Expression of ABC transporters during syncytialization in preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia complicates 2-8% of pregnancies and is associated with prematurity and intrauterine growth restriction. Cholesterol and sterol transport is a key function of the placenta and it is elicited through ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters. ABCA1 expression changes during trophoblast cell fusion, a process required to form the placental syncytium that enables maternal-fetal nutrient transfer.

Gestational microbiome: metabolic perturbations and developmental programming.

A growing body of research suggests that alterations to the human microbiome are associated with disease states, including obesity and diabetes. During pregnancy, these disease states are associated with maternal microbial dysbiosis. This review discusses the current literature regarding the typical maternal and offspring microbiome as well as alterations to the microbiome in the context of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and gestational diabetes mellitus.

Elimination of "kitome" and "splashome" contamination results in lack of detection of a unique placental microbiome.

Background: A placental microbiome, which may be altered in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), has been described. However, publications raising doubts about the existence of a placental microbiome that is different than contaminants in DNA extraction kits and reagents ("kitomes") have emerged. The aims of this study were to confirm the existence of a placental microbiome distinct from contaminants and determine if it is altered in GDM mothers.

Monitoring age-related susceptibility of young mice to oral Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium infection using an in vivo murine model.

Neonates and young children are acutely susceptible to infections by gastrointestinal bacterial pathogens, such as Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. typhimurium). To reveal age-related differences in susceptibility to this pathogen, we used in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) to monitor the progression of infection in neonatal (1-wk-old), suckling (2-wk-old), juvenile (4-wk-old), and adult (6-wk-old) BALB/c mice.

Salivary cortisol as indicators of pain in preterm infants: a pilot study.

Assessment and management of pain in preterm infants is critical and complicated. The addition of salivary cortisol measurement may improve the specificity of assessment and guide care to alleviate pain. The purpose of this study was fourfold: (a) assess the feasibility of a method of saliva collection in premature infants, (b) assess reliability of a method of measuring salivary cortisol in response to heelstick, (c) identify relationships between salivary cortisol and a measure of pain behavior (using CRIES) following heelstick, and (d) identify peak response times for elevations of salivary cortisol following heelstick in preterm infants.