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At least 919 records · Page 51Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Gestational changes in renal responsiveness to cortisol in the ovine fetus.

The ontogenetic renal responsiveness to exogenous cortisol was examined in the chronically cannulated ovine fetus. The contribution of effects at proximal and distal tubule of the kidney were studied also. Cortisol (81.5 micrograms/h) was infused into immature ovine fetuses (mean gestational age -113.9 days) on five occasions and increased blood cortisol from 0.8 +/- 0.5 to 21.3 +/- 6.2 nmol/liter. This dose of cortisol produced a highly significant diuresis and natriuresis, in part due to an increase in GFR and in part due to a significant decrease in proximal tubular reabsorption of sodium. Cortisol (107.2 +/- 4.7 micrograms/h) was infused into mature fetuses (mean gestational age 133.4 days) and produced an increase in blood cortisol concentration from 11.4 +/- 5.6 to 33.7 +/- 6.8 nmol/liter. No natriuresis or diuresis was seen in the mature fetuses. Cortisol caused a significant depression of proximal tubular sodium reabsorption in mature fetuses, but this extra load was reabsorbed in the distal tubule in these fetuses. The inability of the premature or very low birth wt baby to maintain normal sodium balance on a standard salt intake may be due, at least in part, to a "fetal" renal response to the high plasma cortisol concentrations found in such babies. As the kidney matures it becomes capable of increasing distal tubular sodium reabsorption to compensate for any increased distal tubular fluid delivery.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Metabolic and endocrine responses to cold exposure in chronically incubated extrauterine goat fetuses.

To investigate developmental aspects of metabolic and endocrine responses to cold exposure in fetuses, we conducted experiments on six goat fetuses, three aged 95-116 d of gestation (dGA; group I), and three aged 122-134 dGA (group II), using an extrauterine fetal incubation system that provided arterio-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (A-V ECMO). The fetuses were cannulated via the umbilical vessels, and their blood gas exchange was totally supported by A-V ECMO, while they were maintained in an isothermal incubator containing artificial amniotic fluid. After confirming that fetuses were in metabolically stable condition in the extrauterine incubation system, fetal core temperature was lowered by 2 degrees C over 2 h by decreasing the temperature of incubating fluid from 39.5 degrees C. During and after cold exposure, fetal heart rate and arterial blood pressure remained unchanged. We observed significant increases in oxygen consumption and plasma concentrations of norepinephrine, epinephrine, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and cortisol in group II but not in group I fetuses. In addition, based on regression analysis, maximal changes of these parameters during cold exposure were linearly correlated with gestational age significantly, and the regression lines were found to intersect the x (gestational age) axis at around 98-106 dGA. These results suggest that metabolic and endocrine responses to cold exposure develop with gestational age in the goat fetus, the responses being manifested around 100 dGA.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Effect of bilateral splanchnic nerve section on adrenal function in the ovine fetus.

The effect of bilateral splanchnic nerve (SPLX) section in fetal sheep [116-121 days gestational age (dGA)] on subsequent adrenocortical function was investigated. Fetal cortisol release was stimulated by 1) ACTH-(1-24) administration (100 ng/min for 15 min) at 126-129 and at 132-135 dGA, and 2) nitroprusside-induced hypotension (50% reduction in fetal arterial blood pressure for 10 min) at 129-132 and 136-139 dGA. No differences were observed between SPLX and control fetuses (CONT) in basal arterial plasma concentrations of cortisol from 126-141 dGA. A significant effect of fetal age on basal cortisol was observed in both SPLX and CONT fetuses from 126-141 dGA. A significant (P less than or equal to 0.05) increase in fetal arterial concentrations of cortisol was achieved by ACTH-(1-24) infusion in SPLX and CONT and did not differ between groups at either 126-129 or 132-135 dGA. Hypotension induced a significant increase in fetal plasma cortisol concentrations in SPLX and CONT fetuses (P less than or equal to 0.05). SPLX fetuses secreted significantly less cortisol in response to hypotension than CONT fetuses at both 129-132 and 136-139 dGA (P less than 0.05). Fetal arterial plasma concentrations of immunoreactive ACTH in response to hypotension were not different between CONT and SPLX fetuses. We estimated the half-life of endogenous fetal plasma cortisol after both hypotension and infusion of ACTH-(1-24). There were no differences between either method of inducing cortisol release on the endogenous cortisol half-life, nor were any differences in cortisol half-life observed between SPLX and CONT. At 136-139 dGA the adrenomedullary response to hypotension was abolished in SPLX, confirming completeness of denervation. In conclusion, the splanchnic nerves do not appear to be involved in the normal increase in basal fetal plasma cortisol observed in late gestation in fetal sheep. However, splanchnic nerve modulation of secretion of cortisol in response to stress may be involved in the increased fetal adrenal sensitivity to stress observed late in gestation.

