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Objective To explore the effect and mechanism of Shenqi Jieyu Formula ( SQJYF) on depression and anxiety-like behavior in adult ofispring rats after maternal separation ( MS). This was done by observing the levels of metabolites in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the Papez circuit through magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( MRS). Methods Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats at 16 days of pregnancy were divided into the normal, model, SQJYF, and fluoxetine groups using the random number table method, with six rats per group. MS was performed 4 h a day from the first to the 21st day after birth. Starting from the 15th day, the corresponding medications ( SQJYF group: 12. 5 g/kg, fluxetine group: 2. 33 mg/kg) were administered to mother rats once a day for 7 consecutive days. Normal breastfeeding was performed during the gavage. The offspring rats were weaned on the 22nd day. According to the experimental grouping of mother rats, one male and one female offspring rat of each mother rat were randomly selected using the random number table method, with six rats per group. They were divided into normal, model, SQJYF, and fluoxetine female and male rat groups, respectively. After 8 weeks of feeding, the offspring rats in each group were subjected to forced swimming test ( FST), the sucrose water consumption test, and open field tests ( OFT), and the elevated plus maze ( EPM) test was conducted. The relative values of N-acetyl-aspartate ( NAA), choline ( Cho), glutamic acid ( Glu), myo-inositol (ml), and creatine (Cr) in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were detected using MRS. Results Compared with that of the normal female and male rat groups, the weight of the rats in the model group was decreased as well as sucrose water consumption and the horizontal and vertical scores of OFT, whereas the immobility time of FST increased. Compared with the normal female and male rat group, the NAA/Cr and Glu/Cr values in the bilateral hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the female and male rats in the model group decreased ( all P<0. 01). The proportion of rats entering the open arm and open arm residence time of the model female rat group in the EPM test decreased, whereas the Cho/ Cr value of the right hippocampus of the female rats in the model group increased ( P<0. 05). Compared with the model female and male rat group, the weight of the rats in the SQJYF and fluoxetine groups increased, the immobility time of FST decreased, but the sucrose water consumption and the horizontal and vertical OFT scores increased ( P<0. 01). The proportion of rats entering the open arm and open arm residence time in the EPM increased in the SQJYF and fluoxetine female rat groups compared to those of the model female rat group ( P<0.01). Compared with the model female rat group, the NAA/Cr and Glu/ Cr values in the bilateral hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of female rats in the SQJYF and fluoxetine groups increased. The NAA/Cr and Glu/Cr values in the right hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of male rats in the SQJYF and fluoxetine groups were higher than those in the model group ( P< 0. 05), whereas the Cho/Cr value in the right hippocampus of female and male rats in the SQJYF and fluoxetine groups decreased ( P < 0. 05). Conclusion MS in early life can lead to depression and anxiety-like behavior in adult offspring. However, SQJYF may exert antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects by regulating the metabolite levels in related brain regions of the Papez circuit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics is the property of Xiangya Medical Periodical Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics is the property of Xiangya Medical Periodical Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective Objective To investigate the changes in hippocampal astrocytes and neuronal primary cilia, and neuronal apoptosis in the offspring brain of advanced maternal age and the role of LKB1/AMPK pathway. Methods The 12-month-old SD female rats were mated with 3-month-old SD male rats to produce offspring as the advanced maternal age (AMA) group, and the 3-month-old SD female rats were mated with 3-month-old SD males to produce offspring as the appropriate age (Control, Ctl) group. The following studies were conducted on postnatal days 14, 28 and 60 (P14, P28 and P60) in the 2 groups (14 rats per group at each time point, half males and half females). HE staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the changes in the morphology and the number of hippocampal neurons and their internal Nissl bodies. Immunofluorescence assay was employed to detect the expression of hippocampal primary cilia marker, anti-ADP ribosylation factor-like protein-13B (ARL13B), and Western blotting was applied to measure the expression of hippocampal intraflagellar transport protein 88 (IFT88) to assess functional changes in primary ciliogenesis. TUNEL staining and Western blotting were performed to detect the expression levels of pro-apoptotic BAX, and anti-apoptotic protein, BCL-2 to observe the changes of apoptosis in the hippocampus. Western blotting was also used to detect the expression levels of liver kinase B1 (LKB1), adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and the levels of their corresponding phosphorylated proteins to assess LKB1/AMPK pathway changes. Results Compared with the Ctl group: HE staining and Nissl staining showed that the number of hippocampal neurons was significantly reduced in the AMA group at P14 (P < 0.05), and there were abnormal changes in hippocampal neuron morphology and Nissl body number and morphology in the AMA group at all time points; the incidence of ARL13B primary cilia was significantly decreased in the AMA group at both P14 (P < 0.05) and P28 (P < 0.001), and the length of ARL13B was obviously shortened in the AMA group at both P14 (P < 0.05) and P28 (P < 0.05); the hippocampal expression level of IFT88 was notably lower in the AMA group at the P14 (P < 0.01). TUNEL staining showed that the apoptotic rate of hippocampal neurons at P14 was remarkably higher in the AMA group (P < 0.05), while Western blotting indicated that the expression of BAX was significantly higher (P < 0.001) and that of BCL-2 was lower (P < 0.01). In the AMA group, the expression of p-LKB1 was significantly decreased at P14 (P < 0.05), that of p-AMPK was statistically elevated at P28 (P < 0.01) and P60 (P < 0.01), and that of p-mTOR was notably decreased at P60 (P < 0.05). Conclusion Neuronal damage, defective primary ciliogenesis and growth inhibition, and abnormal activation of apoptosis are present in the hippocampus of juvenile offspring brain of advanced maternal age. Meanwhile, the LKB1/AMPK pathway, which is regulated by primary cilia in hippocampal astrocytes and neurons of advanced maternal age offspring brain, is abnormally activated at all ages.

Objective　To explore the effect of intrauterine hyperglycemia on peripheral inflammatory reaction of cord blood of offspring with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) . Methods　The objects of this study were the offspring of women who delivered in the first affiliated hospital of Kunming Medical University from November 2019 to May 2023．The GDM group included 108 infants (67 male cases and 41 female cases) of mothers with GDM ．The control group included 150 infants ( 82 male cases and 68 female cases) of women with normal glucose tolerance. The concentrations of umbilical vein blood serum IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, L-8, IL10, IL-17, TNF-α, IFN-α, IFN-γ and IL-12P 70 were measured by flow cytometry CBA technology. Results　The levels of vein cord blood serum pro-inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α were higher than the control group, the differences was statistical ( 6.65±0.51 vs 4.02±0.40, P = 0.007； 13.96±1.10 vs 7.36±0.50, P = 0.040；1.27±0.10 vs 0.56±0.01, P = 0.020) . The level of IFN-γ was lower than the control group (5.67±0.50 vs 10.54±0.90, P = 0.038), the differences were statistical. There was no differences in the levels of IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12P 70, IL-17, IFN-α. Conclusion　Even in GDM offspring with good blood sugar control during pregnancy, the innate immune system is overactivated, and proinflammatory factors IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α are released excessively, laying a clinical foundation for further understanding whether the activation of the peripheral innate immune system in the GDM intrauterine hyperglycemic environment can induce the occurrence of neuroinflammation in the brain and its contribution in neuroinflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To systematiclly evaluate the relationship between assisted reproductive technology（ART） and autism spectrum disorders（ASD） in their offspring. Methods Systematic searches of PubMed, Web of Science, CBM, VIP, and CNKI databases were conducted to collect the cohort studies on ASD in ART progeny published from database establishment to April 1, 2022. After four independent reviewers screened the literature, extracted the data and assessed their quality with Newcastle-Ottawa scale（NOS）, a Meta-analysis was performed using Stata 15.1 software. Results Finally, 8 articles were included to assess the risk of ASD in 335507 offspring after ART（ART group） and 14233258 offspring of natural conception（NC group）. After excluding one study with greater heterogeneity by sensitivity analysis,the incidence of child with ASD in ART group was significantly higher than that in NC group（RR=1.06, 95%CI1.01-1.11, P

