Aurora magazine

The hormones produced during pregnancy push the mother to take care of her baby. This is true in mice as well as in humans. According to a research by the doctors Rosalind John and Anthony Isles of Cardiff University, there could be more. In the genome of the fetus there would in fact be a gene that decides how much maternal care will be intense.

The placenta is an organ that derives in part from the mother and partly from the fetus. Its task is to allow the exchange of nutrients between mother and fetus, but not only. In fact, it produces hormones that prepare the woman for her next maternity. Hormones that appear to depend on the fetal genome present in the placenta.

The hormone secretion of the placenta depends on a gene of the fetus called Phlda2. The more the gene is active, the less hormones are produced. This means that the fetus influences how much care it will receive after birth, at least in part. To test the phenomenon, the two researchers tested their theory on a group of guinea pigs.

The small guinea pigs examined had two copies of Phlda2, one from mother and one from father. Only one of the two copies arrived, while the paternal one was silenced. The researchers then created mouse embryos with both active copies or both silenced copies.

The guinea pigs that were exposed to lower levels of hormones during pregnancy had less care for the young. Instead, they focused on building the nest. Vice versa in guinea pigs exposed to higher levels of hormones. The greater the activity of Phlda2, the less hormones were and the less attention was given to the little ones.

Source: lescienze.it

In Ireland, the current strategy against pre-eclampsia provides a screening for the appearance of the first symptoms. However, the approach may not be the most effective for mother and child health. A possible alternative could come from a research by University College Dublin (UCD). According to the researchers, 75 mg of aspirin a day during the first trimester would reduce the risk of preeclampsia in an important way.

The study is based on research done in the past, which had already tried this effect of aspirin. However, it is the first time that the effectiveness of this preventive therapy in low-risk women is analyzed. The next step will involve a much larger number of women, so as to prove their safety. If all goes well, taking a minimum dose of aspirin in the first trimester could become a standard form of prevention.

Preeclampsia affects 1 first pregnancy in 10. Often the first warning signs go unnoticed, causing serious problems for mom and child. The woman can incur damage to the liver, kidneys, brain and heart. Many also develop abnormalities at the metabolic level. 25% of children are born prematurely and younger than average.
Preeclampsia usually occurs in the second half of pregnancy, around the 20th week. The only treatment available is to induce delivery as soon as possible. According to the Dublin researchers, a minimum dose of aspirin from the 11th to the 36th week of gestation would be the solution.

The study involved 546 pregnant women, which doctors encouraged to take aspirin every day. 90% of them accepted. Future mothers have complained of a slight increase in vaginal bleeding, which does not seem to have influenced the successful outcome of pregnancy. On the other hand, the researchers noted a decrease in preeclampsia cases.

Source: medicalxpress.com

A study published in the journal Developmental Cell analyzes the role of sperm in pregnancy success. Dr. Colin C. Conine's team studied how micro RNA molecules affect sperm function. According to the study, these molecules are essential for embryonic development and determine the success of an implant in IVF.

The researchers studied the spermatozoa of a group of guinea pigs and the so obtained embryos. Spermatozoa taken directly from the testes had a wide variety of RNA molecules, all with abnormal regulation. They then used them to create embryos, which they implanted in some female guinea pigs. The embryos did not take hold and the pregnancies failed.

To overcome the problem of abnormal sperm, scientists injected micro RNA molecules into embryos. The embryos so treated managed to take root and the pregnancies went ahead. This means that the problem can be corrected and that the micro RNA plays an essential role in the success of the IVF.

As other studies had suggested, the health of sperm affects the successful outcome of pregnancy. An unhealthy lifestyle and exposure to toxic substances can lower the quality of the sperm. Spermatozoa that are not active or lacking in micro RNA molecules can therefore make the success of pregnancy impossible.

The next step will be to study the role of micro RNA also in embryonic development. What researchers will discover will help improve current in vitro fertilization techniques. In particular it will allow to understand the differences between testicular sperm and ejaculate sperm.

Source: cellpress.com

A team from the Universities of Liverpool and Cambridge has discovered an effective drug against alkaptonuria, a rare genetic disease. According to the researchers, a drug called nitisinone would stop the progress of the disease.

Alkaptonuria is a genetic disease that causes accumulations of homogentisic acid oxide, which cause damage to the joints and kidneys. If left untreated, it also causes osteoporosis, rupture of tendons and ligaments, cardiac damage to the aortic and mitral valves.

The study involved 39 people with the disease who took 2 mg nitisinone every day for three years. The drug would have stopped the progression of the alkaptonuria and would have regressed some of the symptoms. The results also show a significant reduction in damage from ochronosis, especially at the knees and elbows.

According to Professor Lakshminarayan Ranganath, the results are a hope for the many people suffering from the disease. The positive effects of nitisinone on the accumulation of homogentisic acid oxide were already known. Similarly, previous studies had already shown the positive effects of the drug in prevention. There was no evidence that nitisinone was effective even in people with advanced alkaptonuria.

Duncan Batty, one of the study participants as a patient, wanted to leave his testimony. Man has been suffering from alkaptonuria for almost 30 years. The new treatment helped him avoid the many complications that usually start to manifest at his age.

Source: liv.ac.uk