Ultrastructure of the neuroglial fatty metamorphosis (virchow) in the perinatal period

Summary The ultrastructure of neuroglial fatty metamorphosis (GFM) has been investigated in the telencephalic white matter of 12 premature and mature infants (gestational age 22–40 weeks; survival 0–96 days). GFM was found in all cases apart from a 22-week-old fetus, and involves predominantly astrocytic cells (68.8%), then glioblasts (43.5%), but only 7.4% of oligodendrocytes. GFM, therefore, seems to be independent of the myelination process and indicates the vulnerability of the immature neuroglial population in the metabolic and circulatory disorders of the perinatal period. Since GFM is found in almost all children dying within the early postnatal period, this subtle alteration reflects a special form of minimal brain damage. The relationship between GFM, astrocytic hypertrophy and periventricular leucomalacia and their role in the telencephalic leucoencephalopathy are discussed.

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Zusammenfassung Die Gliazellverfettung im unreifen Großhirn-Marklager wurde bei 12 Kindern ultrastrukturell untersucht (Gestationsalter 22–40 Wochen; Überlebenszeit 0–96 Tage). Die fettige Metamorphose der Neuroglia (Virchow) fand sich in allen Fällen, ausgenommen den 22 Wochen alten Feten, und betrifft vorwiegend junge Astrozyten (68,8%), ferner zu 43,5% unreife Vorstufen, jedoch nur zu 7.4% die (z.Z. der Geburt erst in Erscheinung tretende) Oligodendroglia. Die Fett-Metamorphose der unreifen Glia stellt einen sensiblen Indikator für metabolisch-zirkulatorische Störungen der Perinatalperiode dar und erfolgt unabhängig von dem Prozeß der Markscheidenbildung. Zusammen mit einer oft auffälligen Astroglia-Proliferation ist die intracytoplasmatische Akkumulation nicht membrangebundener Lipide Ausdruck einer temporären Differenzierungsstörung der unreifen Neuroglia. Die resultierende Reifungsdissoziation mit Unterdrückung der oligodendrozytären Zellinie führt zur retardierten Markscheidenbildung und dem Bild der telencephalen Leucoencephalopathie.

     

Accumulation of atopic disorders within families: a sibling effect only in the offspring of atopic fathers

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported an association between a child's risk of atopic disorders and family size. However, the inverse association might not be the same in populations with a different genetic disposition for atopic disorders. OBJECTIVE: This longitudinal study was designed to assess risk factors of atopy. METHODS: Lifetime prevalence of asthma, hay fever and eczema of 1440 families including 3165 offspring was ascertained by means of standardized questionnaires. RESULTS: After possible confounders had been controlled for, an inverse association between atopic disorders and the number of older siblings was found only in the offspring of atopic fathers (trend for older siblings: chi2 = 13.38, degrees of freedom [d.f.] = 1, P= 0.0002; odds ratio 'no older sibling'= 2.87 (95% confidence interval 2.18-3.78); '1 older sibling' = 2.11 [1.52-2.92], '2 older siblings' = 1.29 [0.74-2.23]; '3 or more older siblings' = 0. 15 [0.02-0.981). No such relationship was found for children without a history of paternal atopy (trend for older siblings: chi2 = 1.5 1, d.f. = 1, P = 0.22; odds ratio 'no older sibling' = 1 [reference]; '1 older sibling' =0.82 [0.63-1.06]; '2 older siblings' = 0.97 [0.67-1.40]; '3 or more older siblings' = 0.64 [0.31-1.33]). The trend for older siblings in the case of paternal atopy was significantly different from the trend for older siblings without a history of paternal atopy (chi2 = 8.68, d.f. = 1, P = 0.003). The number of younger siblings was not related to child's risk of atopy (trend for younger siblings: chi2 = 0.001, d.f. = 1, P = 0.97). CONCLUSIONS: Data from this study suggest a protective effect of sibship size only in children with a history of paternal atopy and if older siblings are present. The reason for this combined effect remains unclear. Thus, further investigations are needed to interpret the biological cause of the so called 'sibling effect'.     