Adrenal Glands↗
PubMed2000

Neuropeptide Y in the sheep fetus: effects of acute hypoxemia and dexamethasone during late gestation.

Plasma concentrations of neuropeptide Y (NPY) were measured in pregnant ewes and their fetuses under basal conditions and in response to acute hypoxemia during late gestation. The effects of fetal treatment with dexamethasone on these NPY responses were also examined. Under general anesthesia, 10 Welsh Mountain ewes and their fetuses were chronically instrumented between 117-120 days gestation (dGA; term is approximately 145 dGA) with vascular and amniotic catheters, and an ultrasonic probe around a femoral artery of each fetus. At 124 dGA, five fetuses were continuously infused i.v. with dexamethasone for 48 h at a rate of 1.73 +/- 0.16 microg x kg(-1) x h(-1) while the remaining five fetuses received vehicle at the same rate. At 126 dGA, 45 h from the onset of either infusion, 1 h of materno-fetal hypoxemia was induced by reducing maternal FiO2. During normoxia, maternal plasma NPY concentrations were three times those measured in fetal plasma in both groups. During hypoxemia, PaO2 fell to similar levels in the control and dexamethasone-treated groups in both mothers and fetuses. In control animals, there was a significant increase in the NPY concentration in fetal, but not maternal, plasma during hypoxemia. Fetal treatment with dexamethasone significantly enhanced the fetal NPY response to acute hypoxemia but had no effects on basal NPY levels in the fetal or maternal plasma or on the maternal response to acute hypoxemia. These data show: 1) differences between the maternal and fetal plasma NPY response to maternal inhalation hypoxia; 2) that NPY may play a role in mediating fetal defense responses to acute hypoxemia; and 3) that fetal exposure to glucocorticoids modifies the fetal plasma NPY response to acute hypoxemia.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Effects of iodine on thyroid status of fetus versus mother in treatment of Graves' disease complicated by pregnancy.

To investigate the effect of maternal iodine therapy for Graves' disease on fetal thyroid, we examined serum free T4 (FT4) and TSH levels in the fetus vs. those in the mother. Patients who were severely thyrotoxic were not included. Cord and maternal sera were tested at delivery in 35 patients with Graves' disease treated with iodine alone during pregnancy (6-40 mg daily). At the initiation of therapy, the mothers were at 11-37 weeks gestation, and FT4 levels ranged from 28.3-65.8 pmol/L. At delivery, maternal FT4 values ranged from 9.3-42.0 pmol/L, slightly above normal in 22 of the 35 mothers and normal in the other 13. Fetal FT4 levels were above the normal range occurred significantly less often than maternal levels (2 in 35; P less than 0.001), and no fetus had FT4 below normal. In the 13 mothers with normal FT4 levels, all fetal FT4 levels were normal; the fetal TSH level was above normal in 1 and normal in the remainder. A significant correlation was found between cord and maternal FT4 levels (P less than 0.05). In 12 of the 35 mothers, FT4 levels rose after a transient fall during iodine administration. The correlation of cord FT4 and maternal FT4 was closer when these 12 cases were excluded (P less than 0.001). Neither the dose of iodine nor the duration of therapy correlated with thyroid function in fetuses or mothers. Fetal TSH binding inhibitory antibody values strongly correlated with maternal TSH binding inhibitory antibody values (P less than 0.001). These findings indicate that 1) in the treatment of hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease, iodine seldom if ever exposes the fetus to the risk of hypothyroidism; 2) the fetal thyroid is influenced by the same stimulatory and inhibitory factors as the maternal thyroid; and 3) escape from the inhibitory effects of iodine occurs less often in fetuses than in mothers, which may account at least in part for the lower thyroid status in the fetus compared to that in the mother.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Calcium and magnesium content in fetuses at risk and prenecrotic Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