Background With the aggravation of aging trend, the influence of intergenerational support on the health of the elderly has gradually attracted attention, and the absence of spiritual care and life care is an important factor for the occurrence of health problems in the elderly, but there is a lack of scientific evaluation tools to evaluate the cognitive level of old-age care. Objective To develop a Knowledge, Attitude and Practice about Filial Piety Ethics Questionnaires for Offspring and Grandchildren in the process of elderly care, and to test its reliability and validity. Methods From April to July 2021, the first draft of the questionnaire was determined by searching relevant contents in databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, China Knowledge Network and Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, and using the theory of knowledge, attitude and practice and Maslow's hierarchy of needs as the theoretical framework, combined with literature review, national maintenance laws, qualitative interviews, the questionnaire was refined with results of the Delphi expert consensus and pre-survey. From October 2021 to March 2022, 270 subjects from each generation were selected for the formal survey and 50 subjects from the offspring and 38 subjects from the grangchildren were selected for test-retest reliability using the random cluster sampling method. A total of 540 questionnaires were distributed, 270 questionnaires for each generation. A total of 528 valid questionnaires were returned, 264 valid questionnaires for each generation, with a valid return rate of 97.8%. Its reliability and validity were analyzed to determine the final questionnaire entry. Results The Knowledge, Attitude and Practice about Filial Piety Ethics Questionnaires for Offsprings included 3 dimensions and 34 items. Exploratory factor analysis produced 3 factors, with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 64.455%. The content validity of each item ranged from 0.867 to 1.000, and the average content validity of the questionnaire was 0.967. Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.953, split-half reliability was 0.811, and test-retest reliability was 0.987. The Knowledge, Attitude and Practice about Filial Piety Ethics Questionnaires for Grandchildren consisted of 31 items in 3 dimensions. Exploratory factor analysis produced three factors, the cumulative variance contribution rate was 64.641%; the content validity of each item ranged from 0.867 to 1.000, the average content validity of the questionnaire was 0.964; Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.952, split-half reliability was 0.837, and test-retest reliability was 0.991. Conclusion The developed questionnaire has good reliability and validity, and can be used as a research tool to evaluate the current status of filial piety ethic knowledge, attitude and behavior of offsprings and grandchildren in the process of elderly care.

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics is the property of Xiangya Medical Periodical Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: To explore the associations of parental smoking and alcohol consumption during the periconceptional period and their interactions with risk of congenital heart disease (CHD) in offspring., Methods: The parents of children with simple CHD aged 0 to 1 year ( n =683) were recruited as the case group, while the parents of healthy children aged 0 to 1 year ( n =740) served as the control group. A case-control study was conducted, and a questionnaire was used to collect information on perinatal exposures. After controlling for relevant confounding factors using multivariate logistic regression analysis and propensity score matching, the associations of parental smoking and alcohol consumption during the periconceptional period and their interactions with CHD were examined, as well as the cumulative effects of smoking and drinking on CHD risk., Results: Maternal active smoking ( OR =2.91, 95% CI : 1.60-5.30), passive smoking ( OR =1.94, 95% CI : 1.56-2.42), and alcohol consumption ( OR =2.59, 95% CI : 1.89-3.54), as well as paternal smoking ( OR =1.52; 95% CI : 1.22-1.90) and drinking ( OR =1.48, 95% CI : 1.19-1.84), were associated with an increased risk of CHD in offspring. There was no interaction between parental smoking and drinking behaviors during the periconceptional period concerning the risk of CHD in offspring ( P >0.05). The more parents' smoking and drinking behaviors during the perinatal pregnancy, the higher the risk of CHD in their offspring ( OR =1.50, 95% CI : 1.36-1.65)., Conclusions: Parental smoking and alcohol consumption during the periconceptional period are associated with the occurrence of CHD in offspring, and there is a cumulative effect on CHD risk, suggesting that reducing tobacco and alcohol exposure during the periconceptional period may lower the incidence of CHD.

Objectives: To investigate how maternal MTR gene polymorphisms and their interactions with periconceptional folic acid supplementation are associated with the incidence of ventricular septal defects (VSD) in offspring., Methods: A case-control study was conducted, recruiting 426 mothers of infants with VSD under one year old and 740 mothers of age-matched healthy infants. A questionnaire survey collected data on maternal exposures, and blood samples were analyzed for genetic polymorphisms. Multivariable logistic regression analysis and inverse probability of treatment weighting were used to analyze the associations between genetic loci and VSD. Crossover analysis and logistic regression were utilized to examine the additive and multiplicative interactions between the loci and folic acid intake., Results: The CT and TT genotypes of the maternal MTR gene at rs6668344 increased the susceptibility of offspring to VSD ( P <0.05). The GC and CC genotypes at rs3768139, AG and GG at rs1050993, AT and TT at rs4659743, GG at rs3768142, and GT and TT at rs3820571 were associated with a decreased risk of VSD ( P <0.05). The variations at rs6668344 demonstrated an antagonistic multiplicative interaction with folic acid supplementation in relation to VSD ( P <0.05)., Conclusions: Maternal MTR gene polymorphisms significantly correlate with the incidence of VSD in offspring. Mothers with variations at rs6668344 can decrease the susceptibility to VSD in their offspring by supplementing with folic acid during the periconceptional period, suggesting the importance of periconceptional folic acid supplementation in genetically at-risk populations to prevent VSD in offspring.