Birth factors and laterality: Effects of birth order,parental age,and birth stress on four indices of lateral preference

As an alternative to genetic theories of handedness, some theorists have offered an environmental mechanism, associated with birth stress, for the appearance of left-handedness. They suggest that brain damage as a result of birth difficulties can lead to a switch in hand preference from the right side to the left side. Consequently, one should find more left-handers in groups where the probability of the occurrence of birth stress is greater. Three studies are presented which explore the laterality of not only hand but also foot, eye, and ear, in a total of 5161 individuals, in an attempt to assess any relationship to birth stress. Maternal age seems to predict deviations from dextrality, dependent on the sex of the offspring, while paternal age and birth order do not. The use of a direct measure of conditions predisposing toward birth stress suggests that these results depend on prenatal or perinatal environmental trauma rather than chromosomal factors.This research was supported by grants from the Medical Research Council of Canada and from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and represents an equal and shared contribution of both authors.     

Circadian‐ and temperature‐specific effects of early deprivation on rat maternal care and pup development: Short‐term markers for long‐term effects?

We compare the effects on pup body weight and on maternal care of 4-hr separation from dam and littermates on postnatal Days 1 to 14 (early deprivation, ED) under different thermal and circadian conditions. ED was performed at either 21 degrees C (Cold), or 32 degrees C (Warm), and either during the light or dark phase. The comparison group was nonhandling (NH), either under a nonreversed (Light) or reversed (Dark) cycle. At weaning, Cold ED pups were of lower body weight than Warm ED pups, and Warm ED pups were of lower body weight than NH pups. Light and Dark ED pups received high care at reunion relative to NH, and Cold ED pups received higher care at several hours postreunion relative to Warm ED and NH pups. We propose that reduced pup weight and increased maternal care are short-term markers for the severity of Cold ED, and that this manipulation could therefore impact negatively on emotionality and cognition in adulthood.     

云南省1999-2003年围产儿出生缺陷监测结果分析

目的为了解云南省围产儿出生缺陷的发生种类及分布情况,寻找影响出生缺陷的相关因素.方法 1999年1月-2003年12月监测云南省多所医院住院分娩孕28w-产后7d的围产儿.按全国出生缺陷统一标准要求,由医院逐季上报<围产儿数季报表>,<出生缺陷登记卡>至省妇幼保健院.结果围产儿出生缺陷率为10.26‰(1013/98690),指(趾)畸形;唇腭裂;神经管畸形是云南省围产儿出生缺陷前3位高发种类,男性出生缺陷发生率为10.84‰(561/51732)高于女性9.41‰(442/46958),城市高于乡村,产妇年龄≥35岁是出生缺陷的高发风险因素.结论进一步开展婚前生殖健康教育和医学检查,指导新婚妇女服用小剂量叶酸预防神经管畸形,加强全民健康教育,提高环境意识,做好婚前保健,优生和孕产期保健,开展产前筛查或产前诊断是减少出生缺陷发生的有力措施.     

佳木斯125例围产儿死亡分析与围产期保健

7年来我院共收治新生）L2233N，围产］L1683N，hi125N，病死率5．6％。24，J、时内死亡52人，O－7天内死亡112人，占总死亡数的89．6％，8－28天死亡13人，占1o．4％。死亡的疾病顺序为：肺炎48人为38．4％，占死亡第一位；肺出血4o人占第二位；颅内出血17人占第三位。通过死亡病例分析，为降低围产儿死亡率，必须从孕母开始，做好孕期保健工作，对围产窒息儿、低血糖、低血钙的防治列为治疗护理常规，并提出了处理的注意事项。     

