Early third trimester maternal response to glucose challenge and pregnancy outcome in Chinese women-relationship between upper distribution level and recommended diagnostic criteria.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between upper distribution levels of glucose values in the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and recommended diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and adverse pregnancy outcomes. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The distribution of the OGTT 2-h values of 13,501 pregnant women, which were below the World Health Organization (WHO) threshold for overt diabetes mellitus (DM), and managed in one teaching hospital in China, was reviewed and related to maternal characteristics and pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: For the entire group, the 90th and 95th percentile values of the OGTT 2-h glucose level, respectively, were close to the diagnostic cutoff values of the WHO and International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria. For adverse maternal outcomes, glucose level above the 90th percentile value was associated with increased hypertensive disorders, whereas no difference was seen with cutoff using the 95th percentile value. For perinatal outcomes, the 90th percentile was associated with increased neonatal intensive care unit admission and hypoglycemia, whereas the 95th percentile showed in addition association with phototherapy for jaundice and 5th-minute Apgar score <7. Although no differences in the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes were found using the different cutoffs, the >95th percentile cutoff value would have missed out 33.3-56.7% of the cases of adverse outcomes that would otherwise have been attributed to GDM. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are warranted to clarify which diagnostic criterion is most appropriate universally to identify adverse pregnancy outcomes attributed to GDM, and which could be mitigated with treatment specific for GDM.

Changes in total soluble proteins and Ca2+ upon cryopreservation of Prunus mume pollen.

Mei Flowers (Prunus mume) are traditional Chinese ornamental plants. Fifty-one Mei cultivars have been conserved in a pollen cryobank since 2003. We used two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) of total soluble proteins and flow cytometric detection of Ca2+ fluorescence to probe changes in pollen grains before and after cryopreservation. Results indicated that: (1) electrophoresis maps of total soluble proteins before and after cryostorage of pollen from three cultivars were different, even though 70 percent of the protein spots among these three cultivars were matched after cryopreservation. We found some protein spots that changed in all three cultivars; their molecular weights and pI were between 12.6-72.8 kDa and 5.6-7.3, respectively; (2): the geometric mean of Ca2+ fluorescence intensity (GMFI) value of cryopreserved pollen was significantly higher compared with that of fresh pollen in cultivar 'Beijing Yudie'. GMFI increased during pollen germination in our studied cultivars, especially after 0.5 and 1.0 h of culturing. In addition, no positive correlation was found between pollen germination rate and GMFI in the present study.

[Mathematical modeling of the spatial distribution of the pollen produced by genetically modified crops].

We represent and analyze the results of mathematical simulation of pollen dispersion from the origin, a field sowed by genetically modified plants. Factors responsible for the genetic isolation of such fields are discussed.

ent-Kaurene diterpenoids from Isodon rubescens.

Two kaurenoids, taibairubescensins A and B, were isolated from the ethanol extract of the leaves and branches of Isodon rubescens. Their structures are designated as 2 beta, 3 beta-diacetoxy-11 beta, 13 alpha-dihydroxy-ent-kaur-16-en-15-one and 3 beta, 11 beta-diacetoxy-2 beta, 6 alpha-dihydroxy-ent-kaur-16-en-15-one, respectively, on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analyses.

Rapid correction of metabolic acidosis in chronic renal failure: effect on parathyroid hormone activity.

To investigate the effect of rapid correction of chronic metabolic acidosis on circulating intact parathyroid hormone (I-PTH) activity by free calcium clamp in chronic renal failure, 18 patients were enrolled in this study. Metabolic acidosis was corrected by continuous bicarbonate infusion while plasma ionized calcium was clamped at the preinfusion level throughout the entire procedure. The plasma pH, bicarbonate, total CO2, sodium, serum total calcium and 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3 levels increased significantly while serum concentrations of I-PTH, alkaline phosphatase and albumin showed significant decreases after bicarbonate infusion. The plasma ionized calcium, potassium, serum magnesium and inorganic phosphorus levels showed no significant difference before and after bicarbonate infusion. These results demonstrate that rapid correction of metabolic acidosis attenuates circulating PTH activity in chronic renal failure and may underline the importance of maintaining normal acid-base homeostasis particularly in the presence of secondary hyperparathyroidism.