Circadian and seasonal variations of hematopoiesis in cord blood.

Cord blood hematopoietic progenitors undergo circadian and seasonal variations. The lowest values are obtained between 4:00 and 12:00, as well as between May and August. This represents the first observation of such rhythms before birth.

A new major histocompatibility complex class I b gene expressed in the mouse blastocyst and placenta.

Because of the role major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I b molecules may play during mouse embryonic development, we thought it would be interesting to search for additional MHC class I b molecules that might be expressed in preimplantation embryos, and in particular in the trophoblastic lineage. We therefore screened a mouse preimplantation blastocyst cDNA library for MHC class I sequences. This search led to the identification and characterization of a new MHC class I b gene, blastocyst MHC.

Overexpression of DM20 messenger RNA in two brothers with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease.

Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease is a rare, sex-linked recessive, dysmyelinating disease of the central nervous system that has been associated with mutations in the myelin proteolipid protein (PLP) gene. Only 25% of patients studied with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease have exonic mutations in this gene, the underlying cause of the disease in the remaining patients is unknown. The PLP gene encodes two major alternatively spliced transcripts called PLP and DM20.

Ephedrine remains the vasopressor of choice for treatment of hypotension during ritodrine infusion and epidural anesthesia.

Background: Historically, ephedrine has been the vasopressor of choice for treatment of most cases of hypotension in obstetric patients. However, the choice of vasopressor in the parturient receiving a beta-adrenergic agent for tocolysis has not been evaluated extensively. The current study evaluated whether ephedrine or phenylephrine better restores uterine blood flow and fetal oxygenation during ritodrine infusion and epidural anesthesia-induced hypotension in gravid ewes.