We measured calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) content in muscles of fetuses at risk of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and in a premature infant who later developed typical DMD. There was a three- to six-fold increase in muscle Ca in the fetuses and in the premature infant. In contrast to our previous reports of reduced muscle Mg in DMD children, there was an 18 to 57% increase of Mg in the fetuses at risk. Opaque and Ca-positive fibers, rarely observed in normal fetuses, were numerous in fetuses at risk and in the premature infant. No necrotic fibers were detected in the fetuses or the premature infant. These findings suggest that excessive Ca accumulation precedes necrosis in DMD. Other factors related to growth and development that occur after birth may trigger the necrosis that follows muscle Ca accumulation.

Calcium↗
PubMed1981

Effects of dexamethasone 17-esters on adrenal weight and hydrolysis of glucocorticoid 17-esters in rat fetuses.

Prednisolone was detected in the brain of rat fetus subcutaneously administered prednisolone 17-acetate. After the subcutaneous injection of betamethasone 17-propionate or dexamethasone 17-propionate to rat fetus, the unchanged steroid was detected mainly in the brain. The hydrolytic rates of prednisolone 17-acetate, betamethasone 17-esters (acetate, propionate) and dexamethasone 17-esters (acetate, propionate, valerate) in the livers of rat fetuses were studied. Prednisolone 17-acetate was hydrolyzed to prednisolone very rapidly. Betamethasone 17-esters and dexamethasone 17-esters were hydrolyzed more slowly. The hydrolytic rate of dexamethasone acetate among the dexamethasone 17-esters was the most rapid, followed by propionate and valerate. The adrenals of rat fetuses became significantly atrophied after subcutaneous administration of dexamethasone and its 17-esters. The simultaneous administration of betamethasone 17, 21-dipropionate and its metabolite betamethasone impaired the hypertrophic effect of the former on the adrenal weights of rat fetuses. The effects of the hydrolytic rate of these glucocorticoid 17-esters and of C16-methyl conformation on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal system in rat fetuses are discussed.

Adrenal Glands↗
PubMed2004

Gestational changes in concentrations of selenium and zinc in the porcine fetus and the effects of maternal intake of selenium.

The effect of maternal dietary selenium (Se) and gestation on the concentrations of Se and zinc (Zn) in the porcine fetus were determined. Mature gilts were randomly assigned to treatments of either adequate (0.39 ppm Se) or low (0.05 ppm Se) dietary Se. Gilts were bred and fetuses were collected throughout gestation. Concentrations of Se in maternal whole blood and liver decreased during gestation in sows fed the low-Se diet compared to sows fed the Se-supplemented diet. Maternal intake of Se did not affect the concentration of Se in the whole fetus; however, the concentration of Se in fetal liver was decreased in fetuses of sows fed the low-Se diet. Although fetal liver Se decreased in both treatments as gestation progressed, the decrease was greater in liver of fetuses from sows fed the low- Se diet. Dietary Se did not affect concentrations of Zn in maternal whole blood or liver or in the whole fetus and fetal liver. The concentration of Se in fetal liver was lower but the concentration of Zn was greater than in maternal liver when sows were fed the adequate Se diet. These results indicate that maternal intake of Se affects fetal liver Se and newborn piglets have lower liver Se concentrations compared to their dams, regardless of the Se intake of sows during gestation. Thus, the piglet is more susceptible Se deficiency than the sow.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Metabolic and endocrine findings in appropriate and small for gestational age fetuses.

