The association between weight gain at different stages of pregnancy and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Women with excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) are at a higher risk for complications during pregnancy, such as preeclampsia. However, the association between excessive GWG and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 8,352 women from our obstetric database with singleton pregnancies who gave birth after 28 completed weeks of gestation between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2016, excluding pregnancies complicated by fetal anomalies, fetal death, and overt diabetes. Diagnosis of GDM was based on the criteria recommended by the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups. We used two classification methods to define excessive GWG: a weight gain above the 90th percentile of the population, or exceeding the upper range recommended by the Institute of Medicine, stratified by pre-pregnancy body mass index. Statistical analysis was performed using multiple logistic regression to determine the association between excessive GWG and the risk of GDM. RESULTS: Overall, 1,129 women (13.5%) were diagnosed with GDM. There was no difference in GWG between women with and without GDM in the first trimester and before GDM screening. Women with GDM had significantly less GWG in the second trimester, after GDM screening, and throughout the whole gestation than women without GDM. No correlation was found between excessive GWG in the first and second trimesters, before GDM screening, and the later development of GDM. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that excessive GWG prior to GDM screening is not associated with an increased risk of GDM.

The Association Between Placental Residual Blood Volume and Two Placental Transfusion Methods After Delivery at Term.

Background: Despite reports of the beneficial effects, such as increasing hemoglobin level and iron store in the neonatal period, of delayed cord clamping, or umbilical cord milking after delivery in healthy term-born infants, the duration of delayed clamping or rounds of milking in most previous reports were determined arbitrarily and varied widely across different studies. Methods: We prospectively recruited 80 women with normal singleton pregnancies at 38-40 weeks' gestation. Participants were classified according to the mode of delivery and randomly assigned to either collecting blood from the placenta by umbilical cord drainage (CD) or cord milking (CM), with the placenta left in the uterus. The volume of blood collected, the duration of CD, and the number of rounds of CM were recorded. Results: Collected placental residual blood volume positively correlated with birth weight, placental weight, and length of the cord. When 80% of the total placental residual blood volume collected was set as the threshold, more than 80% of women who delivered vaginally reached this level within 60 s of CD or seven repetitions of CM. This amount of blood could be obtained within 120 s of CD or after seven repetitions of CM in more than 80% of women who underwent cesarean delivery. Conclusion: In most women, regardless of birth weight and placental weight, more than 80% of placental residual blood volume could be collected by CD within 60 s after vaginal delivery, 120 s after cesarean delivery, and seven repetitions of CM in both vaginal and cesarean deliveries.

A Taiwan's experience: A case report and review of literature of successful early intrauterine treatment with radiofrequency ablation in twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence.

Acardiac twin or twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence is a rare medical complication of Monozygotic twins. Taiwanese Obstetricians usually treat TRAP sequence conservatively. Occasionally, repeated amnio-reduction is performed to decompress the polyhydramnios caused by the TRAP sequence, even though there was no correction of the pathophysiologic mechanism. Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive, percutaneous technique that can effectively obliterate blood supply to an acardiac twin to preserve and protect the pump twin. This recent technique has never been used before for the treatment of the TRAP sequence in Taiwan. This article reported the first-hand experience of acardiac twin management with RFA in Taipei Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.

Risk factors for abnormal postpartum glycemic states in women diagnosed with gestational diabetes by the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups criteria.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the rate of postpartum glycemic screening tests (PGST) in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and to investigate risk factors for abnormal PGST results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the obstetric data of 1,648 women with GDM who gave birth after 28 completed weeks of gestation between 1 July 2011 and 31 December 2019 at Taipei Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan. GDM was diagnosed by the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups criteria. PGST was carried out at 6-12 weeks postpartum with a 75-g, 2-h oral glucose tolerance test, and the results were classified into normal, prediabetes and diabetes mellitus. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the associations between various risk factors and abnormal PGST results. RESULTS: In total, 493 (29.9%) women underwent PGST and 162 (32.9%) had abnormal results, including 135 (27.4%) with prediabetes and 27 (5.5%) with diabetes mellitus. Significant risk factors for postpartum diabetes mellitus included insulin therapy during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 10.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.07-28.58), birthweight >4,000 g (adjusted OR 10.22, 95% CI 1.74-59.89) and preterm birth <37 weeks' gestation (adjusted OR 3.33, 95% CI 1.09-10.22); whereas prepregnancy body mass index >24.9 kg/m2 (adjusted OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.24-3.21) was the major risk factor for postpartum prediabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Less than one-third of women with GDM underwent PGST, and nearly one-third of these women had abnormal results. Future efforts should focus on reducing the barriers to PGST in women with GDM.

