Effects of Weight Gain During Pregnancy in Normal-Weight Women on Changes in the Gut Microbiota of Pregnant Women in the Third Trimester.

With the improvement of living standards and the lack of nutrition awareness during pregnancy, the phenomenon of excessive weight gain (EWG) of pregnancy is increasing. EWG during pregnancy has profound effects on the health of mother and offspring. The role of intestinal flora in regulating metabolic diseases has gradually attracted attention in recent years. The study explored the effect of EWG during pregnancy on gut microbiota, and analyzed the diversity and composition of gut microbiota in pregnant women in third trimester. Fecal samples were collected and divided into: insufficient weight gain (IWG) during pregnancy (group A1, N = 4), and appropriate weight gain (AWG) during pregnancy (group A2, N = 9), and EWG during pregnancy (N = 9 in A3 group). MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology and bioinformatics analysis were introduced to investigate relationship of gestational weight gain and maternal gut microbiota. General data analysis showed that gestational weight gain and delivery mode have significant differences among the three groups. The overall level and diversity of intestinal microbiota in A1 and A3 group were increased. Composition of gut microbiota has no difference among three groups at the phylum level, but species of gut microbiota were different. Alpha diversity index analysis showed that the richness of A3 group was increased versus A2 group. EWG during pregnancy affects the abundance and proportion of gut microbiota in the third trimester. Therefore, maintaining moderate weight gain during pregnancy helps to maintain intestinal homeostasis.

MMP11 and MMP17 are potential biomarkers for uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are important proteases that degrade the extracellular matrix (ECM) and thus essentially mediate tumor vascularization, metastasis, and invasion. However, their potential roles in uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) are not fully understood. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression, prognostic value, and correlation of UCEC patients with MMP were investigated using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and other databases. Furthermore, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and their biological functions and correlations with infiltrating immune cells were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 22 MMPs were found to be abnormally expressed in UCEC tumor tissues, and high expression of MMP11 and MMP17 were associated with a better UCEC prognosis. MMP11 and MMP17 were observed to be significantly enriched in tumor tissue ECM and were associated with pathways involving degradation, glycolytic metabolism, and PI3K-Akt signaling. Infiltration of natural killer (NK), mast, and NK CD56bright cells was enhanced in tumor tissues with high MMP11 and MMP17 expression. CONCLUSION: MMP11 and MMP17 may affect UCEC prognosis by influencing immune cell infiltration and may be potential UCEC biomarkers.

Diosmetin ameliorates psoriasis-associated inflammation and keratinocyte hyperproliferation by modulation of PGC-1α / YAP signaling pathway.

Psoriasis, characterized by aberrant epidermal keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation, is a chronic inflammatory immune-related skin disease. Diosmetin (Dios), derived from citrus fruits, exhibits anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative properties. In this study, IL-17A-induced HaCaT cell model and Imiquimod (IMQ)-induced mouse model were utilized to investigate the effects of Dios against psoriasis. The morphology and biomarkers of psoriasis were regarded as the preliminary evaluation including PASI score, skin thickness, H&E staining, EdU staining and inflammatory factors. Transcriptomics analysis revealed PGC-1α as a key target for Dios in ameliorating psoriasis. Specifically, Dios, through PGC-1α, suppressed YAP-mediated proliferation and inflammatory responses in psoriatic keratinocytes. In conclusion, Dios shows promise in psoriasis treatment and holds potential for development as targeted medications for application in psoriasis.

Effect of hepatitis B virus infection on apoptosis of a human choriocarcinoma cell line in vitro.

AIM: To investigate the effect and mechanism of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on the human choriocarcinoma cell line, JEG-3, in relation to apoptosis and intrauterine infection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: HBV-DNA serum was used to infect the choriocarcinoma cell line, JEG-3, in vitro. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) was then employed to detect intracellular replication of HBV DNA. Cells were also stained with Annexin-V and propidium iodide (PI) to identify the stages of apoptosis following infection. In addition, reverse transcription PCR was used to detect intracellular HBx mRNA levels, and Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to detect changes in the intracellular expression of HBxAg and phosphatidylinositol kinase 3 (PI3K). Flow cytometry was also used to detect the intracellular levels of phosphorylated AKT (pAKT). RESULTS: After JEG-3 cells were infected with HBV in vitro, HBV DNA was detected. The percentage of cells in early and late stage apoptosis also decreased significantly. Expression of HBx mRNA and HBxAg were detected, and intracellular levels of PI3K and pAKT were observed to significantly increase. CONCLUSION: HBV infected JEG-3 cells in vitro, resulting in an inhibition of early and late stage apoptosis. In addition, the HBxAg/PI3K/pAKT pathway is a possible mechanism mediating this inhibition of apoptosis, and the infection of the placenta by HBV.

The study on the role of hepatitis B virus X protein and apoptosis in HBV intrauterine infection.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to understand the difference of HBxAg and PI3K signal transduction protein expressions in HBV-infected placenta and normal placenta, clarify the difference of the two in the degree of apoptosis and explore the potential role of inhibition of HBxAg/PI3 K/apoptosis in HBV intrauterine infection. METHODS: Placenta tissues of 24 pregnant women with confirmed intrauterine infection and positive HBsAg were selected as the infection group, and those of normal healthy pregnant women were taken as the control group. Immunohistochemical SP staining method was employed to detect the expressions of HBxAg and PI3K in the placenta of each group, and TUNEL was applied for the assay of apoptosis. RESULTS: HBxAg was detected in the placenta of HBV-infected group, and staining optical density value of high replication group (HBV DNA >1 × 10(3) copies/mL) was higher than that of low replication group (HBV DNA <1 × 10(3) copies/mL), and there was statistical significance (p < 0.05); PI3K expression levels in the placenta of HBV-infected groups were higher than that of the control group and there was statistical significance (p < 0.01), and staining optical density value of high replication group was higher than that of low replication group and it was statistically significant (p < 0.01); apoptosis index of HBV-infected high replication group was lower than that of low replication group and control group and there was statistical significance (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: HBV infected placenta tissues and then produced functional proteins HBxAg in trophoblast cells, and HBxAg/PI3 K/anti-apoptosis is the potential mechanism for pregnant women with HBV DNA high replication to have intrauterine infection while there exists different mechanism for pregnant women with negative HBV DNA.

Fetal Meconium Peritonitis: A Clinical Study of Nine Cases.

Objective: To explore the prenatal ultrasonographic characteristics and pregnancy outcomes of fetal meconium peritonitis (FMP). Methods: Nine patients diagnosed with FMP by routine prenatal examination between January 2015 and December 2020 were identified. Both prenatal ultrasonographic characteristics and pregnancy outcomes associated with these patients were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The mean gestational age at the time of FMP diagnosis was 31.3 ± 4.8 weeks, and the mean gestational age of delivery was 35.1 ± 5.1 weeks. Prenatal ultrasonographic findings at the time of diagnosis in these patients included intestinal dilatation (9/9, 100%), intraperitoneal calcification (8/9, 88.9%), fetal ascites (5/9, 55.6%), intraperitoneal pseudocyst (5/9, 55.6%), and polyhydramnios (6/9, 66.7%). Analyses of the etiological basis for meconium peritonitis in 5 of the 8 live births that underwent surgical treatment revealed 4 cases of congenital volvulus and 1 case of jejunal atresia. Conclusion: The prenatal ultrasound manifestations of fetal meconium peritonitis are diverse, and the different grades of prenatal ultrasound manifestations can provide important information for the treatment of perinatal infants.