BackgroundStudies have shown that stress during pregnancy can affect the growth and development of fetuses and offspring, and this effect has sex differences, but the results are controversial, and there are few studies on the emotional damage of offspring of different sexes caused by stress during pregnancy.ObjectiveThis experiment is designed to observe the effect of chronic stress during pregnancy on emotional damage of offspring of different sexes.MethodsThirty-two SD female rats were randomly divided into a model group and a control group (16 rats in each group), 24 male rats were divided into a model mating group (n=16) and a control mating group (n=8). Each rat of the model group was reared in a single cage and received chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 28 d, including hot water swimming for 5 min, cold water swimming for 5 min, tail pinching for 2 min, crowding for 24 h, moist bedding for 24 h, cage shaking for 30 min, and space restriction for 2 h. One stressor was administered daily and the same stressor did not repeat within 7 d. Blood was collected from the endocanthal vein of the two groups of female rats 1 d before and 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 d after stress, the plasma was separated by centrifugation, and 131I radioimmunoassay was used to measure plasma corticosterone concentration. On postnatal day 21 (PND21), 16 offspring rats (half male and half male) were randomly selected from each group, their plasma corticosterone concentration was measured on PND28 and PND42, and their emotional damage was measured on PND42. ResultsThe plasma corticosterone levels of dams in the model group on the 14th, 21th, and 28th days of stress [(394.02±97.40), (444.12±90.43), and (463.71±107.75) μg·L−1] were higher than those in the control group [(285.63±81.64), (341.78±48.39), and (320.42±84.76) μg·L−1] (all P< 0.05). On PND28 and PND42, the plasma corticosterone levels in the female model offspring group [(543.30±90.21) and (530.76±83.10) μg·L−1] were higher than those in the female control offspring group [(397.77±64.27) and (325.78±61.03) μg·L−1] (both P0.05). ConclusionChronic stress during pregnancy causes emotional damage to the offspring, and female offspring show depression-like behaviors.