The oxygenation and metabolism in appropriate (AGA) and small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses has been investigated by cordocentesis. The umbilical venous and arterial pO2 and pH decrease with gestational age while pCO2 increases and blood lactate concentration does not change. The mean umbilical venous blood glucose concentration is higher than in the umbilical artery indicating that there is fetal glucose uptake from the placenta. Similarly, the maternal glucose concentration is higher than the fetal and the levels in the two compartments are significantly correlated. The plasma insulin concentration increases exponentially with gestation reflecting the progressive maturation of the fetal pancreas. The fetal plasma cortisol does not change but the fetal plasma ACTH increases with gestation. Fetal plasma triglyceride concentration decreases exponentially with gestation and this is likely to be the result of increased utilization by the fetus for deposition into adipose tissue. There is a high correlation between fetal and maternal levels for individual amino acids and the concentration in the fetus is higher than in the mother, supporting the active transport of amino acids by the placenta. Some SGA fetuses are compromised by hypoxemia, hypercapnia, hyperlacticemia and acidosis, are starved of glucose and amino acids, and are hypertriglyceridemic. Furthermore, some of these fetuses are hypoinsulinemic and the degree of hypoinsulinemia is disproportional to the degree of hypoglycemia suggesting pancreatic dysfunction. In SGA fetuses the plasma cortisol is increased and the plasma ACTH decreased. Knowledge of human fetal oxygenation and metabolism may help in deciding the optional timing of delivery but may also constitute a basis for future fetal therapy in the form of oxygen and nutrient supplementation.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1997

Formation and enlargement of the paranasal sinuses in normal and cleft lip and palate human fetuses.

OBJECTIVE: Comparisons of paranasal sinus morphology between humans with and without cleft lip and palate (CLP) have yielded conflicting opinions regarding size differences. Although postnatal samples have been investigated, no studies have compared paranasal sinus volumes between cleft and noncleft human fetuses. METHOD: The nasal cavities of 20 'normal' and 9 CLP human fetuses (8-21 weeks' postmenstrual age) were examined to assess prenatal volumetric changes of the maxillary sinuses, anterior and posterior ethmoidal air cells, and sphenoidal sinuses. Lengths and volumes of right and left maxillary and sphenoidal sinuses were calculated from histologically prepared sections using a computer reconstruction technique, and regression equations were generated to assess the enlargement rates. RESULTS: All paranasal sinuses were found among both normal and CLP specimens in the same locations and in similar age ranges. However, greater shape asymmetry was noted for all sinuses in CLP compared to normal specimens. In the normal sample, results indicated significant (p < .05) correlations between right or left maxillary sinus length (R2 = 0.49, 0.54) and volume (R2 = 0.67, 0.68), and increasing postmenstrual age, but no significant (p > .05) correlations were observed for right or left sphenoidal sinus length or volumes and postmenstrual age. Maxillary sinus length changes were best described by second-order polynomial regression equations, and volume changes were best described by logarithmic equations. When individual right or left sinuses of CLP specimens were compared to the mean of the normal sample, one maxillary sinus was significantly (p < .05) larger, and 9 maxillary sinuses were not significantly (p > .05) different. Sphenoidal sinus lengths and volumes of CLP specimens were within the same range compared to these dimensions for the normal sample. CONCLUSION: Results on normal specimens indicate that maxillary sinuses exhibit second-trimester length and volume increases, whereas sphenoidal sinuses are more variable. This study suggests a similar timing of sinus formation in normal and CLP fetuses, but shape asymmetries are frequently detected among CLP specimens. In particular, the sphenoidal sinuses may be altered in shape and size by adjacent, hypertrophic cartilaginous structures in CLP fetuses. These results indicate that the maxillary sinuses of CLP fetuses are not deficient in size compared to noncleft fetuses.

