Blood galactose and glucose levels in mothers, cord blood, and 48-hour-old breast-fed full-term infants

Background: Although galactose is an important component in human lactose, there are few reports of its role in the newborn metabolism. Objective: To determine the relationship of blood galactose and glucose levels in mothers, cord blood, and breast-fed full-term newborn infants. Methods: Maternal and cord vein blood samples were obtained from 27 pregnant women at delivery, and from their breastfed, full-term newborns 48 h later. Galactose and glucose were determined by HPLC. Statistical analysis used ANOVA and Pearson correlation with p < 0.05. Results: Maternal galactose concentrations (0.08 +/- 0.03 mmol/l) were similar to cord blood galactose (0.07 +/- 0.03 mmol/l; p = 0.129). However, newborn blood galactose (0.05 +/- 0.02 mmol/l) was significantly lower than both cord (p = 0.042) and maternal blood (p = 0.002). Maternal blood glucose levels (4.72 +/- 0.86 mmol/l) were higher than cord blood (3.98 +/- 0.57 mmol/l; p < 0.001), and cord blood concentrations were higher than newborn blood levels (3.00 +/- 0.56 mmol/l; p < 0.001); all values expressed as mean +/- SD. Significant correlation was only seen between maternal and cord blood galactose levels (r = 0.67; p < 0.001) and glucose levels (r = 0.38; p = 0.047). Conclusion: the association and similarity between maternal and cord blood galactose levels suggest that the fetus is dependent on maternal galactose. In contrast, the lower galactose levels in newborn infants and a lack of association between both suggest self-regulation and a dependence on galactose ingestion. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Fructose in fetal cord blood and its relationship with maternal and 48-hour-newborn blood concentrations

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Structural characteristics of the tendinous cord-papillary muscle junction in healthy and hypertensive rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Spermatic characteristics and sperm evolution on the subfamily Stevardiinae (Ostariophysi: Characiformes: Characidae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Markiana nigripinnis (Perugia, 1891) as a putative member of the subfamily Stevardiinae (Characiformes: Characidae): spermatic evidence

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Spermatic cell characteristics in Gymnotiformes (Teleostei: Ostariophysi) and their phylogenetic meaning

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Respiratory rhythm of brainstem-spinal cord preparations: Effects of maturation, age, mass and oxygenation

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Characterization and quantification of blood cells from the umbilical cord of dogs

Background: Models for the study of hematopoietic stem cells in dogs provide important information for bone marrow transplantation in humans. Recent studies have reported the importance of human umbilical cord blood (UCB) as an alternative to allogenic bone marrow for hematopoietic reconstitution. However, there are no studies on the UCB cells of dogs. Objective: the aim of this experiment was to characterize and quantify the blood cells of the umbilical cord of dogs. Methods: the blood of the umbilical cord of 20 neonatal dogs, delivered at term, with a median gestation time of 58 days, was collected with a 5-mL syringe containing EDTA. Total RBC, WBC, and platelet counts, HCT, hemoglobin (Hgb) concentration, and RBC indices were determined using an automatic cell counter. The differential leukocyte count was determined manually in blood smears stained with May-Grunwald-Giemsa. Reticulocyte percentages were determined on blood smears stained with brilliant cresyl blue and counterstained with May-Grunwald Giemsa. Results: the MCHC and numbers of RBCs, WBCs, neutrophils, and eosinophils in UCB were lower as compared with reference values for the peripheral blood of healthy neonatal and adult dogs; whereas, the MCV and reticulocyte percentages were higher. Conclusion: Erythrocyte macrocytosis and hypochromasia in UCB were consistent with marked reticulocytosis and indicative of high erythropoietic activity. The results of this study are an important first step in the characterization of UCB from neonatal dogs.