Objective To study the association of maternal methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 1 (MTHFD1) and methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) gene polymorphisms with congenital heart disease (CHD) in offspring. Methods A hospital-based case-control study was conducted. The mothers of 683 children with CHD alone who attended Hunan Children's Hospital, from November 2017 to March 2020 were enrolled as the case group, and the mothers of 740 healthy children who attended the same hospital during the same period and did not have any deformity were enrolled as the control group. A questionnaire survey was performed to collect related exposure data, and then venous blood samples (5 mL) were collected from the mothers to detect MTHFD1 and MTHFD2 gene polymorphisms. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of MTHFD1 and MTHFD2 gene polymorphisms with CHD. The four-gamete test in Haploview 4.2 software was used to construct haplotypes and evaluate the association between haplotypes and CHD. The generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction method and logistic regression analysis were used to examine gene-gene interaction and its association with CHD. Results The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that maternal MTHFD1 gene polymorphisms at rs11849530 (GA vs AA: 0R=1.49; GG vs AA: 0R=2.04) and at rs1256142 (GA vs GG: 0R=2.34; AA vs GG: 0R=3.25) significantly increased the risk of CHD in offspring (P<0.05), while maternal MTHFD1 gene polymorphisms at rs1950902 (AA vs GG: OR= 0.57) and MTHFD2 gene polymorphisms at rs1095966 (CA vs CC: 0R=0.68) significantly reduced the risk of CHD in offspring (P<0.05). The haplotypes of G-G-G (0R=1.86) and G-A-G (0R=1.35) in mothers significantly increased the risk of CHD in offspring (P<0.05). The gene-gene interaction analyses showed that the first-order interaction between MTHFD1 rs1950902 and MTHFD1 rs2236222 and the second-order interaction involving MTHFD1 rs1950902, MTHFD1 rs1256142, and MTHFD2 rs1095966 might be associated with risk of CHD (P<0.05). Conclusions Maternal MTHFD1 and MTHFD2 gene polymorphisms and their haplotypes, as well as the interaction between MTHFD1 rs1950902 and MTHFD1 rs2236222 and between MTHFD1 rs1950902, MTHFD1 rs1256142, and MTHFD2 rs1095966, are associated with the risk of CHD in offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective*To investigate the influence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on the neuropsychiatric function of C57BL/6J adult offspring mice. Methods*C57BL/6J mice aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into the GDM group and the control group. GDM model was induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). Fasting glucose, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and insulin tolerance test (ITT) of the pregnant mice were tested to verify whether the model was successfully induced. The offspring were fed with a standard diet for 18 weeks, and then underwent open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze (EPMT), elevated zero maze test (EZMT), forced swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST), and sucrose preference test (SPT) to test the emotional behaviors of the offspring mice. The hippocampus was collected after the behavioral experiments for histological verification. Hematoxylineosin (H-E) staining and silver staining were used to determine the structure and morphology of the offspring hippocampus of the GDM group, and immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the number of neuron marker and astrocyte marker positive cells. Real time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression of dopamine (DA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and brain-derived neural factor (BDNF), cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) relative genes (Drd1, Htr2a, Bdnf and Creb1) in the hippocampus. One-way ANOVA was used for comparison among multiple groups, and independent-sample t-test was used to analyze differences between two groups. Results*The GDM model induced by HFD in C57BL/6J mice showed that blood glucose levels and AUC were significantly increased at each time point of OGTT, and insulin tolerance was decreased, confirming that the GDM model was successfully established. The results of OFT, EPMT and EZMT in the progeny showed no statistical difference between the GDM group and the control group. The FST, TST and SPT displayed that the immobility time was observably increased, and the percentage of sucrose preference was markedly reduced in the GDM group, and the difference in F1 female mice was more significant (P=0.000). The expression of Drd1, Htr2a and Bdnf was reduced in the GDM group compared with the control group. Analysis of H-E and silver staining results showed that there was no difference in the structure of the hippocampus between the two groups, but the number of neurons and astrocytes decreased in the GDM group. Conclusion*GDM is associated with neuropsychiatric disorders in adult offspring of C57BL/6J mice, which mainly manifest as depression tendency instead of anxiety tendency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics is the property of Xiangya Medical Periodical Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics is the property of Xiangya Medical Periodical Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The regulation of intestinal microecology during pregnancy is affected by multiple factors, which are closely related to maternal nutrition, metabolism and immunity, and are related to a variety of pregnancy metabolic complications, which has a profound impact on the establishment of the offspring intestinal flora and long-term health. This article will review and analyze the changes in the intestinal microbiota during pregnancy, the establishment of the intestinal flora of the offspring and the impact of the changes in the intestinal flora of the common metabolic diseases of pregnancy on the offspring. By improving the intestinal structure and preventing the poor metabolic state during pregnancy, the purpose of preventing health risks of offspring will be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics is the property of Xiangya Medical Periodical Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) is one of the commonly used assisted reproductive technology. Because FET has the advantages of high cumulative pregnancy rate and low incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, the number of offspring born through this technology is increasing year by year. Many studies have shown that the risks of preterm delivery, low birth weight and small for gestation age of FET offspring are lower than those of the offspring born in the fresh embryo transfer cycle. There is also evidence that the risks of macrosomia and large for gestational age of FET offspring are higher. At the same time, there are also reports on the long-term health status of FET offspring in childhood and adulthood. This paper reviews the short-term and long-term effects of FET on offspring and the causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the effect of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on lung maturity of pups and the effect of pioglitazone on lung development. 30 SD pregnant rats were divided into control group, GDM group and GDM+pioglitazone group (GDM+P), 10 rats in each group. GDM group and GDM+P group pregnant rats were injected with streptozotocin (STZ, 45mg/kg) and high-fat diet to construct GDM pregnant rats' model. Rats in GDM+P group was modeled with 10 mg/kg pioglitazone after intragastric administration. Pregnant rats in control group and GDM group were given an equal volume of normal saline every day. After delivery, the blood glucose and plasma insulin levels of the offspring and the total phospholipids in the fetal lung tissue in each group were measured. Fetal lung tissue structure and morphological changes were observed by hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining, oil red O staining and transmission electron microscopy. The expressions of SP-A, SP-B, SIRT1 and PPARγ in fetal lung tissue were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. The blood glucose level of offspring in the GDM group was not significantly different from that of control group (P>0.05), but the insulin level of the offspring in GDM group was significantly higher than that of control group (P<0.05). Compared with control group, the total phospholipid content in the fetal lung tissue of GDM group decreased (P<0.05). In GDM group, the number of alveolar type II epithelial cells (AECII) and lipid droplets in fetal lung tissue was significantly reduced. Compared with control group, the relative expression levels of SP-A, SP-B, SIRT1, and PPARγ mRNA and protein in fetal lung tissue of GDM group were reduced (P<0.05). Pioglitazone intervention significantly reversed the effects of GDM on the changes in insulin and fetal lung tissue structure and morphology of the offspring (P<0.05). Compared with GDM group, the relative mRNA and protein expression levels of SP-A, SP-B, SIRT1 and PPARγ in the fetal lung tissue of the offspring in GDM+P group increased (P<0.05). The offspring born from GDM pregnant rats have delayed lung development, and pioglitazone intervention can effectively promote the lung maturity of offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics is the property of Xiangya Medical Periodical Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective To study the association between maternal alcohol consumption and the risk of congenital heart disease (CHD) in offspring. Methods PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Google Scholar, China Biology Medicine disc, Wanfang Database, CNKI Database, and Weipu Database were searched for the articles on the association between maternal alcohol consumption and congenital heart disease in offspring. These articles were published up to November 30, 2019. A random effects model or a fixed effects model was used for the pooled analysis of the results of each study, and then the pooled effective value and its 95%CI were calculated. A subgroup analysis was performed to explore heterogeneous regulators. Funnel plots and an Egger's test were used to assess publication bias. Results A total of 4 409 articles were searched, and 55 articles were finally included in this analysis, among which there were 6 cohort studies and 49 case-control studies. The Meta analysis showed heterogeneity across all studies (I2=74%, P<0.01). The random effects model showed that maternal alcohol consumption was associated with CHD in offspring, with an OR of 1.18 (95%CI: 1.09-1.28). The Egger's test showed a certain degree of publication bias (P<0.05), and after adjustment, the pooled OR of CHD in offspring was 1.10 (95%CI: 1.01-1.21). Conclusions Maternal alcohol consumption may increase the risk of CHD in offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To discuss the effects of exosomes derived from human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells(Hu-MSCs) on learning and memory ability and morphology in the hippocampus of premature offspring rats. Methods By kit extraction method, the exosomes were isolated from Hu-MSCs. Forty-five pregnant rats were randomly divided into three groups(the experimental group, the LPS group and the control group). On the 15 th day of embryo(E15), dams in the experimental group were given intraperitoneal injection of exosome; dams in the LPS group and the control group were given intraperitoneal injection of the same amount of normal saline solution. On E17, dams in the experimental group and LPS group were given intrauterine injection of 100 mL of 25 μg/μL LPS solution, while those in the control group were given intrauterine injection of 100 mL of normal saline. We observed the pregnancy outcome of the three groups. Morris water maze test was used to detect the changes of spatial learning and memory ability of the pups aged one month,and hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining was used to detect the pathological changes of the pupshippocampus after Morris water maze test.Results The exosomes were successfully isolated from Hu-MSCs.The preterm birth rate,the average number of live births per litter,the stillbirth rate,the survival rate of 1-month-old pups and the average weight of pups in the LPS group significantly differed from those in the control group(all P<0.05).The preterm birth rate,average number of live births per litter,the stillbirth rate and the survival rate of 1-month-old pups in the experimental group were significantly different from those in the LPS group(all P<0.05).The 1-month-old offspring rats in the LPS group adopted more ineffective strategies in the water maze task(P <0.05).In the location navigation experiment,the average latency in the LPS group was significantly longer than that in the control group(P<0.05),while the average latency in the experimental group was significantly shorter than that in the LPS group(P<0.05).In the space exploration experiment,the platform stay time in the LPS group was significantly shorter than that in the control group(P<0.05),and the platform stay time in the experimental group was significantly longer than that in the LPS group(P<0.05).HE staining showed that the hippocampus of the offspring rats in the LPS group was significantly reduced,cell layers and number decreased,cell bodies decreased,cell arrays scattered,neurons were lost,and the cell nucleus shrank.The cell arrangement in the hippocampus in the experimental group was sparser than that in the control group,while the cell morphology and number in the experimental group were significantly improved compared with those in the LPS group.Conclusion Exosomes derived from Hu-MSCs can alleviate the pathological changes of the hippocampus caused by intrauterine inflammation in premature offspring rats,and improve the learning and memory ability of the offspring rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to reveal the mechanism of prenatal stress in affecting the testicular development of offspring rats and the intervention effects of Zuogui Pills via connexin 43(Cx43). Forty pregnant SD rats were randomized into a blank control group, a mo-del group, a high-dose(18.9 g·kg~(-1)) Zuogui Pills group, a low-dose(9.45 g·kg~(-1)) Zuogui Pills group, and a vitamin E(1.44 mg·kg~(-1)) group. The other groups except the blank control group was subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress for the modeling of prenatal stress. The model was evaluated by sucrose preference test, open field test, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) of the glucocorticoid level. ELISA was employed to measure the thyroxine 4(T4), testosterone(T), and follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH) levels to assess kidney deficiency. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was employed to evaluate the status of testicular germ cells. An automatic sperm analyzer was used to measure the sperm quality. Immunofluorescence double staining was employed to detect the expression of Cx43 and follicle-stimulating hormone receptor(FSHR) in the testes of offspring rats. The mRNA and protein levels of Cx43, FSHR, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K), and protein kinase B(Akt) were determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. Prenatal stress induced testicular development disorders in offspring rats. The HE staining results showed that on the day of birth, the model group had reduced seminiferous tubules in the testes, elevated FSH level in the serum, and lowered Cx43 level in the testicular tissue. Male offspring rats of 60 days old had reduced testicular spermatogenic function, decreased sperm quality, elevated FSH level and lowered T level in the serum, and down-regulated protein and mRNA levels of Cx43, FSHR, PI3K, and Akt in the testicular tissue. Zuogui Pills alleviated the abnormal development and dysfunction of testicles in the offspring rats caused by prenatal stress. In summary, Zuogui Pills may weaken the effects of prenatal stress on testicular development and spermatogenic function of offspring rats by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway to regulate Cx43 expression in the testicular tissue.