Cartilage↗
PubMed2000

Effects of repeated maternal betamethasone administration on growth and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function of the ovine fetus at term.

Synthetic glucocorticoids have become an important clinical tool with which to advance fetal lung maturation in women at risk of early preterm birth, and this has succeeded in reducing neonatal mortality and morbidity from respiratory distress syndrome. Although previous studies have shown that glucocorticoids have deleterious consequences on fetal development, there is little information regarding the effects of clinically relevant repeated maternal doses of glucocorticoids on fetal growth and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function. We hypothesised that repeated prenatal exposure to increased concentrations of glucocorticoids would alter fetal growth and HPA axis development. Pregnant ewes were injected with betamethasone (0.5 mg/kg) or vehicle at 104, 111 and 118 days of gestation (term 150 days). Animals were sacrificed at 125 and 146 days of gestation, at which time fetal weights were recorded. Maternal and fetal blood samples were gathered and fetal tissue collected. Maternal oestradiol concentrations were significantly greater than those in controls at 125 days of gestation, but were not different at 146 days. Maternal plasma progesterone concentrations were similar between groups at both 125 and 146 days of gestation. Weight at birth was significantly reduced by 23% at 125 days and 19% at 146 days of gestation (P<0.05) after exposure to glucocorticoid. Cord plasma ACTH concentrations were not significantly different between groups at day 125, but were significantly increased in day 146 fetuses of ewes that had received betamethasone (P<0.05). Cord plasma cortisol concentrations followed the same trend, although differences were not statistically significant. Cord plasma corticosteroid binding capacity (CBC) was significantly increased at 125 days of gestation in fetuses of betamethasone-treated animals (P<0.05), but not at 146 days of gestation. To examine the mechanisms regulating the increase in cord plasma ACTH of 146-day fetuses, we used in situ hybridisation to determine the distribution and levels of mRNA encoding key pituitary and hypothalamic neuropeptides of the HPA axis. In pituitaries of 146-day fetuses, there were no significant differences in the regional pattern of distribution or amounts of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA between betamethasone-treated animals and controls, in either the pars intermedia or the inferior and superior regions of the pars distalis. Neither prohormone convertase (PC)-1 nor PC-2 mRNA levels in pituitaries of 146-day fetuses were significantly different between treatment groups. After maternal betamethasone, immunoreactive ACTH peptide content in the fetal pars distalis was not different but glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mRNA levels in the pars distalis were increased significantly (P<0.05). No significant difference in distribution pattern or concentrations of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA, GR mRNA, oxytocin mRNA and pre-proenkephalin mRNA were found in hypothalami from fetuses at 146 days of gestation after betamethasone treatment. We conclude that antenatal betamethasone given to pregnant sheep in a manner similar to that used in human obstetric practice results in reduced weight at birth at 125 and 146 days, and altered basal cord levels of plasma ACTH and corticosteroid binding capacity, but these changes are not reflective of changes in steady state concentrations of POMC and CRH mRNA in the fetal pituitary or hypothalamus.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed2006

Radiation dose to the fetus from body MDCT during early gestation.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to determine radiation dose to the fetus at early gestation when contemporary MDCT scanners are used for common clinical indications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anthropomorphic phantoms were constructed to reflect a pregnant woman. Thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs) and metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) detectors were placed in appropriate locations to determine real-time radiation exposure to the fetus at 0 and 3 months' gestation. Imaging was performed on a 16-MDCT scanner using current institutional CT protocols: renal stone (140 kVp, 160 mA, rotation time of 0.5 sec, 16 x 0.625 mm), appendix (140 kVp, 340 mA, rotation time of 0.5 sec, 16 x 0.625 mm), and pulmonary embolus (140 kVp, 380 mA, rotation time of 0.8 sec, 16 x 1.25 mm). RESULTS: The radiation dose to the fetus at 0 and 3 months, respectively, was as follows: renal stone protocol, 0.8-1.2 and 0.4-0.7 cGy; appendix protocol, 1.52-1.68 and 2-4 cGy; and pulmonary embolus protocol, 0.024-0.047 and 0.061-0.066 cGy. CONCLUSION: Radiation doses to the fetus from institutional MDCT protocols that may be used during pregnancy (for pulmonary embolus, appendicitis, and renal colic) are below the level thought to induce neurologic detriment to the fetus. Imaging the mother for appendicitis theoretically may double the fetal risk for developing a childhood cancer. Radiation doses to the fetus from pulmonary embolus chest CT angiography are of the same magnitude as ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scanning.

