Energy needs are increased during pregnancy and lactation. These increased energy needs may be met through partitioning of nutrients for energy utilization which is under hormonal control. The objective of the present studies was to determine if changes in plasma leptin occurred during pregnancy and lactation and if the changes ...

PURPOSE: Megacystis Microcolon Intestinal Hypoperistalsis Syndrome (MMIHS) is a congenital disease, and the etiology of the disease is unclear. It is speculated that maternal ingestion of some drugs during pregnancy may be an etiologic factor. In this study we aimed to investigate the effect of maternal ingestion of ethanol on ...

The serum leptin profile and its production in adipose tissue during pregnancy and lactation were investigated along with changes in appetite and factors reflecting nutritional status in 11-week-old rats. Serum leptin levels in pregnant rats were stable except on day 20 of pregnancy and significantly reduced during lactation compared to ...

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have become the agents of first choice in the treatment of depression because of their safe side effect profile. This paper reviews the current literature on the use of SSRIs in pregnancy and lactation concerning their safety. There are human studies that only used fluoxetine ...

Leptin levels are significantly elevated in pregnant mice, rats and humans suggesting a critical role for leptin during gestation. To address whether leptin plays a putative role in the physiology of pregnancy, we asked whether a mouse pregnancy would be affected by the complete absence of leptin from both the ...

A substantial amount of calcium is transferred from the mother to the fetus and infant during pregnancy and lactation. Involvement of the skeleton in meeting this demand should be reflected in changes in bone mass and turnover. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of pregnancy, lactation, ...

Few studies have been performed regarding clinical, radiological and prognostic features of females with spondyloarthropathies other than ankylosing spondylitis (AS). In AS, clinical manifestations appear similar in men and women, whereas radiological features appear more frequent and severe in males. However, no consistent differences in outcome and mortality between men ...

Upon stimulation with high K+, oxytocin, prostaglandin E2, prostaglandin F2 alpha or carbachol, myometrium isolated from pregnant rats (21 days after pregnancy) developed 2-3 times greater isometric force than that from non-pregnant rats (estrus). High K+ increased the level of myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation to a similar extent in ...

1. Small mesenteric arteries from pregnant rats demonstrated greater sensitivity (pEC50 : P<0.001) and maximum relaxation (P<0.01) to acetylcholine (ACh) than those of control non-pregnant animals. 2. Maximum relaxation, but not sensitivity, to ACh remained greater (P<0.01) in pregnant animals when evaluated in 25 mM KCl, which prevents relaxation dependent ...

The primary (connective tissue papillae) and secondary projections of the subepithelial connective tissue of the lamina propria were studied in the hard palate of normal (control group), and in protein-deficient pups (experimental group) obtained through maternal protein deprivation during pregnancy and lactation. At birth, the primary projections in the control ...

Prolactin induces mammopoiesis and lactogenesis through the Janus kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription pathway, with Stat5a being a principal and obligate cytoplasmic and nuclear signaling molecule. Mice from which the Stat5a gene has been deleted fail to develop functional mammary tissue during their first pregnancy. Lobuloalveolar outgrowth is curtailed, ...

Northern elephant seals, Mirounga angustirostris, fast completely from food and water during lactation. Previous investigations of maternal investment suggested physiological constraints on the level of energy expenditure during lactation. In this study, two components of phocid fasting physiology, protein sparing and reduced glomerular filtration rate, were examined for effects of ...

Among wild ruminants, muskoxen have an exceptional ability to fatten, but their pregnancy rates are variable and often low. To test whether the likelihood of pregnancy in muskoxen is associated with exceptionally good body condition, we used logistic regression analysis with data from 32 pregnant and 18 nonpregnant muskoxen > ...

The abundance of gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor type A (GABAA receptor) subunit mRNAs and polypeptides as well as muscimol-stimulated 36Cl- uptake were measured in rat cerebral cortex or hippocampus at various times during pregnancy and after delivery. RNase protection assays revealed that the amount of the gamma2L subunit mRNA decreased progressively ...

The requirements for zinc during lactation are greater than those during pregnancy, especially during the early weeks postpartum. Therefore, lactation poses a significant threat to maternal zinc homeostasis, particularly in populations with chronically low dietary zinc intakes. The current knowledge of maternal zinc status in lactation, particularly in developing countries, ...

The neurotoxic effects of Dimethoate (Dim), Dichlorvos (DDVP) and Methyl-Parathion (MP) respectively were investigated on the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) of rats after different treatment schedules at the macro and single unit cell level. At the macro investigations 1/25, 1/50 and 1/100 of the respective ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and compare the in vivo strength, knot efficiency, and knot security of 4 types of sliding knots, and to assess tissue reaction to study the effect of knot configuration, knot volume, and suture size. DESIGN: Randomized trial. SETTING: Experimental Medical Research Institute, Istanbul, Turkey. SUBJECTS: Wistar rats. ...