Effect of rearing conditions on production of sternal gland secretion, and identification of minor components in the sternal gland secretion of the predatory stink bug Eocanthecona furcellata.

Production of the male specific compound, 6,10,13-trimethyltetradecyl isovalerate by the predatory stink bug Eocanthecona furcellata (Wolff) was dramatically affected by rearing conditions. Male bugs kept isolated after eclosion produced an average of 1,948 ng of 6,10,13-trimethyltetradecyl isovalerate per bug, whereas male bugs reared in groups of 5-8 bugs produced an average of only 4 ng of 6,10,13-trimethyltetradecyl isovalerate per bug. Same-sex or mixed-sex pairs of bugs produced less than 50 ng per bug. Male bugs kept isolated for 1 wk and then grouped for 1 wk produced 3 ng of 6,10,13-trimethyltetradecyl isovalerate per bug, whereas male bugs grouped first and then isolated produced 135 ng of 6,10,13-trimethyltetradecyl isovalerate. A total of 11 minor components in relative amounts of less than 1% of the major 6,10,13-trimethyltetradecyl isovalerate were found in the sternal gland secretion. These included 6,10,13-trimethyltetradecanol, acetate, propionate, and butyrate esters of 6,10,13-trimethyltetradecanol, and isovalerate or valerate esters of homologs of 6,10,13-trimethyltetradecanol.

Participation of p97Eps8 in Src-mediated transformation.

Histone acetylase and histone deacetylase are two crucial enzymes that determine the structure of chromatin, regulating gene expression. In this study, we observed that trichostatin A (TSA), a specific histone deacetylase inhibitor, could effectively inhibit the growth of v-Src-transformed (IV5) cells and abrogate their ability to form colonies in soft agar. Further analysis demonstrated that, although TSA reduced the expression of Eps8 in a dose- and time-dependent manner, both the protein expression and kinase activity of v-Src remained constant, and the abundance and phosphotyrosine levels of Src substrates, including cortactin, focal adhesion kinase, p130(Cas), paxillin, and Shc, were not altered. Notably, removal of TSA from the medium restored not only the expression of Eps8, but also cellular growth. Northern and reverse transcription-PCR analyses revealed the significant reduction of eps8 transcripts in TSA-treated IV5 cells relative to control cells. When active Src-expressing chicken embryonic cells were forced to overexpress p97(Eps8), they became resistant to TSA-mediated anti-proliferation. Furthermore, using small interference RNA of eps8, we demonstrated the requirement for Eps8 in IV5 cell proliferation. Thus, our results highlight a critical role for p97(Eps8) in TSA-exerted growth inhibition of v-Src-transformed cells.

Direct inhibitory effect of curcumin on Src and focal adhesion kinase activity.

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is a well-known agent with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic properties. In this study, we observed that curcumin inhibited the kinase activity of v-Src, which led to a decrease in tyrosyl substrate phosphorylation of Shc, cortactin, and FAK. Our in vitro kinase experiment revealed that the inhibitory effect of curcumin on Src could be direct. Consistent with the abrogation of Src activity was the reduction of Src-Tyr-416 phosphorylation, Src-mediated Shc-Tyr-317 phosphorylation, decreased ERK activation, and cell proliferation in v-Src transformed cells. Remarkably, curcumin not only exerted its negative effect on FAK via the disappearance of Src-mediated FAK phosphorylation, but also directly inhibited its enzymatic activity. Concurrent to reduced cortactin tyrosyl phosphorylation and FAK kinase activity was the abolishment of v-Src-mediated cell mobility. To our knowledge, this is the first report indicating that curcumin can retard cellular growth and migration via downregulation of Src and FAK kinase activity.