Female↗
PubMed1975

Luteinizing hormone and androgens in the bovine fetus after gonadotropin-releasing hormone.

After an intra-arterial injection of 10 mug GnRH into four bovine male fetuses, serum LH increased (P less than 0.01) 2-fold by 15 min and plateaued at approximately 11 ng/ml from 60 to 180 min. After GnRH in six female fetuses, LH increased (P less than 0.01) 7-fold by 15 min and plateaued at approximately 17 ng/ml from 60 to 180 min. Maternal serum LH was not significantly influenced (P greater than 0.05) by sex of fetus or administration of GnRH to the fetus. After GnRH in male fetuses, serum testosterone increased (P less than 0.05) and remained 2-fold greater than basal levels through 180 min. In contrast, serum testosterone from female fetuses averaged 370 +/- 60 pg/ml at injection and was unchanged after GnRH. Androgen synthesis was significantly increased during in vitro incubation of fetal testicular explants by the addition of LH. We conclude that GnRH causes release of LH from the bovine fetal pituitary as early as 120 days of age and that the testes respond with testosterone secretion after LH stimulation.

Androstenedione↗
PubMed1995

In vivo pefloxacin-resistant Campylobacter fetus responsible for gastro-intestinal infection and bacteremia associated with arthritis of the hip.

The authors report a case of Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus gastro-intestinal infection and bacteremia with poly-arthritis, mainly of the hip, in a French patient simultaneously suffering from cirrhosis of the liver. The outcome was eventually favorable, however only after a trial of ineffective pefloxacin-gentamicin therapy. The authors suggest: (i) gentamicin should not be given alone in C. fetus subsp. fetus infections, and (ii) pefloxacin should not be given if antibiotic sensitivities data are not available. The inconclusive reliability of disk diffusion tests for C. fetus subsp. fetus should be recognized.

Arthritis, Infectious↗
PubMed1994

Evaluation of pulsatility index nomograms based on fetal biometry in small for gestational age fetuses.

Reference limits for the PI from the umbilical, middle cerebral, and renal arteries were constructed using BPD, AC, FL, and transverse cerebellar diameter as independent variables and their efficacy tested in a population of SGA fetuses. Therefore, 153 normal fetuses and 90 SGA fetuses with established dates between 20 and 40 weeks of gestation were considered. Normal fetuses showed a linear negative relationship between the PI from all the vessels investigated and all the biometric parameters considered. Although the BPD related better with the PI from the umbilical artery (r = 0.646) and the renal artery (r = 0.765) and the transverse cerebellar diameter related better with middle cerebral artery PI values (r = 0.510), no evident differences in fitting were found among the variables tested. In SGA fetuses the nomograms on BPD, AC, and FL significantly underestimated PI values in all the vessels studied when compared to the nomograms based on gestational age, while a similar ability in identifying abnormal PI values was found for nomograms based on gestational age and transverse cerebellar diameter. These newly developed nomograms based on transverse cerebellar diameter may prove useful in the evaluation of Doppler indices of fetuses with uncertain gestational age.

Embryonic and Fetal Development↗
PubMed1998

Peripheral right pulmonary artery blood flow velocimetry: Doppler sonographic study of normal and abnormal fetuses.

