Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0029713 (immaturity)
 4,335 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The effects of intake of acetaldehyde, the proximal metabolite of ethanol, were studied in two groups of Fischer strain rats. Virgin rats were mated at 3 months of age or at 8 months of age. The acetaldehyde intake group (AcH) was given a 2% aqueous solution of acetaldehyde for the first time on the first day of pregnancy. The solution was then given once a day, oral net acetaldehyde 240 mg/kg b.w. through gestation, labor and lactation. The control group was not exposed to acetaldehyde. Comparative observations were made on both maternal rats and their offspring. 1) Maternal body weight gain between the first and 20th day of pregnancy was significantly low in the AcH group compared with the control group (3-month-old: p less than 0.05, 8-month-old: p less than 0.05). As for placental weight, 3-month-old AcH mothers showed no significant differences from the controls, whereas 8-month-old AcH mothers weighed significantly less than those in the control group (p less than 0.01). Histological investigation disclosed that the brain, liver, and kidney had slight changes in all AcH mothers, whereas the control group showed almost no changes. 2) The average number of fetuses at the 20th day of gestation, neonates per litter, did not significantly differ among the groups. 3) As for the body weight of the offspring of 3-month-old mothers, the AcH neonates and 10-day-old offspring weighed significantly less than those in the control group (p less than 0.01, p less than 0.01). In the case of 8-month-old mothers, the AcH fetuses at the 20th day of gestation and neonates weighed significantly less than the controls (p less than 0.01, p less than 0.01). 4) Histological study of the brain, lung, liver, kidney, and thymus in offspring revealed remarkable visceral immaturity and hemorrhage in the AcH group, as compared to the controls.
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PMID:[Effects of acetaldehyde exposure on maternal rats and their offspring]. 152 30

beta cells in the human fetal pancreas are immature in that they release little or no insulin in response to nutrients, such as glucose. The aim of this study was to examine further the immaturity of these cells, specifically regarding the storage and release of the precursor of insulin, proinsulin. Explants of human fetal pancreas were cultured in vitro for 3 weeks. Levels of proinsulin remained relatively constant throughout at 0.04 +/- 0.002 (S.E.M.) pmol/mg per day with a molar ratio of proinsulin to insulin of 2.2 +/- 0.11%. This low ratio was slightly greater than that observed in culture medium conditioned by adult human islets (0.3 +/- 0.1%), but similar to that found in acid-ethanol extracts of cultured explants (1.4 +/- 0.3%). Passaging of human fetal pancreas for 3 months in diabetic nude mice, which should have caused some maturation of the fetal beta cell, did not change the proportion of proinsulin present. Culture of explants in the presence of 12-O-tetra-decanoylphorbol-13-acetate resulted in some inhibition of proinsulin release, but much less than that for insulin, so that the molar ratio increased to 15.4 +/- 1.6% from the control 3.5 +/- 0.3%. Static stimulation of cultured explants with 10 mmol Ca2+/l, 10 mmol theophylline/l, and these two agents together caused 15-, 4- and 10-fold enhancement respectively of proinsulin release; glucose, leucine, arginine and KCl had no effect. In contrast, all these agents caused significant insulin release, the last four to a much smaller extent (less than or equal to three fold) than the first three (10-, 19- and 65-fold respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Release of proinsulin from the human fetal beta cell. 173 55

The effects of ethanol intake were studied in the three groups of Fischer strain rats. The EtOH-F group began drinking freely at 29 days of age and continued all through mating, pregnancy, delivery, and lactation days. They drank a 10% aqueous solution of ethanol, with net ethyl alcohol 9.7 g/kg b. w. on average. The EtOH-P group drank a 20% aqueous solution of ethanol for the first time on the first day of pregnancy. The solution was then given periodically once a day, oral net ethyl alcohol 3.8 g/kg b. w., through gestation, labor, and lactation. The control group was not exposed to ethanol. Comparative observation were made on both maternal rats and their offspring. 1) Maternal rats: Maternal body weight gain between the first and 20th days of pregnancy was significantly low in the two drinking groups (EtOH-F:p less than 0.01, EtOH-P:p less than 0.01), compared with the control group. Comparing the EtOH-F and the EtOH-P, it was found that body weight gain during the 20 days of pregnancy was significantly depressed in the former group (p less than 0.05). There were no significant differences in placental weight among the three groups. Histological findings disclosed that the brain, liver, and kidney had moderate changes in the EtOH-F, whereas the control showed only slight changes. 2) The average number of fetuses at the 20th day of gestation, neonates per litter, did not significantly different among the three groups. The body weights of fetuses at the 20th day of gestation, of neonates and 10-day-old offspring were recorded. In the case of the EtOH-P group, significantly low values (p less than 0.05, p less than 0.01, p less than 0.01) compared with the respective controls. In the case of the EtOH-F group, the differences were non-significant, p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.01 respectively. 3) Histological study of the brain, lung, liver, kidney, and thymus in offspring revealed that remarkable visceral immaturity and hemorrhage were in the EtOH-P and the EtOH-F groups as compared to the control, and they were more pronounced in the EtOH-F group than in the EtOH-P group. 4) Different ways of ethanol administration brought about different results: The EtOH-P group showed a clearer tendency to have low-body-weight of offspring than those the EtOH-F group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:[Effects of ethanol exposure beginning at an early age on maternal rat and their offspring]. 178 62