Our objective was to develop a technique for cannulating the terminal ileum in pregnant sows and to evaluate the usefulness of this procedure in digestibility studies in pregnant and lactating sows. A simple T-cannula was inserted into the terminal ileum approximately 15 cm cranial to the ileo-cecal valve in a ...

Controversy exists concerning whether shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) is contraindicated during pregnancy (4, 5). The effects of shock waves on a variety of cells are well documented in both clinical and experimental studies, but their effect on the foetus remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of SWL ...

In this study, we have analyzed the developmental expression of the prolactin receptor (PRL-R) gene in the ewe mammary gland during pregnancy and lactation. Using Northern and slot-blot analysis and in situ hybridization, we showed that the level of PRL-R mRNA in mammary epithelial cells increased during the second half ...

The effects of pregnancy and lactation on bone histomorphometry have been studied extensively in rats and dogs. However, these models differ greatly in reproductive physiology compared with women. The purpose of this study was to evaluate histomorphometric changes in iliac crest bone biopsies taken from cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis), animals ...

Energy allocation for maternal maintenance and milk production was examined in lactating hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) supporting three to seven offspring at 10 degrees or 24 degrees C. Lactating mothers obtained most of their energy from dietary intake (ca. 90%), and the remainder was withdrawn from maternal stores. There ...

1. The influence of pregnancy, lactation and weaning on bone mineral density in healthy women was investigated during a 2 year prospective study of 59 pregnant and lactating women from the 18th week of gestation. 2. Bone mineral density was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry at the non-dominant radius ...

Symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux is a common complication of pregnancy and lactation. However, the safety of many effective medical therapies, including oral proton pump inhibitors, has not been well defined. The administration of oral omeprazole to a 41-year-old female during the third trimester of pregnancy, after ranitidine and cisapride failed to ...

OBJECTIVES: Our hypothesis was that during pregnancy nitric oxide acts as mediator in the hemodynamic response to volume expansion. STUDY DESIGN: The study was performed on 12 rats on days 19 to 20 of pregnancy. Six rats were injected intravenously with hexamethonium bromide plus the inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase ...

A cohort of 15 immigrant females to Australia and 7 native Australian controls were monitored on a monthly basis with high-precision lead isotopic methods during gestation and for 6 months after pregnancy to determine the extent of lead mobilization from the maternal skeleton. Quarterly environmental samples of house dust, drinking ...

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of stage of the reproductive cycle and age on Ca and P metabolism and bone integrity of sows. Five-day balance studies were conducted with first- and fifth-parity sows, and sows were slaughtered during the last trimester of gestation, at the ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the hypothesis that kinetics of vasorelaxation are altered during pregnancy. METHODS: Rings of aorta from rats at different stages of pregnancy (early, late, and term) and from nonpregnant female rats were precontracted with high-K+ and then allowed to relax in normal-K+ physiologic saline solution. The time to ...

Pregnancy-associated osteoporosis (PAO) is considered a rare complication of pregnancy and lactation, but the actual incidence is unknown. Pregnancy-associated osteoporosis is self-limited and usually does not recur during subsequent pregnancies, but little is known about its pathogenesis or the dynamics of bone density during the evolution and recovery phases of ...

Successful pregnancies in patients with transfusion-dependent homozygous beta-thalassemia major are rare. We report the course of a pregnancy and newborn data during lactation and desferrioxamine therapy in the mother. The twin-pregnancy was complicated by preeclampsia. Besides normal iron level in breast milk, no clinical or hematological abnormalities due to desferrioxamine ...

The hypothesis that the changes in vascular reactivity seen during pregnancy are determined by the gestational age was examined. Experiments were designed to investigate changes in vascular responses with progression of pregnancy. The contractile responses to potassium and phenylephrine (in the presence and absence of N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, a nitric ...

Understanding the biological function of the fat retained during pregnancy is important when estimating energy needs during reproduction. Women as well as rats are often considered to gain fat at specific anatomical sites during pregnancy and use this fat as a source of energy during lactation. However, mobilized body fat ...

Histological changes in the rat nipple during the reproductive cycle were observed. In virgin and the first half (days 5 and 10) of pregnancy, the nipple had a dull conical shape and the germinative layer of epidermis, thicker than that of the skin surrounding the nipple, deeply ingrew into the ...