Isolation and characterization of Wharton's jelly-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells obtained from bovine umbilical cord and maintained in a defined serum-free three-dimensional system

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

RNA reallocation during initial spermatic meiosis of Pseudonannolene tocaiensis Fontanetti, 1996

Toluidine Blue dye containing increasing concentrations of Mg2+ or Ca2+ can show loss of metachromacy at a certain concentration of the inorganic cation when staining DNA-protein complexes in vitro and in vivo. This process has been named Critical Electrolyte Concentration (CEC) and is applied to the study of protein-nucleic acid complexes at different stages of chromatin supra-organization. Male gametocytes of the species Pseudonannolene tocaiensis were studied, observing a large amount of ribonucleoproteins in the gametocytes cytoplasm throughout prophase I. The nucleolus is maintained during most of the prophase. The highly condensed region showing the bouquet formation appeared stained with the typical tonality for chromatin; this region corresponds to the constitutive heterochromatin. We also observed the presence of RNA all through the chromosomes in prophase I. The permanence of this material surrounding the chromosomes during male meiosis is difficult to explain, since a great reduction of the products of spermatogenesis occurs due to the fact that most of the material of the spermatozoids is not used during fecundation. However, in P. tocaiensis this material is remains even at the spermatids. It is known that during the spermiogenesis of certain insects, RNA synthesis continues at the spermatid, being subsequently eliminated from the nucleus and then from the cell due to the elongation of the nucleus. Therefore, we could suggest that permanence of this material (RNA) during meiosis has a function in the process of cell division.

Integrated analysis of halogenated organic pollutants in sub-millilitre volumes of venous and umbilical cord blood sera

A rapid, robust and economical method for the analysis of persistent halogenated organic compounds in small volumes of human serum and umbilical cord blood is described. The pollutants studied cover a broad range of molecules of contemporary epidemiological and legislative concern, including polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), polychlorobenzenes (CBs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), DDTs, polychlorostyrenes (PCSs) and polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Extraction and clean-up with n-hexane and concentrated sulphuric acid was followed with analysis by gas chromatography coupled to electron capture (GC-ECD) and GC coupled to negative ion chemical ionisation mass spectrometry (GC-NICI-MS). The advantages of this method rest in the broad range of analytes and its simplicity and robustness, while the use of concentrated sulphuric acid extraction/clean-up destroys viruses that may be present in the samples. Small volumes of reference serum between 50 and 1000 μL were extracted and the limits of detection/quantification and repeatability were determined. Recoveries of spiked compounds for the extraction of small volumes (≥300 μL) of the spiked reference serum were between 90% and 120%. The coefficients of variation of repeatability ranged from 0.1-14%, depending on the compound. Samples of 4-year-old serum and umbilical cord blood (n = 73 and 40, respectively) from a population inhabiting a village near a chloro-alkali plant were screened for the above-mentioned halogenated pollutants using this method and the results are briefly described. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.

An assessment approach for application of spermatic data in phylogenetic analyses: Within the genus Moenkhausia Eigenmann, 1903 (Characiformes: Characidae)

Spermiogenesis and sperm ultrastructure from 21 species of Moenkhausia and others related genera are described. To evaluate the phylogenetic signals, 18 unordered characters were utilized in implied weighting analysis through the program TNT 1.1. Four variations of spermiogenesis were found. In the earliest spermatids, the nucleus can be positioned lateral, eccentric, strongly eccentric or nearly medial in relation to the distal centriole. The nuclear rotation can be present or absent. These spermiogenesis processes are related or intermediate to Type I and Type III. Taking into account the degrees of nuclear rotation during the spermiogenesis and other characteristics, distinct forms of spermatozoa are observed among the species analyzed. The phylogenetic analysis yielded a single most parsimonious tree with fit value 2.70000 and the topology obtained founds Moenkhausia as non-monophyletic. However, some hypothesis of relationships previously proposed viz the clade 20, which contains the type species Moenkhausia xinguensis, is recovered herein. This clade is supported by five synapomorphies, and it allows the supposition that these species constitute a monophyletic group. The whole topology is presented and discussed. © 2012 The Authors. Acta Zoologica © 2012 The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.