Histological evidence of oxidative stress and premature senescence in preterm premature rupture of the human fetal membranes recapitulated in vitro.

Preterm prelabor rupture of the membranes (pPROM) may lead to preterm births (PTBs). We investigated premature senescence of fetal membranes in women with pPROM and spontaneous PTB with intact membranes (<34 weeks) and the inducibility fetal membrane senescence phenotype by oxidative stress in vitro. IHC was performed for p53, p21, and phospho (p)-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) as markers of senescence phenotype in pPROM, PTBs, and term births.

Expression of 8-oxoguanine glycosylase in human fetal membranes.

Problem: The most common DNA lesion generated by oxidative stress (OS) is 7, 8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) whose excision repair is performed by 8-oxoguanine glycosylase (OGG1). We investigated OGG1 expression changes in fetal membranes from spontaneous preterm birth (PTB) and preterm premature rupture of the membranes (pPROM) and its changes in vitro in normal fetal membranes exposed to OS inducer water-soluble cigarette smoke extract (CSE).

Method Of Study: DNA damage was determined in amnion cells treated with CSE by comet and FLARE assays.

Senescence of primary amniotic cells via oxidative DNA damage.

Objective: Oxidative stress is a postulated etiology of spontaneous preterm birth (PTB) and preterm prelabor rupture of the membranes (pPROM); however, the precise mechanistic role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in these complications is unclear. The objective of this study is to examine impact of a water soluble cigarette smoke extract (wsCSE), a predicted cause of pregnancy complications, on human amnion epithelial cells.

Methods: Amnion cells isolated from fetal membranes were exposed to wsCSE prepared in cell culture medium and changes in ROS levels, DNA base and strand damage was determined by using 2'7'-dichlorodihydro-fluorescein and comet assays as well as Fragment Length Analysis using Repair Enzymes (FLARE) assays, respectively.

Fetal DNA Methylation Associates with Early Spontaneous Preterm Birth and Gestational Age.

Spontaneous preterm birth (PTB, <37 weeks gestation) is a major public health concern, and children born preterm have a higher risk of morbidity and mortality throughout their lives. Recent studies suggest that fetal DNA methylation of several genes varies across a range of gestational ages (GA), but it is not yet clear if fetal epigenetic changes associate with PTB. The objective of this study is to interrogate methylation patterns across the genome in fetal leukocyte DNA from African Americans with early PTB (24(1/7)-34(0/7) weeks; N = 22) or term births (39(0/7)-40(6/7)weeks; N = 28) and to evaluate the association of each CpG site with PTB and GA.

Fetal membrane biomarker network diversity and disease functions induced by intra-amniotic pathogens.

Problem: Intra-amniotic pathogens and by-products activate innate immune responses encompassing multitudes of signaling molecules and pathways that can result in spontaneous preterm birth (PTB). This study investigates fetal membrane response to bacterial stimulation using a bioinformatics approach.

Method Of Study: Dysregulated biomarker (IL1-β, IL-2, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α) data from fetal membranes at term stimulated with Ureaplasma urealyticum, Ureaplasma parvum, Mycoplasma hominis, E.

A new flavanoid from the flowers of Azadirachta indica.

Studies on the chemical constituents of the flowers of Azadirachta indica have led to the isolation of one new flavanone named as azharone (5,7,4'-trihydroxy-3'-(3''-methyl-2'',3''-epoxybutyl)flavan-4-one (3)) along with two known constituents azadirone (1), and isoazadironolide (2). Their structures have been elucidated through spectral studies including 2D-NMR (COSY-45, NOESY, J-resolved, HMQC, HMBC) experiments.