Purification of fibroblast growth factor-2 from human placenta using tri(n-butyl)phosphate and sodium cholate

Postpartum Women's Perspectives on the Donation of Placentas for Scientific Research in Campinas, Brazil

Little is known about public perspectives of scientific and therapeutic uses of placentas. Gaps in knowledge potentiate ethical and clinical problems regarding collection and applications. As such, this study sought to assess the perspectives of placenta donation of a sample of women. Postpartum women's perspectives on placental donation were assessed at the State University of Campinas in the Centro de Atençäo Integral a Saúde da Mulher (CAISM) maternity hospital using a cross-sectional survey (n = 384) and semi-structured interviews (n = 12). Surveys were analyzed quantitatively and interviews were analyzed qualitatively using grounded coding; results were compared. The average age of respondents was 27. Fifty-six percent had more than one child, 45% were Caucasian, 38% were mixed-race, 74% identified with a Christian faith, 52% had high school education or higher, 13% regarded the placenta as spiritually important, 72% felt that knowing what happens to the placenta after birth was somewhat or very important, 78% supported the use of the placenta in research and medicine, 59% reported that consent to collect the placenta was very or somewhat important, 78% preferred their doctor to invite donation, and only 7% preferred the researcher to invite donation. Interviews suggested women appreciate being part of research and that receiving information about studies was important to them. Informed by these results, we argue that women support scientific and therapeutic uses of placentas, want to be included in decision making, and desire information about the placenta. Placentas should not be viewed as "throwaway" organs that are poised for collection without the involvement and permission of women. Women want to be meaningfully included in research processes.

EJ-ras oncogene transfection of endothelial cells upregulates the expression of syndecan-4 and downregulates heparan sulfate sulfotransferases and epimerase

The EC rabbit endothelial cell line was transfected with the EJ-ras oncogene (EJ-ras EC). EJ-ras EC cells display over expression of the Ras oncogene, morphological changes and deregulation of the cell cycle, becoming more densely populated and serum-independent. In addition, EJ-ras-transfectant cells show higher levels of the syndecan-4 mRNA. In addition to the increase in the core protein, a parallel increase in the glycosylation of the syndecan-4 protein, a proteoglycan that bears heparan sulfate chains, also occurs. This increase is observed both for the heparan sulfate proteoglycan synthesized by the cells and for that secreted to the culture medium. This enhancement in heparan sulfate synthesis was observed through metabolic labeling of the cells, immunoprecipitation of syndecan-4 and heparitinases treatment. Furthermore, the EJ-ras-transfectant cells do not exhibit decreased synthesis of heparan sulfate during the G(1)-S phase transition, as observed for the parental cell line. Also, heparan sulfate synthesis is not stimulated by PMA as displayed by parental endothelial cells. Significant structural changes of heparan sulfate, such as decreased O-sulfation, were observed in the EJ-ras-transfected cells. Decreases in the mRNA levels of some enzymes (glucuronosyl C-5 epimerase, iduronosyl-2-O-sulfotransferase, glucosaminyl-6-O-sulfotransferase-1 and N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferase-1), involved in the biosynthetic pathway of heparan sulfate, were also observed. The results suggest that overexpression of the EJ-ras oncogene alters the cell cycle, through signal transduction cascades, upregulates the expression of syndecan-4, and downregulates enzymes involved in the heparan sulfate biosynthesis related to chain modification, leading to the structural changes of the heparan sulfate syndecan-4 proteoglycan in endothelial cells.

Inactivation of West Nile virus, vaccinia virus and viral surrogates for relevant and emergent viral pathogens in plasma-derived products

Background and Objectives  Human plasma is the source of a wide variety of therapeutic proteins, yet it is also a potential source of viral contamination. Recent outbreaks of emergent viral pathogens, such as West Nile virus, and the use of live vaccinia virus as a vaccine have prompted a reassessment of the viral safety of plasma‐derived products. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of current viral inactivation methods for West Nile and vaccinia viruses and to reassess the use of model viruses to predict inactivation of similar viral pathogens.

Materials and Methods  Virus‐spiked product intermediates were processed using a downscaled representation of various manufacturing procedures. Virus infectivity was measured before and after processing to determine virus inactivation.

Results  The results demonstrated effective inactivation of West Nile virus, vaccinia virus and a model virus, bovine viral diarrhoea virus, during pasteurization, solvent/detergent treatment and caprylate treatment. Caprylate provided rapid and effective inactivation of West Nile virus, vaccinia virus, duck hepatitis B virus and Sindbis virus. Inactivation of West Nile virus was similar to that of bovine viral diarrhoea virus.

Conclusions  This study demonstrates that procedures used to inactivate enveloped viruses in manufacturing processes can achieve inactivation of West Nile virus and vaccinia virus. In addition, the data support the use of model viruses to predict the inactivation of similar emergent viral pathogens.

Shortened fetal long bones: a possible in utero manifestation of placental function

Shortened fetal long bones (SFLB) are usually indicative of a skeletal dysplasia. Our aim in this observational retrospective study was to describe a new association between SFLB, small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses and placental abnormalities, and to suggest an aetiologic explanation. During the last decade we have evaluated nine cases in which SFLB (more than 2SD below the mean) was associated with SGA, abnormal maternal serum placental hormones and abnormal placental sonography. Six cases had significantly increased second trimester maternal serum beta hCG and four developed toxaemia of pregnancy or had chronic hypertension. On histology, mature placentas with vascular abnormalities, including chorangiosis, large infarcts and slightly increased syncytial knots were noted. The combination of SFLB, SGA fetuses and placental abnormalities (sonographic, as well as histological) suggested a possible common pathway in the aetiology of this association.

Characterization of myosin V from PC12 cells

PC12 cell line is a cellular model to study neurite outgrowth and neurotransmitter release mechanisms. Molecular motors may be involved in these responses and myosin V could be a candidate to mediate these effects. Overlay experiments using [(125)I]-calmodulin showed that PC12 cells possess several calmodulin-binding proteins, some of them around 190-210 kDa. Western blots using affinity purified polyclonal antibodies raised against chicken brain myosin V revealed a component of 190 kDa, a molecular mass typical of myosin V. Furthermore, Northern blots using a myosin V probe also detected a transcript of around 12 kbp. Immunofluorescence cytochemistry demonstrated the localization of myosin V throughout the cytoplasm, in the neurites, growth cone tips, and with an intense asymmetrical perinuclear labeling. Western blot analyses of PC12 cellular extracts after FGF-2 and/or dibutyryl cAMP treatment revealed variations between myosin V and myosin II expression during neuronal differentiation. These results demonstrated the presence of myosin V in PC12 cells and also suggest a role for this motor molecule in the neuronal differentiation response in PC12 cells.