Leprechaunism is a rare genetic disorder characterized by physical abnormalities, intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation, poorly developed subcutaneous fat and muscle at birth, and early death. This patient, who was a 1.5 year-old female with typical clinical features of leprechaunism, had relatively high levels of plasma GH and IGF-I/SMC but no glucose intolerance or insulin resistance. Studies were undertaken to elucidate (1) the differences among some kinds of methods for IGF-I/SMC measurement, (2) the distribution patterns of IGF-I/SMC between two kinds of its binding protein (SMBP) in plasma, and (3) the dynamics of IGF-I/SMC receptor in her erythrocytes and liver microsomal membranes. The results were as follows: (1) The level of IGF-I/SMC measured by Nichols radioimmunoassay kit was 1.33U/ml, which was higher than that of infants the same age. Conversely, it was lower than that of the control which was measured by radioimmunoassay using recombinant IGF-I/SMC after acid-ethanol or Seppak C18 extraction. (2) By Sephadex G150 gel-chromatography, immunoreactive IGF-I/SMC was eluted predominantly in 150K region, and two apparent peaks of unsaturated somatomedin binding protein (USBP) were determined in a neonatal infant (appropriate to date), a normal adult and an infant of the same age as this patient. On the other hand, immunoreactive IGF-I/SMC was located only in the fractions corresponding to 40K region, and only one peak of USBP could be estimated in the region of 40K dalton. (3) The IGF-I/SMC receptor in the patient's erythrocytes possessed significantly lower binding affinity but higher binding capacity in comparison with that of the normal neonate and adult. In addition, the receptor in liver microsomal membranes obtained from this patient at autopsy also indicated lower affinity but higher capacity than that of fetuses at more than 19 weeks of gestation. This was coincident to that of fetuses less than 19 weeks of gestation. These results suggested that this patient resembled the intrauterine fetus before midgestation not only in the co-relationship among GH, IGF-I/SMC and its binding proteins, but also in the characteristics of its receptor. The severe growth retardation existing in this patient may be, at least partly, due to the abnormality and/or immaturity of IGF-I/SMC function. It is speculated that leprechaunism could be classified in relation to fetal growth mechanism by aspects of biological functions of IGF-I/SMC during development.
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PMID:[A case of leprechaunism with disorders of insulin-like growth factor-I(IGF-I)/somatomedin C(SMC) binding protein and its receptor]. 247 74

Concerning the well known stimulative effect of ethanol on the secretory activity of the intermediary lobe of the hypophysis in mature animals, the effect of the same agent was analyzed in the young of the alcoholized parents. Immediately after animals were parted from their alcoholized breast feeding mothers the hypophyses of the young old 1, 10, 20 and 30 days were taken for hystological analysis. In the first day of postnatal life the intermediary lobe is completely developed so that it has a glandular tissue covered by marginal epithelium; but structural changes connected with the influence of alcohol were not noticed. In the young old 10 days, the initial hyperplasia of the gland cells in the intermediary lobe was noticed and intermediocytes penetrated deep into the posterior lobe area. Histological findings at the 20th and 30th day of life are similar and manifested through the prominent hyperplasia of the glandular cells and through the hyperfunction certified by a rich content of intermediocytes in the RNA and the intensified activity of succinate-dehydrogenase and NADH diaphorase at the level of the marginal epithelium. The fact that the intermediary lobe cells are not able to react on the alcohol stimulation before the 10th day of life could be explained by the immaturity of the neurotransmitter system.
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PMID:[The effect of alcohol on the intermediate hypophyseal lobe in the early postnatal period]. 263 84

The blood clotting and fibrinolysis systems were examined in 97 newborns hospitalized for diseases caused by infection. Two groups were isolated on the basis of differences in birth weight: group A with normal birth weight and group B with low birth weight. The observation of changes developing in the blood clotting and fibrinolysis systems during infection was confirmed. Differences were noted in the response of blood clotting system between group A and B. In newborns with low birth weight (group B) plasma clotting time was more frequently prolonged (especially the time of prothrombin plasma clotting), and prolongation was noted also in the plasma euglobulin lysis time. Less frequently, however, a positive ethanol test and reactions in the form of increased fibrinogen concentration and platelet count rise were found. These differences may suggest a more profound immaturity of the studied newborns with low birth weight, and their greater susceptibility to infection-related coagulopathy.
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PMID:[Changes in the blood coagulation and fibrinolysis systems in newborn infants with infections and normal and low birth weight]. 281 42

