Placental Injury and Antibody Transfer after Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Pregnancy.

Background: We examined the relationship between placental histopathology and transplacental antibody transfer in pregnant patients after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

Methods: Differences in plasma concentrations of anti-receptor biding domain (RBD) immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibodies in maternal and cord blood were analyzed according to presence of placental injury.

Results: Median anti-RBD IgG concentrations in cord blood with placental injury (n = 7) did not differ significantly from those without injury (n = 16) (median 2.

Neuron-Targeted Caveolin-1 Improves Molecular Signaling, Plasticity, and Behavior Dependent on the Hippocampus in Adult and Aged Mice.

Background: Studies in vitro demonstrate that neuronal membrane/lipid rafts (MLRs) establish cell polarity by clustering progrowth receptors and tethering cytoskeletal machinery necessary for neuronal sprouting. However, the effect of MLR and MLR-associated proteins on neuronal aging is unknown.

Methods: Here, we assessed the impact of neuron-targeted overexpression of an MLR scaffold protein, caveolin-1 (Cav-1) (via a synapsin promoter, SynCav1), in the hippocampus in vivo in adult (6-month-old) and aged (20-month-old) mice on biochemical, morphologic, and behavioral changes.

Traumatic brain injury enhances neuroinflammation and lesion volume in caveolin deficient mice.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) enhances pro-inflammatory responses, neuronal loss and long-term behavioral deficits. Caveolins (Cavs) are regulators of neuronal and glial survival signaling. Previously we showed that astrocyte and microglial activation is increased in Cav-1 knock-out (KO) mice and that Cav-1 and Cav-3 modulate microglial morphology.

Epicatechin regulation of mitochondrial structure and function is opioid receptor dependent.

Scope: The flavanol (-)-epicatechin (Epi), a component of cacao, has cardiac protective benefits in humans. Our previous study demonstrated Epi has δ-opioid receptor (DOR) binding activity and promotes cardiac protection. Here we examined the effects of 10 days of Epi treatment on: cardiac mitochondrial respiration, reactive oxygen species production, calcium swelling, and mitochondrial membrane fluidity.

Mitochondria-localized caveolin in adaptation to cellular stress and injury.

We show here that the apposition of plasma membrane caveolae and mitochondria (first noted in electron micrographs >50 yr ago) and caveolae-mitochondria interaction regulates adaptation to cellular stress by modulating the structure and function of mitochondria. In C57Bl/6 mice engineered to overexpress caveolin specifically in cardiac myocytes (Cav-3 OE), localization of caveolin to mitochondria increases membrane rigidity (4.2%; P<0.