Sulfur quantum dots (SQDs) possess heavy metal-free and unique optical properties and have been widely applied in various fields. SQDs unavoidably enter human body from environments. However, their transportation and accumulation in organs and potential toxicity are completely unknown. Using a mouse model, we find that SQDs by oral gavage could pass and transport from gastrointestinal tract to bloodstream, then to placenta and ovaries, and finally to fetus. Oral gavage of ≥ 20 mg/kg/d SQDs disrupts the structure and functions of mouse placenta and ovaries, and induces mouse miscarriage and suppresses fetal growth and development. Furthermore, a comprehensive study shows that exposure to SQDs causes ferroptosis at mouse, human cellular, and molecular levels and also at the levels of proteins and metabolites. In mouse models, oral gavage of ≥ 20 mg/kg/d SQDs causes ferroptosis in both placental and ovarian tissues. In human cell models, exposure to ≥ 25 μg/mL SQDs also causes ferroptosis in placental trophoblast Swan 71 cells and ovarian granulosa KGN cells. Co-treatment with ferroptosis inhibitor (Fer-1) alleviates ferroptosis in SQDs-exposed cells and also suppresses placental and ovarian ferroptosis and reduces miscarriage in SQDs-exposed mice. Moreover, SQDs exposure down-regulates GPX4 protein levels (a key suppressor of ferroptosis) by suppressing its mRNA level and promoting its protein ubiquitination degradation in both cells. At molecular levels, SQDs can also directly interact with free Fe2+ ions, which also contributed to ferroptosis. All these studies give a consistent conclusion that exposure to higher doses of SQDs cause ferroptosis to induce adverse pregnant outcomes. Collectively, this study identify that SQDs is a new risk factor for female reproductive health, which deserves high attention by governments, businesses, and hospitals.

Cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) arise from shared pathophysiological pathways characterized by insulin resistance, dysglycemia, inflammation, adipokine dysregulation, and endothelial dysfunction. Pregnancy represents a natural cardiovascular stress test, involving hemodynamic adaptations such as increased blood volume, reduced vascular resistance, and elevated cardiac output. Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) reflect maladaptive responses to this stress and are strongly associated with future CMDs. These outcomes are linked to an increased incidence of hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and stroke in later life. Proposed underlying mechanisms include impaired cardiac remodeling, chronic inflammation, and persistent dyslipidemia. Despite robust evidence linking APOs to future cardiometabolic risk, current cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes prediction tools systematically overlook pregnancy history, leading to significant underestimation of risk in women. This problem is compounded by suboptimal postpartum screening. This review summarizes evidence supporting the role of APOs as early markers of CMDs. We propose a risk-stratification framework that incorporates APOs into CMDs risk assessment, supported by biomarker profiling, and promotes multidisciplinary postpartum care pathways along with individualized interventions such as dietary and physical activity programs. Future research should focus on developing risk prediction models that include APOs and on evaluating early preventive strategies to mitigate the long-term burden of CMDs in this high-risk population.

Orchitis, an inflammation of the testes primarily caused by viral infections such as mumps, presents a significant threat to male reproductive health. This study explores the role of Src homology 2 (SH2)-containing tyrosine phosphatase-1 (SHP-1), a known tumor suppressor, in mitigating inflammation and apoptosis in testicular cells within a model of viral-induced orchitis. To simulate the immune response associated with viral orchitis, we utilized Poly (I:C), a synthetic analog of double-stranded RNA, which mimics the molecular patterns of viral RNA. This model provides a relevant framework for investigating immune responses in the testes triggered by viral-like stimuli. Our research aimed to elucidate the impact of SHP-1 expression on the inflammatory and apoptotic pathways activated during testicular inflammation. We found that Poly (I:C) induced significant inflammation and apoptosis in Leydig and Sertoli cells, characterized by reduced SHP-1 expression and elevated phosphorylated-STAT3 levels. Enhancing SHP-1 expression attenuated these inflammatory and apoptotic responses, whereas reactivating STAT3 with colivelin reversed the suppression of cytokine production and cell death. Moreover, inhibiting SHP-1 with TPI-1 treatment post-Poly (I:C) administration significantly exacerbated testicular inflammation and apoptosis, underscoring SHP-1’s critical protective role. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting SHP-1 and STAT3 pathways in treating orchitis, advancing our understanding of the pathophysiology of testicular inflammation and suggesting new strategies for managing this condition.Author details: Please check if the designated corresponding authors affiliation is correctly identify and amend if necessary. Please see the attached file containing the updated author information for our manuscript. Author names: Please confirm if all the authors names are presented accurately and in the correct sequence. Kindly check and confirm whether the names of all authors has been processed correctly and amend if necessary. Please see the attached file containing the updated author information for our manuscript.