The knowledge of fetal lung circulation in normal and abnormal human fetuses is limited. Our objectives were to assess normal values for flow velocity waveforms in the fetal pulmonic circulation and to test the hypothesis that Doppler velocimetry can predict lung hypoplasia. In a cross-sectional study, peripheral right pulmonary artery flow velocimetry was investigated prospectively in 96 healthy fetuses between 14 and 37 weeks' gestation and four fetuses with abnormalities known to induce lung hypoplasia. The pulsatility index was used to quantify the velocity waveforms. In normal fetuses the mean pulsatility index in the peripheral right pulmonary artery was low, being equivalent to that corresponding to 14 to 17 weeks' gestation (2.89; confidence interval = 2.35 to 3.42), increasing at midgestation to 3.44, with a confidence interval of 3.04 to 3.83; P < 0.01. Thereafter, during the late second and third trimesters the mean pulsatility index did not change significantly with GA, being 3.66 (confidence interval = 3.04 to 4.04) at term. In fetuses with proven lung hypoplasia, the pulsatility index measurements were within the 95% confidence limits of those for normal fetuses. In a normal pregnancy, except for the early stages, a relatively stable high vascular resistance of the fetal pulmonary circulation was found. Our preliminary data suggest that the pulsatility index of the lung circulation cannot be used as an indicator of lung hypoplasia.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

[The bacteriological diagnosis of vibrio fetus infection in man (author's transl)].

A synopsis of the present classification of Vibrio fetus is given (tab. 1, 2). Besides the presentation of the importance of these bacteria in veterinary medicine, 97 human infections have been published up to now. The geographic, age and sex distribution of these cases and the material out of which the pathogens were isolated is presented (tab. 3, 4). The clinical picture is summarized. For the culture of Vibrio fetus liver broth as described by TAROZZI incubated for at least 3-4 days was suitable as enrichment medium. The necessity of a prolonged incubation period was shown by results of continous registration of the optical density of growing Vibrio fetus cultures (fig. 1). If specimen is plated out on solid culture media before enrichment, the suitable media are chocolate agar, brain-heart infusion and Bacto-tryptose agar. For subcultures the DST-agar is also useful. Solid media cultures should be incubated microaerobically with 10% CO2 added. The resistance to Cephalothin of Vibrio fetus can be applied for selection on solid culture media. The metabolic activities of different Vibrio fetus biotypes were compared. A hitherto not reported metabolic activity, the hydrolysis of palmitic acid ester, is described (tab. 5). In the tube dilution test Vibrio fetus strains were sensitive to Gentamycin, Streptomycin, Ampicillin, Ciclacillin and Carbenicillin. They were resistent to Penicillin G, Cephalotin and Sulfonamid and showed borderline sensitivities to Tetracyclin, Kanamycin and Chloramphenicol (tab. 6).

Ampicillin↗
PubMed1999

In vitro high resolution proton magnetic resonance study of human cerebellar development during the period from the fetus to childhood.

In the development of the human cerebellum, the intracellular metabolites were monitored during the period from the fetus to childhood by in vitro high resolution proton (1H) magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy. The spectra from fetus (15-30 post-menstrual weeks; n = 3), infant (1-24 months of age; n = 6) and child (7-14 years of age; n = 5) groups showed resonances from seventeen different metabolites. The level of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), one of the metabolites, was observed in age-dependent increases, two- and three-fold increases for infant and child groups from the NAA of the fetus group, respectively. The rapid increases in the creatine (Cre) level (approximately three-fold) in the fetus and infant groups were observed in the child group (approximately four-fold). Taurine (Tau) was noted at the highest concentration in the fetus group. Slight increases in concentrations of alanine, glutamate, glutamine, and glycine and a significant increase in the concentration of N-acetylaspartylglutamate were also noted in the fetus and infant groups. Other metabolite concentrations did not change significantly throughout the studied age groups. These findings indicate that synthesis of metabolites, especially of NAA and Cre, during the development of the cerebellum are closely correlated with mitochondrial energy metabolism, and as such, may reflect mitochondrial integrity in the cerebellum.

Aging↗