Publications by authors named "Rahul D'Mello"
Amniotic fluid is a complex biological medium that offers protection to the fetus and plays a key role in normal fetal nutrition, organogenesis, and potentially fetal programming. Amniotic fluid is also critically involved in longitudinally shaping the in utero milieu during pregnancy. Yet, the molecular mechanism(s) of action by which amniotic fluid regulates fetal development is ill-defined partly due to an incomplete understanding of the evolving composition of the amniotic fluid proteome.
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- The study investigates the effects of edible cannabis use during pregnancy on the fetal and placental epigenome, particularly focusing on DNA methylation.
- In trials, pregnant rhesus macaques consumed either THC-infused edibles or a placebo, revealing that THC exposure resulted in significant differential methylation at 581 CpG sites, mostly in the placenta.
- The findings suggest that prenatal THC exposure may disrupt gene regulation involved in neurobehavioral development, potentially impacting long-term outcomes for offspring, highlighting the need for better guidance on cannabis use during pregnancy.
Article Synopsis
- Substance use rates are increasing among individuals of reproductive age, with important implications for offspring health.
- Emerging research indicates that substance use by both parents before conception and during pregnancy can affect gene expression in their children, potentially leading to issues with neurodevelopment and mental health later in life.
- This review discusses the need for more understanding of these effects, suggesting that targeting public health initiatives and counseling for expectant parents could help reduce health risks for their children.
Nonhuman primates are important preclinical models for translational, reproductive, and developmental science. Clinical evaluation of human fetal development is performed using standard sonographic-derived fetal biometry, assessments of amniotic fluid, and uteroplacental hemodynamics. These noninvasive in utero measurements provide important information regarding fetal growth and pregnancy well-being.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To determine whether discontinuation of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use mitigates THC-associated changes in male reproductive health using a rhesus macaque model of daily THC edible consumption.
Design: Research animal study.
Setting: Research institute environment.
Article Synopsis
- - THC exposure during pregnancy in rhesus macaques leads to reduced amniotic fluid, lower placental blood flow, and decreased oxygen for the fetus, indicating placental insufficiency.
- - Histological analysis revealed signs of ischemic injury and microinfarctions in the placenta of THC-exposed animals, suggesting significant structural damage.
- - RNA sequencing showed that THC affects gene expression related to blood vessel development, hinting at potential long-term negative effects on offspring due to altered placental function.
Anti--methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is an autoimmune disease frequently associated with ovarian teratomas. In cases where an ovarian teratoma is identified, treatment involves prompt removal of the ovarian teratoma, resulting in significant clinical improvement and decreased incidence of relapse. We present the case of a 14-year-old female patient admitted for progressively worsening psychiatric and neurological status, diagnosed with anti-NMDAR encephalitis, and negative initial imaging for ovarian pathology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an emerging, chronic, rare allergic disease associated with marked eosinophil accumulation in the esophagus. Previous genome-wide association studies have provided strong evidence for 3 genome-wide susceptibility loci.
Objective: We sought to replicate known and suggestive EoE genetic risk loci and conduct a meta-analysis of previously reported data sets.
Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) was first administered to humans in the 1980s. The mechanism of action of IVIG is still a subject of debate but the pharmacokinetics have been well characterized, albeit outside of pregnancy. IVIG has been used in pregnancy to treat several nonobstetrical and obstetrical-related conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPregnant women, and their fetal offspring, are uniquely susceptible to Zika virus and other microbial pathogens capable of congenital fetal infection. Unavoidable exposure to Zika virus in endemic areas underscores the need for identifying at-risk individuals, and protecting expecting mothers and their fetal offspring against prenatal infection. Here we show that primary Zika virus asymptomatic infection in mice confers protection against re-infection, and that these protective benefits are maintained during pregnancy.
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