Reduced thymus size and fetal weight were seen in 18-day old fetuses of C57BL/6 female mice fed a complete liquid diet containing 25% ethanol-derived calories (EDC) from gestational day 0 to 18. Thymocytes from fetuses from the 25% EDC diet group and from pair-fed and ad-lib control diet groups were compared by flow cytometry for expression of thymocyte differentiation antigens. The proportions of L3T4-positive and Lyt-2-positive thymus cells were significantly reduced in alcohol-exposed fetuses compared to controls; however, the number of Thy-l-positive cells did not differ among any of the groups. Histologically, the thymus from 25% EDC fetal mice failed to show the delineation between cortex and medulla that was seen in the thymuses of control fetuses. These results indicate that thymus immaturity is one of the accompanying features of fetal alcohol syndrome.
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PMID:Flow cytometric and histological analysis of mouse thymus in fetal alcohol syndrome. 326 56

In order to pursue peculiarities of fetal metabolism, fluorometric measurements of intracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) were made in perfused adult and fetal guinea pig livers following the administration of various agents before and after anoxia loadings. Oxygen and glucose concentrations of the drainage from perfused livers were also measured. The following results were obtained: (1) NAD reduction, oxygen uptake and glucose production were observed to be lower in fetal livers in response to lactate, pyruvate, octanoate and ethanol than the adult ones, suggesting immaturity of fetal intracellular metabolism. (2) However, on the basis of NAD reduction following norepinephrine (NE) administration, fetal plasma membraneous receptors were considered to be similarly active, although induced glucose production was lower than the adult ones. Sequential NE administrations yielded consecutive changes in NAD reduction and glucose production, suggesting active response of fetal plasma membrane to NE. (3) After one hour and three hours of anoxia loadings, adult NAD reduction rates by NE were decreased remarkably to 37% and 11%, respectively, of the control values on average, while fetal rates were reduced to only 61% and 45% of the control values, suggesting anoxic tolerance of fetal plasma membrane. (4) After three hours of anoxia loading, NAD reduction was observed following succinate administration in adult livers, indicating membraneous damage due to anoxia. No such changes were observed in fetal livers. (5) Scanning spectrophotometric studies demonstrated activities of mitochondrial cytochromes in perfused adult and fetal livers, indicating the efficacy of non-destructive in vivo measurements.
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PMID:[Comparative studies on perfused adult and fetal guinea pig liver metabolism before and after anoxia loadings, with special reference to intracellular redox state]. 687 38

HLA-DR-like antigens and secretory component (SC) were localized immunohistochemically in adjacent tissue sections of ethanol-fixed paraffin-embedded jejunal mucosa from control subjects and patients with coeliac disease (CD) or dermatitis herpetiformis (DH). HLA-DR-like antigens were found in a patchy distribution apically in the columnar epithelial cells facing the gut lumen and in the upper part of the crypt epithelium. The staining pattern was similar in controls and patients with CD or DH. SC was normally most abundant in the crypt epithelium but the concentration of SC in the surface epithelium increased with increasing villous atrophy both in CD and DH patients. Despite this sign of immaturity, the surface cells retained their capacity to express HLA-DR-like antigens in the pathological mucosa.
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PMID:Relation between HLA-DR-like antigens and secretory component (SC) in jejunal epithelium of patients with coeliac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis. 703 May 31

Literature reports that chronically ingested ethanol induces changes in the morphology of the small bowel mucous membranes. It has a topical toxic effect on the epithelium of the proximal jejunum and a blood-borne effect on the epithelium of the ileum because its absorption is almost complete in the stomach, duodenum and proximal jejunum. In addition there are also reports showing stimulation of enterocyte proliferation after segmental intestine resection. In this report we compare a group of rats submitted to resection of the proximal jejunum and fed a liquid diet containing 35% of the total calories intake as ethanol for four weeks to its control pair-fed group. In both groups we studied the mucosal alkaline phosphatase (APase) activity by histochemical as well as biochemical methods. We found a decreased APase activity in the homogenate of the intestinal mucous membrane in the alcoholic group and a reduced enzymatic activity in the brush border of the ileum enterocytes, as demonstrated by histochemical qualitative and densitometric assays. The result suggests that this change in APase activity of the brush border may represent enterocyte immaturity induced by long-standing ethanol intake in the remnant ileum after proximal resection.
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PMID:Ileum brush border alkaline phosphatase activity in an experimental model of chronic alcoholism after small bowel proximal resection in the rat. 778 32


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