Acrocyanosis treated with bromocriptine.
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Adolescent↗
Biomedical subjects
D W Morrish
Publications and source records attributed to D W Morrish.
Localization of human chorionic gonadoptropin and placental lactogen by immunogold labeling for electron microscopy: technique and limitations.
To demonstrate human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and human placental lactogen (hPL) secretory granules in placenta and to illustrate newer embedding techniques and specific immunospecificity problems in the placenta, labeling experiments using immunogold or peroxidase combined with avidin-biotin enhancement in epoxy LX-112-, Araldite-, or LR gold-embedded tissue fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde or 2.5% paraformaldehyde were carried out in term and first-trimester normal human placenta and in partial hydatidiform moles. Increased sensitivity of the low-temperature LR gold method was found for hPL-labeled granules. beta hCG-labeled granules were noted in syncytium of first-trimester placenta, and beta hCG-containing granules in hydatidiform moles were similar to those of normal placenta. Paraformaldehyde fixation and LR gold embedding permitted identification of endoplasmic reticulum-associated labeling not observed with other methods. A brief review and discussion of immunolabeling methods, controls, and embedding materials is presented. We conclude that further refinement of peptide localization methods in the placenta is possible but must take into account the abundant potentially cross-reacting peptides present in the placenta.
Chorionic Gonadotropin↗
Neonatal encephalopathy: an indicator of early sexual maturation in girls.
Of 161 girls with neonatal encephalopathy who were prospectively assessed until 8 years of age, 7 (4.3%) demonstrated variable degrees of early sexual maturation. This finding was significantly greater than the accepted 0.6%, estimated for the general population. Four of the 7 girls with early sexual maturation had physical disabilities (i.e., 3 with cerebral palsy, 1 neurosensory deafness) which indicated that 10% of the 40 physically disabled girls had early sexual maturation. Three (2.5%) of 121 girls without physical disabilities matured early. Sexual maturation began 5 years or longer after the diagnosis of neonatal encephalopathy. An increased incidence of early sexual maturation in girls with neonatal encephalopathy indicates the importance of long-term follow-up of this population. This study provides an indication of a link between newborn illnesses causing neonatal encephalopathy and early sexual maturation in girls without progressive, structural, intracranial pathology and suggests further study of some girls previously diagnosed as having idiopathic precocious puberty.
Asphyxia Neonatorum↗
The role of Bcl-2 expression in EGF inhibition of TNF-alpha/IFN-gamma-induced villous trophoblast apoptosis.
The inflammatory cytokines tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and immune interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) stimulate villous cytotrophoblast apoptosis while epidermal growth factor (EGF) protects. We hypothesize that TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and EGF regulate apoptosis in part by modulating cellular expression levels of the anti-death gene bcl-2. While Bcl-2 is reported to be strongly expressed in villous syncytiotrophoblasts, it is not known whether the protein is expressed in cultured villous cytotrophoblasts (CT) and, if so, whether it is functional. We show by Northern blot analysis that bcl-2 mRNA is expressed in cultured CT and by immunoblot analysis that the protein is strongly expressed in highly purified first trimester and term villous cytotrophoblasts. The expression levels of Bcl-2 protein were the same in first trimester and term cytotrophoblasts. Culture with TNF-alpha/IFN-gamma and EGF did not alter expression of either Bcl-2 protein or of the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bak. Double label flow cytometric analysis that measured apoptosis and Bcl-2 content simultaneously showed that cells expressing low levels of Bcl-2 underwent TNF-alpha/IFN-gamma-induced apoptosis at a higher frequency than cells expressing lower levels. We conclude that Bcl-2 is expressed in cytotrophoblasts, that its expression is constitutive and that modulation of its expression levels does not mediate cytokine and growth factor regulation of apoptosis in these cells.
Apoptosis↗
Novel genes and transcription factors in placental development--a workshop report.
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Animals↗
Preparation and functional characterization of villous cytotrophoblasts free of syncytial fragments.
Recent studies suggest that purified villous cytotrophoblasts are largely contaminated by mononucleated syncytial fragments and therefore unsuitable for studies of trophoblast differentiation. We assessed highly purified (>99.99 per cent) populations of villous trophoblasts for fragment contamination using the syncytial markers placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP, by immunohistochemistry) and exteriorized phosphatidyl serine (ePS, by flow cytometric analysis). The preparations contained from 4-46 per cent syncytial fragments. However, we find that PLAP negative cells preferentially adhere to tissue culture surfaces and that all preparations were <2 per cent PLAP positive after routine plating and washing procedures. A second purification procedure eliminated dead (propidium iodide permeable) cells and separated viable syncytial fragments (ePS-positive) from viable cytotrophoblasts (ePS-negative) by two colour fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). Viable ePS-positive cells were ultrastructurally apoptotic, adhered poorly in culture and those that adhered rapidly underwent apoptosis. Viable ePS-negative cells contained large heterochromic nuclei and cytoplasmic structures, adhered strongly in culture and remained viable. The latter population (putative true villous CT) differentiated into syncytialized cells when cultured with EGF. We conclude that villous CT can be routinely purified, are viable in culture and can undergo syncytial fusion without extensive preformed syncytium.
Adult↗