A multi-throughput multi-organ-on-a-chip system on a plate formatted pneumatic pressure-driven medium circulation platform.

This paper reports a multi-throughput multi-organ-on-a-chip system formed on a pneumatic pressure-driven medium circulation platform with a microplate-sized format as a novel type of microphysiological system. The pneumatic pressure-driven platform enabled parallelized multi-organ experiments (i.e. simultaneous operation of multiple multi-organ culture units) and pipette-friendly liquid handling for various conventional cell culture experiments, including cell seeding, medium change, live/dead staining, cell growth analysis, gene expression analysis of collected cells, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of chemical compounds in the culture medium. An eight-throughput two-organ system and a four-throughput four-organ system were constructed on a common platform, with different microfluidic plates. The two-organ system, composed of liver and cancer models, was used to demonstrate the effect of an anticancer prodrug, capecitabine (CAP), whose metabolite 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) after metabolism by HepaRG hepatic cells inhibited the proliferation of HCT-116 cancer cells. The four-organ system, composed of intestine, liver, cancer, and connective tissue models, was used to demonstrate evaluation of the effects of 5-FU and two prodrugs of 5-FU (CAP and tegafur) on multiple organ models, including cancer and connective tissue.

Survival of fetuses with severe oligohydramnios.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to identify predictive data on the short-term outcomes of fetuses with oligohydramnios. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of all pregnancies diagnosed with oligohydramnios was performed. RESULTS: A total of 17 fetuses (seven males, seven females, and three unknown) with oligohydramnios were treated from 2004 to 2011. Oligohydramnios was first diagnosed at a 21.6 ± 4.2 weeks gestation. Terminations of pregnancy before 22 weeks were identified in five cases, and intrauterine fetal deaths occurred in two cases. Ten neonates were born alive, five cases survived over 28 days, and five cases died within 48 hours. Prognostic factors for survival included birth weight (2,457 ± 480 grams in survivors vs. 1973 ± 124 grams in non-survivors; p < 0.05) and the mean amniotic fluid index (AFI) (2.32 ± 1.19 cm in survivors vs. 0.46 ± 0.68 cm in non-survivors;p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: All patients who survived had a mean AFI > 1.0 cm.

Perinatal management of neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia associated with anti-group A antibody.

OBJECTIVE: To prevent neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia due to anti-group A antibody perinatal management was performed. BACKGROUND: We previously reported a case of severe intracranial haemorrhage associated with neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia due to anti-group A isoantibody. MATERIAL/METHODS: A 40-year-old Japanese woman, gravida 4 para 1, was pregnant with her second baby. The previous sibling developed severe thrombocytopenia and died 10 days after birth due to intracranial haemorrhage. He was diagnosed with neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia; the causative antibody was found to be the anti-group A antibody. Prednisone was started at 7 weeks' gestational age. Intravenous immunoglobulin 1 g kg(-1) week(-1) was started at 29 weeks' gestational age and continued to delivery. Serological studies and genotyping were performed. RESULTS: The second boy was delivered at 33 weeks' gestational age by caesarean section. He was discharged without intracranial haemorrhage or thrombocytopenia. The anti-group A antibody titre in the maternal serum was 2048-4096 (normal range: 4-64). The anti-group A antibody titre in the newborn's serum was 4. Cross-matching between the maternal serum and the paternal platelets was positive. CONCLUSION: Owing to the history of neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia causing intracranial haemorrhage and death of the previous sibling, strict follow-up of the subsequent pregnancy was conducted.