Copyright of Journal of China Medical University is the property of Journal of China Medical University Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective To investigate the effect of iron deficiency during pregnancy on oxidative stress in adult rats. Methods Twelve healthy Wistar female rats with similar body weight were randomly divided into low iron group and control group, with 6 rats in each group. They were fed with low iron diet (7.4 mg / kg iron content) and ordinary diet (274. 0 mg / kg iron content), mated with healthy Wistar male rats in the same cage 2 weeks. After 2 weeks of intervention, mating with healthy Wistar male rats in the same cage, feed intervention until 4 weeks after the birth of the rats, entering the iron balance period to the end of the 14 week old rats. Detection of hematological indicators, ferritin, superoxide dismutase (SOD),malondialdehyde (MDA),advanced protein oxidation products (AOPP), total antioxidant capacity (T AOC) and other indicators. Results After 2 weeks of feed intervention, there were no statistically significant differences in body weight and hematocrit (HCT) between the low iron group and the control group (P>0.05). Hemoglobin (Hb) and mean red blood cell volume (MCV) in the low iron group were all lower than those in the control group, and the distribution width of red blood cell (RDW) in the low iron group was higher than that in the control group, with statistically signficant differences (P<0.05). Hb and MCV in the low iron group were lower than those in the control group (P <0.01), compared with the control group, Hb, HCT, MCV and RDW in the adult low iron group showed no statistically significant differences (P>0.05). The contents of MDA and AOPP were higher than those of the control group, and SOD and T AOC were lower than those of the control control group, which group, which was statistically statistcally significant(P<0. signficant(0l). Conclusion Iron deficiency in rats during pregnancy can cause iron load in adult offspring, and promote the occurrence of oxidative stress to damage the body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skeletal muscle plays a crucial role in maintaining metabolism, energy homeostasis, movement, as well as endocrine function. The gestation period is a critical stage for myogenesis and development of the skeletal muscle. Adverse environmental exposures during pregnancy may impose various effects on the skeletal muscle health of the offspring. Maternal obesity during pregnancy can mediate lipid deposition in the skeletal muscle of the offspring by affecting fetal skeletal muscle metabolism and inflammation-related pathways. Poor dietary habits during pregnancy, such as high sugar and high fat intake, can affect autophagy of skeletal muscle mitochondria and reduce the quality of the offspring skeletal muscle. Nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy can affect the development of the offspring skeletal muscle through epigenetic modifications. Gestational diabetes may affect the function of the offspring skeletal muscle by upregulating the levels of miR-15a and miR-15b in the offspring. Exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors during pregnancy may impair skeletal muscle function by interfering with insulin receptor-related signaling pathways. This article reviews the research progress on effects and possible mechanisms of adverse maternal exposures during pregnancy on the offspring skeletal muscle function based on clinical and animal studies, aiming to provide scientific evidence for the prevention and treatment strategies of birth defects in the skeletal muscle.

Objective: To assess the associations between maternal prenatal or postnatal depression and offspring behavior in childhood, by meta-analysis. Methods: Pbmed, Embase, CNKI, VIP and Wan fang database were systematically searched for related studies from 1980 to 2017. Two investigators independently screened studies according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and extracted data. The meta-analysis was performed using Comprehensive meta-analysis V2. 0. Results: A total of 13 studies involved. Meta-analysis showed that maternal prenatal depression, postnatal depression and persistent depression, were significant association with offspring behavior problems (P <0.01), the combined OR values were 1.83 (1.35 -2.47), 2.49(2.13 -2.92), 1.93(1.24 - 2. 99) respectively. Maternal postnatal depression symptoms were associated with a higher risk of offspring internalizing problems [combined OR: 2. 23 (1. 66 - 3. 01) ]，but weren't associated with externalizing problems [combined OR: 1. 32(0. 77 -2. 28)]. Conclusion: This meta-analysis provides the evidence that exposure to maternal prenatal depression, postnatal depression or persistent depression could increase the risk of offspring's behavior problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Shenyang Agricultural University is the property of Journal of Shenyang Agricultural University Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Maternal nutrition during pregnancy plays a vital role in the health of the offspring. Methyl donor nutrients, including folate, vitamin B12, choline, betaine, and methionine, directly affect DNA methylation and are closely associated with the health of the offspring. As an important part of epigenetics, DNA methylation plays an important role in the maintenance of normal cellular function, gene expression regulation, and embryonic development. Recent studies have shown that maternal nutrition may have a long-lasting effect on the health of the offspring via the changes in genomic DNA and/or methylation level in the promoter region in specific genes. Therefore, this review article focuses on the effect of maternal intake of methyl donor nutrients during pregnancy on DNA methylation, in order to explore the effect of the changed methylation status on the health of the offspring at the molecular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune connective tissue disease that affects multiple organs and systems. It is more common in women of childbearing age. Compared with the general population, pregnant women with SLE are at a significantly increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes such as preterm birth and intrauterine growth restriction. In addition, the offspring of SLE patients may also be adversely affected by in utero exposure to maternal autoantibodies, cytokines, and drugs. This article summarizes the long-term developmental outcomes of offspring of pregnant women with SLE in terms of the blood system, circulatory system, nervous system, and immune system.

Overweight and obesity are seriously impacting the whole population nowadays. Though high-fat or high-sugar diet and an unhealthy life style are the main causes of obesity in adult, recent researches suggest that maternal obesity and related metabolic disorders may affect the offspring, resulting in diseases like obesity, diabetes, asthma and cardiovascular symptoms. This review summarized some mechanisms of influence from maternal obesity to offspring including arachidonic acid-prostaglandin pathway and nitric oxide pathway, hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance, reactive oxygen species, lipotoxicity, and the effect of leptin to hypothalamus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the effects of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) on neurobehavior and gut microbiota of arsenic-exposed offspring rats. Methods: In April 2021, Thirty-six SPF SD rats aged 8 weeks were seleted, rats were ranked by weight and divided into four groups according to randomized block design, namely control group, arsenic exposure group (As group) , arsenic+normal saline group (As+NaCl group) and As+FMT group, 6 females and 3 males in each group. Fecal microbiota fluid were provided by feces of rats in control group. Rats drank tap water containing 75 mg/L sodium arsenite for one week and then were caged together. The arsenic exposure was terminated until the pups were born. Female rats with vaginal plug were treated with fecal microbiota fluid via gavage during neurodevelopmental teratogenic window period. The volume of gavage was 1 ml/100 g with once every two days, for a total of three times. Weight alterations of offspring rats were recorded every week after weaning, and when offspring rats grew up for 6 weeks, Morris test and open field experiment was used to observe learning and memory abilities, as well as neurobehavioral performance of autonomous exploration and tension, respectively. 16S rDNA sequencing technology was used to detect microbiota diversities in fecal samples of rats in As group and As+FMT group. Results: Compared with the control group, the ratio of swimming distance and staying time in the target quadrant and the times of crossing the platform of rats in As group decreased significantly, and the motor distance, times entering central zone and the number of grid crossing of rats decreased significantly ( P <0.05) . Compared with As group, the ratio of swimming distance in target quadrant, the motor distance in central zone and times entering central zone of rats in As+FMT group were evidently increased ( P <0.05) . The analysis of fecal microbiota diversities showed that, at the phyla level, the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes in feces of rats in As+FMT group was higher than that in As group (68.34% vs 60.55%) , while the relative abundance of Firmicutes was lower than that in As group (28.02% vs 33.48%) . At the genus level, the relative abundance of Prevotella in As+FMT group was significantly higher than that in As group, becoming the dominant genus (42.08% vs 21.78%) . Additionally, compared with As group, a total of 22 genus were increased with 21 decreased genus in As+FMT group ( P <0.05) . LEfSe analysis showed that dominant genuses in As+FMT group were Prevotella and UCG&#95;005 , and their relative abundance was significantly higher than that of As group ( P <0.05) . Conclusion: FMT may alleviate the impaired learning and memory ability and anxiety like behavior of the offspring rats exposed to arsenic, and improve the disrupted gut microbiota.

