, DYS721-723, and DYS726, but failed in typing DYS720, DYS724 and DYS725. The 16 Y-STRs, with mean gene diversity (GD) of 0.79, included three trinucleotide Y-STRs (711, 718, 719), nine tetranucleotide STRs (708, 709, 710, 712, 713, 715, 722, 723, 726) and four pentanucleotide repeat STRs (714, 716, 717, 721). DYS712, consisting of eight alleles, was the most informative STR in our population, with a GD of 0.843. The STRs were classified as simple STRs and complex STRs, according to their structures based on sequencing. Genetic indexes, including allele frequencies, haplotype distribution and male-specificity were determined. The Y-STRs, especially those male-specific, tetra- and penta-nucleotide, with only one copy on Y-chromosome, and relative simple structures, such as DYS709, DYS714, DYS715, DYS716, DYS718, DYS719, and DYS726, were suggested for the future forensic DNA analysis, while DYS724 and DYS725 were not recommended for their multi-copy distribution. The population data provided putative Y-STRs for future genetic and forensic applications.

Enantiomeric recognition of chiral 3,3-bridged-1,1'-binaphthol dimer toward alpha-phenylethylamine and alpha-amino acid ester

The 1,1'-binaphthol-based dimers with p-phenylenebis(2-ethynyl) spacer, (+)-6 and (+)-2, were synthesized as chiral host compounds. (1)H NMR, UV-vis, and fluorescent titration were used to evaluate the enantiomeric recognition abilities of the chiral host dimers toward the guest amine 7 and alpha-amino acid ester 8. The chiral BINOL-based dimers were found to have good enantiomeric recognition ability. The computer simulation of the host-guest complex molecules was carried out to describe the conformational changes of both naphthyl ring in the molecule of chiral host dimer after complexation with the guest molecule.

Inhibitory effect of jujuboside A on penicillin sodium induced hyperactivity in rat hippocampal CA1 area in vitro

AIM

To study the effect of jujuboside A (JuA), one constituent of Chinese herbal medicine Ziziphus jujuba Mill Var spinosa (Bunge) Hu,on the penicillin sodium induced hyperactivity in rat CA1 neurons in vitro.

METHODS

Hippocampal slices were obtained from the Sprague-Dawley rat brain and populational signals were measured from CA1 neurons of hippocampal slices using the extracellular recording technique.

RESULTS

Penicillin sodium of 500, 1000, and 2000 kU/L were found to excite hippocampal CA1 neurons in a concentration-dependent manner in vitro. This excitatory effect of penicillin sodium could be inhibited by phenobarbital sodium of 0.02 - 0.05 g/L and JuA of 0.05 - 0.10 g/L.

CONCLUSION

A high dose of JuA can inhibit the hyperactivity of hippocampal CA1 area induced by penicillin sodium. The inhibition of the amplitude of the first population spike (PS) and the latency of PS are more pronounced than the slope of the field excitatory post-synaptic potential.

[High-level expression of human calmodulin in E. coli and its effects on cell proliferation]

The gene coding for human CaM was amplified by PCR in which pUC/hCaM3 cDNA was usd as template. After inserting the hCaM III cDNA into the expression plasmid pBV220, we constructed the hCaM3 cDNA-recombinant expression vector(hCaM3/pBV220). The recombinant plasmid was then transformed into E. coli DH5 alpha. After heat induction, a high level expression of CaM protein was obtained. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the recombinant E. coli could express a 17 kD protein which accounted for about 20% of the total cellular protein. Western blot analysis showed that anti-CaM monoclonal antibody(McAb) specifically bound to the 17 kD band of expression product. rhCaM was purified by Phenyl-sepharose CL-4B affinity chromatography from recombinant bacterial lysate. 3-4 mg of the purified protein were obtained from 1 liter of bacterial culture. The rhCaM was able to activate NAD kinase to the same extent as the standard human brain CaM (Sigma). K562 cells and SP2/0 cells were seeded in 24-well or 96-well plate and cultured for 48 h with rhCaM and CaM-antagonist trifluoperazine(TFP). Cell proliferation rates was determined by MTT assay. There was a significant positive correlation between the concentrations of rhCaM and the cell proliferation rates. CaM-antagonist TFP had an inhibitory effect on cell proliferation rate. The inhibition could be corrected by the addition of extracellular rhCaM.

[Angiographic diagnosis of lesions of the mitral valve and its appendages]

68 cases with 76 left ventriculographies, including rheumatic mitral valvular disease, congestive and hypertrophic types of cardiomyopathy, endocardial cushion defect, atrial and ventricular septal defects, coronary heart disease and mitral valve prolapse were analyzed with respect to the morphological and functional changes of the mitral valve and its appendages. Dynamic study with cineradiographic technic was the chief method used in this investigation. Except for ventricular septal defect, all the above-mentioned disease entities showed one or several of the changes of the mitral valvular apparatus including stenosis, insufficiency, displacement, cleft, deformity, prolapse and functional disorder. Regurgitation associated with mitral insufficiency exhibiting specific manifestations in different conditions was analyzed and its method of grading discussed. Mitral valve prolapse with its suggested method grading and functional disorder of the mitral valve were also discussed in detail.

Aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva: a roentgenologic study of 105 Chinese patients

Of 105 cases of lesions of the sinus of Valsalva found over a 25-year period at the Shanghai Chest Hospital, 90 were ruptured sinuses or sinus aneurysms and 15 were unruptured aneurysms. The cases were classified roentgenologically according to the method of Sakakibara and Konno: 64.5% were type I, 23.7% type II, 1.1% type IIIv, 6.4% type IIIa, 1.1% type IIIa + v, and 3.2% type IV. A new and simplified method of classification has been devised in the Shanghai Chest Hospital and shows the highest incidence to be the type of aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva associated with ventricular septal defect. On aortography three types of morphologic changes--aneurysmal formation, enlargement of the sinus with no definite aneurysm, and sinus rupture with no enlargement or aneurysmal formation--are observed. Angiographically, shunting from ruptured sinus or sinus aneurysm begins in middiastole and gradually increases to end diastole. Aortic insufficiency, if present, usually begins in early diastole and extends over the whole diastolic phase in a decrescendo fashion. Special attention should be paid to the differentiation between ruptured sinus of Valsalva with or without aneurysmal formation and ventricular septal defect with aortic insufficiency.

Double-outlet right ventricle. A clinical-roentgenologic-pathologic study of 28 consecutive patients

Twenty-eight cases of double-outlet right ventricle (DORV) were found from 1975 to 1980 in the Shanghai Chest Hospital. On plain films, four types of abnormal heart configuration were found: mitral, boot-shaped, atypical, and bizarre. The main angiocardiographic findings were: (1) simultaneous visualization of aorta and pulmonary artery on right ventriculography, both arising from the right ventricle; (2) D- or L-type of aortic transposition in most; (3) the two semilunar valves at approximately the same horizontal level; (4) an infundibulum present below the semilunar valve; (5) ventricular septal defect; and (6) associated pulmonary stenosis and/or other anomalies. An anatomic-radiologic classification was suggested and based chiefly on symbolic representation of segmental combinations including visceral trial situs, type of cardiac loop, relation between the semilunar valves, presence or absence of pulmonary stenosis and whether the ventricular septal defect was subpulmonary or not. The findings substantiated the viewpoint that in DORV there exists on embryologic and pathologic ground transitional changes ranging from those closely resembling tetralogy of Fallot to complete transposition of the great vessels.