The Gene Expression Profiles Associated with Maternal Nicotine Exposure in the Liver of Offspring Mice.

This study aims to investigate the effect of maternal nicotine exposure on the gene expression profiles in the liver of offspring mice. Pregnant mice were subcutaneously injected with either saline vehicle or nicotine twice a day on gestational days 11-21. Total RNA from the liver samples which collected from the offspring mice of postnatal day 7 and 21 was subjected to RNA sequencing. Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) signaling pathway enrichment analysis were conducted to identify the functions of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Four genes were selected for further validation by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A total of 448 DEGs and 186 DEGs were identified on postnatal day 7 and 21, respectively. GO analysis revealed that the DEGs on postnatal day 7 mainly participated in the biological functions of cell growth and proliferation, and the DEGs on postnatal day 21 mainly participated in ion transport/activity. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs on postnatal day 7 were mainly enriched in the cell cycle, cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and the p53 signaling pathway, while the DEGs on postnatal day 21 were mainly enriched in neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, the calcium signaling pathway, retinol metabolism, and axon guidance. The qRT-PCR results were consistent with the RNA sequencing data. The DEGs may affect the growth of liver in early postnatal period while may affect ion transport/activity in late postnatal period.

Case report and literature review: antenatal diagnosis of a fetal anaplastic astrocytoma.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the ultrasonographic appearance of congenital anaplastic astrocytoma, so as to provide diagnostic clues for it. An updated review of the literature was also carried out. RESULTS: There was a case of fetal anaplastic astrocytoma detected by ultrasound at 37 + 1 weeks of gestation. It showed that a hypoechoic mass was located in the left hemisphere with a relatively clear margin and subtle color flows. Prenatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which was taken subsequently confirmed the result of ultrasound. Intratumoral hemorrhage was observed in later follow-up and further confirmed by histological examination. The fetus was delivered vaginally at 39 + 6 weeks. The infant died 2 h after delivery due to respiration failure. The histological examination confirmed an anaplastic astrocytoma. CONCLUSIONS: Congenital anaplastic astrocytoma commonly detected by ultrasound has a relatively better perinatal prognosis, especially compared with glioblastoma. Prenatal ultrasonography diagnosis accurately is of critical importance. The anaplastic astrocytoma should be considered in cases in which fetal images reveal a heterogeneous echogenic mass in the brain, especially in the presence of intratumoral hemorrhage, subtle color flow, and relatively clear margin.

Maternal nicotine exposure aggravates metabolic associated fatty liver disease via PI3K/Akt signaling in adult offspring mice.

AIM: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of maternal nicotine exposure (MNE) on the development of metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in adulthood offspring and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Pregnant mice (n = 22) were subcutaneously injected with either saline vehicle (n = 11) or nicotine (n = 11) twice a day on gestational days 11-21. Offspring mice (n = 176) from both groups were weaned at postnatal day 21, and for 6 months after postnatal day 21, 96 mice were fed either a standard chow diet (n = 48) or a high-fat diet (n = 48). Serum lipid indicators, liver function indicators, insulin, and liver mitochondrial respiration were analyzed. The expression levels of fibrosis-related proteins, phosphorylated PI3K, phosphorylated Akt, sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1 (SREBP1c), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α) were detected in the liver by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. RESULTS: MNE significantly decreased the weight of both maternal and offspring mice (~30%) and inhibited organ growth in offspring mice (P < .05). MNE also significantly increased serum levels of total bile acid, triglycerides, total cholesterol, glucose, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, low-density lipoprotein, and insulin while decreasing serum high-density lipoprotein levels and mitochondrial respiration activity in mice fed either the normal diet or high-fat diet (all P < .05). These effects of MNE on lipid metabolism and insulin resistance were mediated via PI3K and Akt phosphorylation and down-regulation of SREBP1c and PPAR-α. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate MNE induces lipid metabolism disorder and insulin resistance to promote MAFLD progression in adult offspring through activation of PI3K/Akt signaling and suppression of SREBP1c and PPARα protein expression.

Reference ranges of fetal spleen biometric parameters and volume assessed by three-dimensional ultrasound and their applicability in spleen malformations.

AIM: The aims of this article are to establish three-dimensional ultrasonographic nomograms of normal fetal spleen size and to evaluate the clinical application value. METHODS: An observational, cross-sectional study was performed on 455 women with a normal singleton pregnancy between 18 and 38 weeks' gestational age (GA). Fetal spleen volume was measured using three-dimensional ultrasound equipped with virtual organ computer-aided analysis, and biometric parameters were assessed in multiplanar mode to create reference ranges to GA. Thirty cases were randomly selected to conduct reliability analyses via intraobserver and interobserver ultrasonographic measurement. Moreover, 50 cases of suspected splenic malformations were evaluated by the newly established nomograms and followed up subsequently. RESULTS: Using regression formulas, we found that fetal spleen size increased with GA. We observed strong reliability in intraobserver and interobserver volume measurements with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.994 and 0.962. Bland-Altman analyses showed narrow limits of agreement [intraobserver: (-3.2 to 3.5)%; interobserver: (-3.2 to 4.3)%]. Of the 50 cases with suspected splenic malformations, six cases of splenomegaly and one case of splenic cyst were diagnosed. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional ultrasound nomograms of normal fetal spleen size across a range of GA have a strong diagnostic value. Volume measurements with good reliability were optimal in clinical practice.