Transient epigenomic changes during pregnancy and early postpartum in women with and without type 2 diabetes.

Aim: To investigate epigenomic changes in pregnancy and early postpartum in women with and without type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Dimethylation of histones H3K4, H3K9, H3K27, H3K36 and H3K79 was measured in white blood cells of women at 30 weeks pregnancy, at 8-10 and 20 weeks postpartum and in never-pregnant women.

Results: Dimethylation levels of all five histones were different between women in pregnancy and early postpartum compared with never-pregnant women and were different between women with and without type 2 diabetes.

Zinc and infant nutrition.

Zinc is essential for a wide variety of cellular processes in all cells. It is a critical dietary nutrient, particularly in the early stages of life. In the early neonatal period, adequate sources of zinc can be obtained from breast milk.

Epigenetic Markers to Predict Conversion From Gestational Diabetes to Type 2 Diabetes.

Context: Lifestyle factors mediate epigenetic changes that can cause chronic diseases. Although animal and laboratory studies link epigenetic changes to diabetes, epigenetic information in women with gestational diabetes (GDM) and type 2 diabetes is lacking.

Objective: This study sought to measure epigenetic markers across pregnancy and early postpartum and identify markers that could be used as predictors for conversion from GDM to type 2 diabetes.

hZip1 (hSLC39A1) regulates zinc homoeostasis in gut epithelial cells.

Zinc is an essential trace element required for enzyme catalysis, gene regulation and signal transduction. Zinc absorption takes place in the small intestine; however, the mechanisms by which cells accumulate zinc are not entirely clear. Zip1 (SLC39A1) is a predicted transmembrane protein that is postulated, but not conclusively proven to mediate zinc influx in gut cells.

Copper levels in buccal cells of vineyard workers engaged in various activities.

Objectives: Copper-based compounds have been used as agricultural fungicides for many years. Their use in Australia is escalating with increase in the scale of planting and associated pest problems. The objective of this study was to identify viticulture activities associated with high exposure to foliage sprays.

Copper transport during lactation in transgenic mice expressing the human ATP7A protein.

Both copper transporting ATPases, ATP7A and ATP7B, are expressed in mammary epithelial cells but their role in copper delivery to milk has not been clarified. We investigated the role of ATP7A in delivery of copper to milk using transgenic mice that over-express human ATP7A. In mammary gland of transgenic mice, human ATP7A protein was 10- to 20-fold higher than in control mice, and was localized to the basolateral membrane of mammary epithelial cells in lactating mice.

Diesel exhaust particulate matter induces multinucleate cells and zinc transporter-dependent apoptosis in human airway cells.

The cellular effects of biodiesel emissions particulate matter (BDEP) and petroleum diesel emissions particulate matter (PDEP) were compared using a human airway cell line, A549. At concentrations of 25 microg/ml, diesel particulate matter induced the formation of multinucleate cells. In cells treated with a mixture of 80% PDEP:20% BDEP, 52% of cells were multinucleate cells compared with only 16% of cells treated with 20% PDEP:80% BDEP with a background multinucleate rate of 7%.

Constitutive expression of hZnT4 zinc transporter in human breast epithelial cells.

Zinc is an essential trace element required by all living organisms. An adequate supply of zinc is particularly important in the neonatal period. Zinc is a significant component of breast milk, which is transported across the maternal epithelia during lactation.