Maternal and neonatal blood vitamin D status and neurodevelopment at 24 months of age: a prospective birth cohort study.

Background: This study aimed to explore the relationship of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in three trimesters and at birth with neurodevelopment at 24 months of age.

Methods: From 2013 to 2016, pregnant women from the Shanghai Birth Cohort in China were recruited for the study. Altogether, 649 mother-infant pairs were included.

Development of a sensitive HPLC-MS/MS method for 25-hydroxyvitamin D and D measurement in capillary blood.

Background: Measurement of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D)] levels is important. The current method requires a relatively large volume of serum. To minimize the amount of serum needed, we established a high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method to measure 25(OH)D in capillary serum.

Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy affects the function of Th1/Th2 cells and methylation of IFN-γ gene in offspring rats.

The effects of maternal vitamin D status on offspring's Th1/Th2 cell function and the related mechanisms have not been reported. In this study, we established the rat model of vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy. 48 female Sprague-Dawley rats (8 weeks old) were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 16/group): control group (fed with standard AIN-93 G diet until parturition), vitamin D deficiency group (VDD group, fed with vitamin D deficient diet until parturition) and vitamin D supplementation group (VDS group, fed with vitamin D deficient diet prior to mating and with standard AIN-93 G diet during pregnancy).

Rare Copy Number Variants Identify Novel Genes in Sporadic Total Anomalous Pulmonary Vein Connection.

Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) is a rare congenital heart anomaly. Several genes have been associated TAPVC but the mechanisms remain elusive. To search novel CNVs and candidate genes, we screened a cohort of 78 TAPVC cases and 100 healthy controls for rare copy number variants (CNVs) using whole exome sequencing (WES).

Fetal pulmonary valve stenosis or atresia with intact ventricular septum: Predictors of need for neonatal intervention.

Objectives: To compare the fetal echocardiographic measurements and neonatal outcome of fetuses with diagnosis of critical pulmonary stenosis (CPS/IVS) and pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PA/IVS) to identify the predictors of neonatal ductus dependence and the need for neonatal intervention.

Methods: Forty-four fetuses with a diagnosis of membranous PA/IVS or CPS/IVS referred to Shanghai Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University between June 2009 and November 2014 were respectively analyzed. We analyzed their fetal and pediatric echocardiographic features and clinical features after birth.

[Role of caspase-3, -8, and -9 in apoptosis of copper induced primary cortical neurons].

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of primary cortical neuron injury induced by high concentrations of copper by observing the effect of aceticum culture medium on apoptosis of rat primary cortical neurons and expression of cleaved caspase 3, caspase 8 and caspase 9.

Methods: Primary cortical neurons were cultured for 72 hrs and then exposed to different concentrations of aceticum culture medium (20, 40 and 80 microM). The viability of neurons was detected by the MTT method.