母血与脐血血清游离氨基酸谱的比较

本实验取在分娩过程中的50对健康足月妊娠母亲的静脉血与其分娩的胎儿脐带血分别测定其血清中游离氨基酸的浓度,发现:(1)脐血中绝大多数氨基酸的浓度都显著高于母血。(2)分娩中产妇血清游离氨基酸总浓度高于非妊娠育龄妇女。(3)男性胎儿和女性胎儿的脐血氨基酸浓度除胱氨酸以外均无显著性差异。     

脐带先露及脐带脱垂65例临床分析

目的探讨脐带先露及脐带脱垂与围生儿结局的关系。方法回顾性分析65例脐带先露及脐带脱垂的临床资料。结果脐带先露组剖宫产占80.49%（33/41）,显著高于脐带脱垂组的54.17%（13/24）（P〈0.05）。新生儿1minApgar评分脐带先露组与脐带脱垂组存在极显著差异（P〈0.001）,新生儿5min Apgar评分两组亦存在显著差异（P〈0.05）。脐带先露组围生儿死亡率2.44%（1/41）,明显低于脐带脱垂组20.83%（5/24）（P〈0.05）。结论围生儿结局脐带先露组明显优于脐带脱垂组,早期诊断和干预脐带先露,防止脐带脱垂的发生,对改善围生儿结局有重要的作用。     

Behavioral development in mice: Effects of maternal environment and the albino locus

We examined the interaction of the albino locus with the maternal environment on the behavioral development of two coisogenic strains of mice. Subjects of the pigmented C57BL/6 strain (=B6^+/+) and of the albino C57BL/6^c2J strain (=B6^c/c) were either fostered by a mother of their own strain or cross-fostered at birth to an F₁ hybrid dam. They were compared for the amount and daily distribution of activity displayed during 48 h in a seminatural device at weaning and when 75 days old. Food hoarding in the nest and food consumption at the food-search place were also recorded in adult subjects. When animals were fostered by a mother of their own strain, albino mice were more active and less nocturnal than pigmented mice at both ages. They hoarded less food in the nest and ate more at the food-search place. Most of these differences disappeared when both strains were fostered by an F₁ dam. The amount of activity displayed during 48 h increased between 21 and 75 days of age. This increase was affected by cross-fostering to an F₁ dam in B6^c/c mice only. The developmental pattern of daily distribution of activity was changed by F₁ dams in B6^+/+ mice only. Whereas these influences of F₁ dams produced subjects resembling the mother's phenotypic score, maternal effects on hoarding behavior in B6^c/c mice produced subjects which did not resemble their foster mother. The results are discussed in terms of different possible ways of hereditary transmission of behavior and some methodological consequences are emphasized.     

双胎妊娠围生儿预后相关因素分析

目的　探讨双胎妊娠新生儿窒息、围生儿死亡的相关因素。方法　回顾分析 2 5 5例双胎妊娠新生儿Apgar评分、新生儿窒息、围生儿死亡与孕周、新生儿体重、分娩方式的关系。结果　双胎妊娠孕 37～ 39+ 6w组Apgar评分最高、新生儿窒息率最低 ,≥ 2 5 0 0g组Apgar评分最高 ,新生儿窒息率、围生儿死亡率最低。孕周、新生儿体重 4组比较差异均有非常显著性(P <0 0 1)。剖宫产组比阴道分娩组Apgar评分高 ,新生儿窒息率、围生儿死亡率均低 ,2组比较Apgar评分、围生儿死亡率差异无显著性 (P >0 0 5 )。 2组比较新生儿窒息率差异有非常显著性 (P <0 0 1)。结论　双胎妊娠估计每个胎儿体重≥ 2 5 0 0g时 ,宜选择 37～ 39+ 6w终止妊娠为宜。加强孕期、围生期保健 ,积极防治各种并发症 ,适当放宽剖宫产指征 ,避免早产 ,减少低体重儿出生 ,是降低双胎围生儿死亡率、改善其预后的重要措施。