The bed nuclei of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a target site for the central actions of oxytocin (OT) in promoting behavioural and neuroendocrine responses involved in female reproduction, and binding studies suggest that OT sensitivity may be modulated over the peripartum period. Electrophysiological recordings from brain slices in vitro ...

Three cases of breast cancer during pregnancy and lactation which were referred to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of loannina University Hospital during the period 1990-1997 are presented. Diagnosis and management of these cases are discussed and a strength protocol is suggested to identify new cases of breast cancer during ...

Oxytocin neurone terminals display a powerful opioid-mediated auto-inhibitory mechanism which restrains secretory activity. In pregnancy, upregulation of this mechanism may underlie the accumulation of large stores of oxytocin in the pituitary. In the present study, conscious pregnant rats were cannulated to allow blood samples to be taken for measurement of ...

Melatonin is the mammalian fetus's window to periodicity of the outside world. Through melatonin, the fetus "knows" what time of year it is and, in all likelihood, also knows the time of day. The best known function of melatonin during development is to communicate information about photoperiod and thereby adaptively ...

Pregnant rats were subjected to 50% food restriction during the first or the second half of pregnancy, or throughout pregnancy. The effects of intrauterine food restriction, on kidney function and morphometry were studied in newborn and adult (3 months) offspring. No differences in glomerular diameter were observed in newborn restricted ...

The effects of Mg lactate, vitamin B6 and their association were studied on the ionic transfer through a membranous model: the human isolated amniotic membrane. The ionic transfer was evaluated by measuring of the total conductance in the maternal to fetal way (GtM) and in the fetal to maternal way ...

A germ line null mutation of the prolactin receptor gene has been produced by replacing exon 5 with the Tk-NEO cassette. Heterozygous females showed almost complete failure of lactation following their first pregnancy when mated at 6-8 weeks of age. The severity of this phenotype was reduced when heterozygotes were ...

The changes in the expression of the various adenylyl cyclases (ACs) in the rat uterus during the course of pregnancy and after delivery were examined by Northern blot analysis and AC assay. Northern blot analysis revealed that five isoforms of ACs (AC2, AC4, AC6, AC7, and AC9) were expressed in ...

Cyclin D1 is a critical component of the core cell cycle machinery. Mice lacking cyclin D1 develop mammary glands that fail to undergo normal lobuloalveolar proliferation during pregnancy. Thus, cyclin D1 seems to play a critical role in pregnancy-induced proliferation of mammary epithelium. Cyclin D1 also participates in neoplasia, as ...

Leptin, the product of the obese gene first identified in mice, restores fertility in obese mice, and accelerates puberty in mice. We hypothesized that leptin's putative role in reproduction may extend to pregnancy and lactation. Leptin levels were determined in Myotis lucifugus, the little brown bat, a free-ranging mammal with ...

Although the mechanisms remain unknown, maternal core temperature (Tc) decreases near term of pregnancy and is increased throughout lactation in rats. The purpose of our present experiments was to determine whether pregnancy and lactation shift the thermoneutral zone of rats and to investigate whether the changes in maternal Tc during ...

The objective of this study was to assess feed intake and digesta passage characteristics in five Blackhead ewes fed hay ad libitum during pregnancy [I: d 60-80 post conceptionem (p conc); II: d 105-125 p conc; III: d 128-148 p conc] and lactation [IV: d 10-30 post partum (pp); V: ...

The most common malignancy concurrent with pregnancy is breast cancer. Since an increasing number of women are electing to postpone pregnancy to their late thirties and forties, the incidence of breast cancer concurrent with pregnancy is increasing. This article critically reviews the incidence, unique diagnostic and therapeutic considerations, the natural ...

The levels of 22 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, including 13 coplanars (non-, mono-, and di-ortho-substituted chlorine) and 9 noncoplanar chirals (tri- and tetra-ortho-substituted chlorine), were measured in mothers milk from different mothers throughout their lactation periods. Important variations were found in the total PCB levels and PCB congener levels. The ...

Zinc is essential for normal fetal growth and development and for milk production during lactation. The metabolic adjustments made in zinc utilization to meet these needs have not been described. The purpose of this study was to determine whether fractional zinc absorption (FZA) is altered during pregnancy and lactation and, ...

Osteoporosis is a crippling disease that emerges as an important public health problem both in developed and developing countries including Brazil. The clinical condition is characterized mainly by loss of bone mineral mass in later life as the net result of complex physiological and environmental interacting factors during lifetime. Calcium ...

Hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene expression was determined using in situ hybridization histochemistry (ISHH) during pregnancy and lactation in rats with and without prior reproduction experience. POMC mRNA levels in the arcuate nucleus were compared between primigravid (first pregnancy) and multigravid (second pregnancy) and primiparous and multiparous lactating rats, and between ...