1,721,015 research outputs found
Classics revisited. History of reptile placentology: Studiati's early account of placentation in a viviparous lizard.
No full textMaterno-fetal immunotolerance: is Interleukin-1 a fundamental mediator in placental viviparity?
No full textCytokines are important regulators of materno–fetal immunotolerance in mammals. They act within an intricate network,
in which the balance among different cytokines contributes to the success of reproductive processes. Despite numerous studies,
however, the role of cytokines at the materno–fetal interface remains largely unknown.
Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a proinflammatory cytokine with many functions in the immune system and in defence against
infections. There have been very many studies of the presence and role of IL-1 in human and murine reproduction. Although
studies on mammals have shown that IL-1 is an essential mediator in embryo implantation and establishment of pregnancy,
mice that are transgenic for most components of the IL-1 family breed normally, suggesting that IL-1 acts in concert with other
cytokines at the materno–fetal interface.
We recently showed that IL-1 is also expressed by the placenta of non-mammalian vertebrates, including some squamate
reptiles and elasmobranch fishes. The expression of IL-1 at the materno–fetal interface in the phylogenetically oldest extant
placental vertebrates suggests that IL-1 is a fundamental regulator of materno–fetal relationships
Effects of astrocytoma cells conditioned medium on differentiated neuroblastoma cells subjected to hypoxia and reperfusion
No full textFeto-maternal biology and ethics of human society
Full text linkAbstract The growing interest in human reproduction and the identity of the embryo have prompted us to bring some considerations to the attention of scientists. In particular, we focus on the interactive relationship between the embryo and the mother starting from the earliest stages of development. Principles governing the acceptance and growth of the embryo in the uterus may represent a model for mutual tolerance and peaceful co-existence in human society.</p
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Glycosylation of the materno-foetal interface in the pregnant viviparous placentotrophic lizard Chalcides chalcides: a lectin histochemical study
No full textGlycosylation of the foeto-maternal interface of the skink Chalcides chalcides has been examined at various stages of gestation using
lectin histochemistry. Specimens of incubatory chamber or placenta from early, mid-, late- and near-term pregnancy were fixed
and embedded in epoxy resin. Areas of foeto-maternal apposition were probed with a panel of biotinylated lectins followed by an
avidin–peroxidase revealing system to identify various classes of glycan at the interface. Both the external epithelium of
unspecialized bilaminar omphalopleure, which forms by early pregnancy, and chorioallantoic membrane which develops by
mid-pregnancy, were composed of two phenotypes, one of which secreted a wide range of glycans including high mannose and
complex N-glycan, N-acetyl glucosamine, lactosamine and galactosamine, which became less prominent from mid-pregnancy
onwards. The uterine epithelium also contained a well-developed secretory apparatus producing a similar range of glycans and
there were indications that glycosylated secretions were taken up by the overlying chorioallantois. Foetal vasculature was well
developed while maternal vessels appeared more contracted, and both were richly sialylated like their therian equivalents. Our
findings indicate that this reptile has evolved a true epitheliochorial placenta with many aspects in common with its therian
counterparts but also with unique features of its own
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