In recent years, the global prevalence of obesity continues to rise and the problem of overweight and obesity among women of childbearing age has become more prominent, leading to worldwide attention. Obesity can contribute to a series of diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, etc. At the same time, more and more evidences indicated that maternal obesity might have potential and long-term adverse effects on the development of their offspring. Previous studies mainly focused on the endocrine changes in maternal obesity -related offspring, whereas some epidemiological investigations and animal model studies have recently shown the conrelations between maternal obesity and nervous and mental diseases in its offspring. This article provides an ovendew of the effects of maternal obesity on the nervous and mental system in the offspring, including the occunrence and development of intellectual disability, schizophrenia, autism, anxiety, and Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, it can elucidate the conrelative mechanism, which would have crucial clinical and social significance in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the nervous and mental diseases for maternal obesity-related offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To understand the improvement effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on the intestinal flora of mother mice during pregnancy and their offspring who experienced chronic stress, and provide new ideas for improving the effect of stress on the intestinal tract. Methods: From July to October 2019, 24 SPF-grade female SD rats were selected and divided into control group, stress group, and stress+LBP group, with 8 rats in each group. A chronic unpredictable mild stimulation model during pregnancy was established (21 days) , and 40 mg/kg LBP solution was administered by gavage on the 8th day of stress. Venous blood from the medial canthus of the female mice was collected on the 1st day before stress and on the 1st, 7th, 14th and 21st days, respectively. Cortisol was measured and corticosterone concentration was calculated. The fresh feces of famale mice after stress and 20-day postnatal offspring mice were collected, and Illumina Miseq sequencing technology, alpha diversity and community composition were used to analyze the diversity and structure of intestinal flora. Results: On the 7th and 14th days of stress, the plasma corticosterone concentration of female mice in the stress group and stress+LBP group was higher than that in the control group ( P <0.05) . In the Alpha diversity of female mice, the Ace index of the stress group was lower than that of the control group ( P <0.05) . The analysis of intestinal flora structure showed that at the species level, the proportions of Lachnospiraceae and Lactobacillus in the stress+LBP group were higher than those in the stress group and control group. At the order level, the proportion of Clostridiales in the stress+LBP group was higher than that in the stress group and lower than that in the control group, while the proportion of Lactobacillales was higher than that in the stress group and control group. In the Alpha diversity of the offspring group, the Shannon index, Ace index and Chao index of the stress+LBP offspring group were higher than those of the stress offspring group ( P <0.05) . The proportion of Lactobacillus in the stress+LBP offspring group was higher than that in the control offspring group and stress offspring group, and the proportions of Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae in the stress+LBP offspring group were higher than those in the stress offspring group, the proportion of Bacteroidales in the stress+LBP offspring group was lower than that in the stress offspring group, and the proportion of Clostridiales in the stress+LBP offspring group was higher than that in the stress and control offspring groups. Conclusion: The intervention of LBP may improve the changes in the intestinal flora diversity, abundance and flora structure of mother mice and offspring caused by pregnancy stress, thereby maintaining the balance of intestinal flora.

Objectives: To study the association of maternal methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 1 ( MTHFD1 ) and methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 ( MTHFD2 ) gene polymorphisms with congenital heart disease (CHD) in offspring., Methods: A hospital-based case-control study was conducted. The mothers of 683 children with CHD alone who attended Hunan Children's Hospital, from November 2017 to March 2020 were enrolled as the case group, and the mothers of 740 healthy children who attended the same hospital during the same period and did not have any deformity were enrolled as the control group. A questionnaire survey was performed to collect related exposure data, and then venous blood samples (5 mL) were collected from the mothers to detect MTHFD1 and MTHFD2 gene polymorphisms. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of MTHFD1 and MTHFD2 gene polymorphisms with CHD. The four-gamete test in Haploview 4.2 software was used to construct haplotypes and evaluate the association between haplotypes and CHD. The generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction method and logistic regression analysis were used to examine gene-gene interaction and its association with CHD., Results: The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that maternal MTHFD1 gene polymorphisms at rs11849530 (GA vs AA: OR =1.49; GG vs AA: OR =2.04) andat rs1256142 (GA vs GG: OR =2.34; AA vs GG: OR =3.25) significantly increased the risk of CHD in offspring ( P <0.05), while maternal MTHFD1 gene polymorphisms at rs1950902 (AA vs GG: OR =0.57) and MTHFD2 gene polymorphisms at rs1095966 (CA vs CC: OR =0.68) significantly reduced the risk of CHD in offspring ( P <0.05). The haplotypes of G-G-G ( OR =1.86) and G-A-G ( OR =1.35) in mothers significantly increased the risk of CHD in offspring ( P <0.05). The gene-gene interaction analyses showed that the first-order interaction between MTHFD1 rs1950902 and MTHFD1 rs2236222 and the second-order interaction involving MTHFD1 rs1950902, MTHFD1 rs1256142, and MTHFD2 rs1095966 might be associated with risk of CHD ( P <0.05)., Conclusions: Maternal MTHFD1 and MTHFD2 gene polymorphisms and their haplotypes, as well as the interaction between MTHFD1 rs1950902 and MTHFD1 rs2236222 and between MTHFD1 rs1950902, MTHFD1 rs1256142, and MTHFD2 rs1095966, are associated with the risk of CHD in offspring.

