The inhibitory effect of human alpha-fetoprotein on the protein synthesis (incorporation of [3H]leucine into the total protein fraction) weas observed in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate cell-free system. The incorporation was inhibited to 50% of the control level by 14-16 microM alpha-fetoprotein, and decreased to about 15% at a concentration higher than 40 microM. An almost identical dose depende...

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) has been shown to have significant anabolic effects in the regulation of fetal protein metabolism. To investigate the tissue-specific effects of IGF-I on fetal skeletal muscle metabolism, we infused recombinant human (rh) IGF-I directly into the hindlimb of nine chronically catheterized, late-gestation fetal sheep. Substrate balance and amino acid kinetics w...

AimsTo evaluate the effects of fetal glucose infusion in late gestation on mRNA expression and protein abundance molecules involved regulation cardiac growth metabolism.Main methodsEither saline or was infused into sheep from 130 to 140 days (d) (term, 150 d). At d gestation, left ventricle tissue samples were collected. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR Western blot used determine key signalling w...

In previous investigations, we have found that the liver appears to be the major source of cholesterol in the human fetus, and, in particular, a principal source of circulating low density lipo-protein-cholesterol (LDL-C). LDL-C plasma levels are low in the normal fetus, most likely due to the rapid uptake and metabolism by the fetal adrenal as precursor for steroid hormone biosynthesis. In con...

BACKGROUND Although erythroid cells prepared from fetal liver, cord blood, or blood from β-thalassemia patients are known to express fetal hemoglobin at high levels, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We previously showed that cyclic nucleotides such as cAMP and cGMP induce fetal hemoglobin expression in primary erythroid cells. Here we report that cAMP signaling contributes to high-leve...

Mice homozygous for the mutation normoblastosis (gene symbol nb on chromosome 8) are deficient in erythroid ankyrin (ANK-1) and have a severe hemolytic anemia throughout life. Characteristic of the disease is a dramatic decrease in the level of expression of the Ank-1 gene (chromosome 8). The other major ankyrin transcript, brain ankyrin (Ank-2 on chromosome 3) is expressed at normal levels in ...

The purpose of this investigation was to study and compare the electrophoretic patterns of optic lensproteins of different species of domestic animals at pre- and post-natal ages. Optic lenses were removed from the embryo or adult sheep, cattle, goat, camel and chicken at the slaughter-house then homogenized and subjected to sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). I...

Objective: The objective of the study is to assess protein oxidation status and its correlation with antioxidant potential in serum during preeclampsia (PE). Materials Methods: A casecontrol was performed on 63 pregnant subjects (mean age = 30 tential serpreeclamptic 32 age-matched normotensive (control) women. Serum samples were analyzed for total protein, globulin, albumin, carbonyls (PCO), a...

Prenatal nutrition as influenced by the nutritional status of the mother has been identified as a determinant of adult disease. Feeding low-protein diets during pregnancy in rodents is a well-established model to induce programming events in offspring. We hypothesized that protein restriction would influence fetal lipid metabolism by inducing epigenetic adaptations. Pregnant C57BL/6J mice were ...