The prevalence of maternal obesity has risen dramatically in recent years. Maternal obesity increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and can lead to chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, the change of cell factor homeostasis. The metabolic status of maternal obesity in the pre-pregnancy and pregnancy can alter the level of DNA methylation in the placenta, change the fetal programming, influence the pregnancy outcomes, and increase the risk of obesity related metabolic syndrome and other chronic diseases of offspring. Actively preventing and intervening in the maternal obesity can reduce the adverse pregnancy outcomes and increase the survival quality of the offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To study the association of the levels of heavy metals and trace elements during pregnancy with congenital heart defects (CHD) in offspring, and to establish a model for predicting the probability of CHD based on the levels of heavy metals and trace elements during pregnancy., Methods: Based on the prospective birth cohort study in Gansu Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital in 2010-2012, a nested case-control study was conducted for the follow-up observation of 14 359 pregnant women. Among the pregnant women, 97 pregnant women whose offspring were diagnosed with CHD during follow-up were enrolled as the CHD group, and 194 pregnant women whose offspring had no CHD were selected as the control group. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to measure the levels of heavy metals and trace elements in maternal blood samples and fetal umbilical cord blood samples. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between heavy metal and trace elements and CHD in offspring. A nomogram model for predicting the probability of CHD in offspring was established based on the levels of heavy metals and trace elements during pregnancy., Results: Compared with the control group, the CHD group had significantly higher levels of aluminum (Al), natrium (Na), calcium (Ca), titanium (Ti), selenium (Se), strontium (Sr), stannum (Sn), stibium (Sb), barium (Ba), and thorium (Th) in maternal blood samples ( P <0.05), as well as significantly higher levels of Al, zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), kalium (K), Ca, Ti, chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), Se, Sr, argentum (Ag), cadmium (Cd), Sn, and plumbum (Pb) in umbilical cord blood ( P <0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the increase in the Sb level in maternal blood was associated with the increase in the risk of CHD in offspring [adjusted odds ratio ( a OR )=4.81, 95% confidence interval ( CI) : 1.65-14.07, P =0.004], while in umbilical cord blood, the high levels of Al ( a OR =4.22, 95% CI : 1.35-13.16, P =0.013), Mg ( a OR =8.00, 95% CI : 1.52-42.08, P =0.049) were significantly associated with the risk of CHD in offspring. The levels of Al, Th, and Sb in maternal blood and levels of Al, Mg, and Pb in umbilical cord blood were included in the predictive model for CHD in offspring based on the levels of heavy metals and trace elements during pregnancy, and the calibration curve of the nomogram predictive model was close to the ideal curve.a OR =3.82, 95% CI : 0.96-15.23, P =0.049) were significantly associated with the risk of CHD in offspring. The levels of Al, Th, and Sb in maternal blood and levels of Al, Mg, and Pb in umbilical cord blood were included in the predictive model for CHD in offspring based on the levels of heavy metals and trace elements during pregnancy, and the calibration curve of the nomogram predictive model was close to the ideal curve., Conclusions: Increases in the levels of Al, Th, Sb, Mg, and Pb during pregnancy may indicate the increase in the risk of CHD in offspring, and the nomogram predictive model based on these indices can be used to predict the probability of CHD in offspring.

Objectives: To study the effect of high-fat diet for maternal Sprague-Dawley rats at different stages on glucose and lipid metabolism in offspring and related mechanisms., Methods: According to the diet before pregnancy and during pregnancy and lactation, maternal rats were randomly divided into four groups ( n =9 each): CC (control diet before pregnancy and during pregnancy and lactation), HC (high-fat diet before pregnancy and control diet during pregnancy and lactation), CH (control diet before pregnancy and high-fat diet during pregnancy and lactation), and HH (high-fat diet before pregnancy and during pregnancy and lactation), and all offspring rats were given control diet after weaning. The body weight of maternal rats was recorded before and during pregnancy. Male offspring rats were selected from each group at the juvenile stage (3-week old) and the adult stage (12-week old) to measure the levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG) and fasting insulin (FINS) and the levels of triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) in the liver. Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) index was calculated, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated for glucose tolerance test (GTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT). Lipid deposition in the liver was observed, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of the key genes in glucose and lipid metabolism ( IR , IRS , and AKT ), FASN , SREBP1c , and PPARα in the liver were also measured., Results: Compared with the control diet groups (CC and CH groups), the groups with high-fat diet before pregnancy (HC and HH groups) had a significant increase in body weight ( P <0.001). Compared with the CC group, the HC, CH, and HH groups had a significantly greater increase in body weight ( P <0.001). Compared with the CC group, the HC, CH, and HH groups had significant increases in body weight, the levels of TG and TC in the liver, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of FASN , SREBP1c , and PPARα in the offspring rats at week 3 after birth ( P <0.05), as well as a significant increase in lipid deposition in the liver, with the most significant increase of the parameters in the HH group. Compared with the CC group, the HH group had significant increases in the levels of FBG and FINS, HOMA-IR index, GTT-AUC, ITT-AUC, and the protein expression level of p-IRS in the liver and significant reductions in the mRNA and protein expression levels of IR and IRS in the liver in the offspring rats at week 3 after birth ( P <0.05). Compared with the CC group, the HC, CH, and HH groups had significant increases in body weight, the levels of FBG and FINS, HOMA-IR index, GTT-AUC, ITT-AUC, the levels of TG and TC in the liver, protein expression level of p-IRS in the liver, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of FASN , SREBP1c , and PPARα in the offspring rats at week 12 after birth ( P <0.05), as well as a significant increase in lipid deposition in the liver, with the most increase of the parameters in the HH group. Compared with the CC group, the HC, CH, and HH groups had significant reductions in the mRNA expression levels of IR , IRS , and AKT and the protein expression levels of IR, IRS, and p-AKT in the offspring rats at week 12 after birth ( P <0.05). There were no significant differences in the levels of glucose and lipid metabolism between the HC and CH groups at various stages ( P >0.05)., Conclusions: High-fat diet for rats at different stages before and after pregnancy has different effects on glucose and lipid metabolism of offspring rats, and high-fat diet before pregnancy and during pregnancy and lactation has the greatest effect. The effect of high-fat diet on glucose and lipid metabolism of offspring rats is considered associated with the changes in the expression of genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism.

Objective: To study the differential protein and signal pathway related to the impairment of learning and memory ability of offspring caused by chronic stress during pregnancy and explore the possible mechanism. Methods: From July to October 2019, sixteen SPF free female SD rats aged 80-90 days, weighing (200±20) g. Twelve SPF grade male SD rats aged 90-100 days, weighing (220±20) g. After a week of adaptive feeding, the female rats were randomly divided into control group and model group (8 rats in each group) , male rats were divided into control mating group ( n =8) and model mating group ( n =4) . Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model was established and stimulated continuously for 21 days. One day before stress, the first, seventh, fourteenth and 21th day after stress, the blood was collected from the inner canthus vein of the female rats, and the content of corticosterone was determined. Morris water maze test was used to detect the spatial learning and memory ability of offspring rats. The morphological changes of hippocampus were observed by HE and Nissl staining. The proteomic correlation analysis of offspring rats' hippocampus was performed by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) technique. Results: Compared with the control group, the content of plasma corticosterone in the model group was significantly higher ( F =7.717, P <0.05) , and the model was successfully established. In Morris water maze test, compared with the control offspring group, the escape latency was longer, the average swimming speed was lower, the number of crossing platform was less, and the target quadrant run was shorter in the model offspring group ( P <0.05) . The pathological results showed that the morphology of cells in the hippocampal tissue of the model offspring group was irregular, the number of neurons was small, Nissl body was unevenly distributed, the volume was small and the number was small. Mass spectrometry analysis showed that a total of 5065 proteins were screened out in the two offspring groups, and 26 proteins were differentially expressed ( P <0.05) , of which 19 proteins were up-regulated and 7 proteins were down regulated. The differential proteins were mainly involved in 23 biological processes, 14 cellular components and 9 molecular functions. Kyoto Encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that 57 pathways were enriched, of which 8 signaling pathways were significantly enriched ( P <0.05) . There were 5 signaling pathways that might be involved in the impairment of learning and memory ability of offspring, including neuroactive ligand receptor interaction, cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, adhesion and connection, adhesion and connection FoxO signaling pathway and Notch signaling pathway, mainly including tyrosine protein kinase receptor, tyrosine kinase receptor and Notch signaling pathway, and α2A adrenergic receptor, cGMP dependent protein kinase and other differential proteins may be involved in the injury process. Conclusion: The damage of learning and memory ability of offspring may be caused by chronic stress during pregnancy rats. The enriched signal pathway and key differential proteins of proteomics may play an important role in the process of damage.

Objective: To investigate the effect of chronic stress of pregnant rats on the gut microbiota of female rats and offspring, and explore the role of intestinal microbiota in chronic stress during pregnancy. Methods: In November 2019, SPF-grade healthy adult SD rats were selected. 16 female rats were randomly divided into control group and model group, with 8 in each group; 12 male rats were randomly divided into model mating group (8) and control mating group (4) . A model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) during pregnancy was established. Blood samples were collected from the iliac vein of the female rats 1 day before and 1, 7, and 14 days after the CUMS protocol, and measured for plasma corticosterone content by radioimmunoassay. After the stress was completed, fresh feces of the female rats were collected for testing. The offspring's fresh stool samples were collected on postnatal day 20 (PND20) , and they were divided into control offspring group and model offspring group samples. The sequence of 16S rRNAV3-V4 regions of microorganisms in the feces of offspring was determined by Illumina MiSeq technique; and the interaction between microbial community structure and diversity were analyzed. Results: The content of plasma corticosterone in the model group was higher than that in the control group on the 7th and 14th day of stress ( P <0.05) . Compared with the control group, the Sobs index, Chao index, ACE index and Shannon index of the model group were decreased ( P <0.05) . The number of unique species abundance (OTU) in the control group was 130, and 91 in the model group. The relative abundance of female Firmicutes in the control group (64.87%) was higher than that in the model group, and the relative abundance of Bacteroides (31.72%) was lower than that of the model group (46.35%) . The Sobs index, Chao index, ACE index, Simpson index and Shannon index of the control offspring group were higher than those of the model offspring group ( P <0.05) . The number of unique OTUs in the model offspring group was 75, and 93 in the control offspring group. The relative abundance of Firmicutes (60.24%) in the control offspring group was higher than that of the model offspring group (52.95%) . Conclusion: Chronic stress during pregnancy can not only lead to the disorder of intestinal flora in female rats, but also lead to the change of intrauterine environment, thus affecting the diversity of intestinal flora in offspring.

Objective: To explore the effects of oxidative stress on renal dopamine D(1) receptor dysfunction in offspring of diabetic rat dams. Methods: The pregnant Sprague Dawley (SD) rats ( n= 10) were randomly divided into the diabetic group (a single intraperitoneal injection of 35 mg/kg streptozotocin on day 0 of gestation) and control group (injected with the equal volume of 0.9% saline on day 0 of gestation) according to the random number table ( n= 5 each group). The offspring rats were divided into 4 groups including offspring of control dams treated with vehicle, offspring of control dams treated with antioxidant, offspring of diabetic dams treated with vehicle and offspring of diabetic dams treated with antioxidant ( n= 10 each group). After birth, the offspring rats were treated with normal drinking water or antioxidant (tempol, 1.0 mmol/L) from the age of 4 weeks until the end of the study (20 weeks). The blood pressure was monitored continuously by non-invasive tail-cuff method. The renal oxidative markers including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) activity and D(1) receptor agonist (fenoldopam)-mediated urinary and sodium excretion were detected. Furthermore, the protein expression of renal G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2), GRK4, dopamine D(1) receptor and the phosphorylation level of D(1) receptor were detected. Results: The mean arterial pressure of offspring from the diabetic dams treated with vehicle was significantly higher than that of offspring from control dams treated with vehicle ( P= 0.013), while the mean arterial pressure of offspring from diabetic dams treated with antioxidant was significantly lower than that of offspring from the diabetic dams treated with vehicle ( P= 0.038). The fenoldopam-mediated urinary flow and urinary sodium excretion rate were significantly lower in offspring of diabetic dams treated with vehicle than those in offspring of control dams treated with vehicle ( P< 0.01), which were significantly higher in offspring of diabetic dams treated with antioxidant as compared to offspring of diabetic dams treated with vehicle (both P< 0.01). There was no significant difference in fenoldopam-mediated urinary flow and urinary sodium excretion rate in offspring of control dams treated with antioxidant or vehicle (urinary flow: P= 0.772; urinary sodium excretion rate: P= 0.716). Compared with offspring of control dams treated with vehicle, the renal MDA activity was significantly increased, while the SOD activity was significantly decreased in offspring of diabetic dams treated with vehicle (MDA: P< 0.01; SOD: P= 0.013). The renal MDA activity was significantly decreased, while the SOD activity was significantly increased in offspring of diabetic dams treated with antioxidant in comparison with offspring of diabetic dams treated with vehicle (MDA: P< 0.01; SOD: P= 0.035).The renal GRK2 and GRK4 protein expression in offspring of diabetic dams treated with vehicle were significantly higher than those in offspring of control dams treated with vehicle ( P< 0.01), while the expression levels of renal GRK2 and GRK4 in offspring of diabetic dams treated with antioxidant were significantly downregulated compared with offspring of diabetic dams treated with vehicle ( P< 0.01). There was no significant difference in the protein expression of dopamine D(1) receptor among 4 groups ( P= 0.735). The level of dopamine D(1) receptor phosphorylation in offspring of diabetic dams treated with vehicle was significantly higher than that in offspring of control dams treated with vehicle ( P< 0.01), while the dopamine D(1) receptor phosphorylation level was significantly lower in offspring of diabetic dams treated with antioxidant compared to that in offspring of diabetic dams treated with vehicle ( P< 0.01). Conclusion: Oxidative stress is involved in the dopamine D(1) receptors dysfunction in the offspring of diabetic dams.