Objective: The association of season and vitamin D status with pregnancy outcomes remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between vitamin D deficiency (VDD) during pregnancy in different seasons and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). Methods: The risk of APOs, including preterm delivery, gestational diabetes mellitus, pre-eclampsia, small for gestational age, and large for gestational age, was retrospectively evaluated in 5234 women. The vitamin D status of all women was assessed during pregnancy, and VDD was considered at a maternal serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration of <50.0 nmol/L. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the risk of APOs, which were expressed as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: VDD was observed in 4202 (80.28%) women. VDD during pregnancy was associated with preterm delivery (aOR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.52-2.89) and small for gestational age (aOR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.00-1.96). The association between VDD and preterm delivery was significant in spring (aOR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.03-3.74), summer (aOR = 2.46, 95% CI: 1.32-4.58), and winter (aOR = 2.96, 95% CI: 1.55-5.66). Meanwhile, we did not observe an association of VDD with gestational diabetes mellitus, pre-eclampsia, or large for gestational age. Conclusions: Season and VDD are associated with APOs. Our findings suggest the optimal timing for vitamin D assessment and interventions to optimize pregnancy outcomes.

Hypoxia plays significant roles in various biological processes. In recent study, we have found that a novel lnc-HZ06 promotes the SUMOylation of HIF1α in hypoxic human trophoblast cells. Since environmental cobalt (Co) exposure causes trophoblast cell hypoxia, whether and how lnc-HZ06 might regulate the protein levels of HIF1α, an important biomarker of hypoxia, in CoCl2-exposed hypoxic trophoblast cells is still unexplored. In this study, we find that lnc-HZ06 is highly expressed in CoCl2-exposed trophoblast cells; and lnc-HZ06 further down-regulates HIF1α protein levels. In details, (1) lnc-HZ06 up-regulates METTL14 (methyltransferase-like 14) and increases m6A (N6-methyladenosine) RNA modification levels on VHL (a ubiquitin E3 ligase of HIF1α) mRNA, and thus enhances its mRNA stability and up-regulates VHL mRNA levels. (2) VHL interacts with the SUMOylated HIF1α and promotes the ubiquitination of HIF1α, and finally lnc-HZ06 promotes the ubiquitination degradation of HIF1α protein in CoCl2-exposed hypoxic trophoblast cells. Therefore, lnc-HZ06 promotes VHL-mediated HIF1α protein degradation and down-regulates HIF1α protein levels. The cellular mechanisms in hypoxic trophoblast cells were partially consistent to those in villous tissues of patients with unexplained miscarriage (UM), expect for no significantly different Co content in UM and healthy control (HC) villous tissues. Collectively, this study discovers novel regulatory roles of lnc-HZ06 and m6A modification and post-translational modification (SUMO/Ubiquitin) in HIF1α protein levels in hypoxic human trophoblast cells.

The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (NSP12) of COVID-19 plays a significant role in the viral infection process, which promotes viral RNA replication by cooperating with NSP7 and NSP8, but little is known about its regulation on the function of host cells. We firstly found that overexpression of NSP12 had little effect on host mRNAs transcription. Using iCLIP technology, we found that NSP12 can bind a series of host RNAs with the conserved binding motif G(C/A/G)(U/G/A)UAG, especially ribosomal RNA. We found that NSP12 could directly bind to eEF1A factor via the NIRAN domain of NSP12 and N-terminal domain of eEF1A. NSP12 colocalized with eEF1A to inhibit type I interferon expression upon virus infection. In order to prove that NSP12 regulates the translation level of host cells, we found that NSP12 significantly affected the translation efficiency of many host mRNAs (such as ISG15, NF-κB2, ILK and SERPINI2) via ribosome profiling experiment, and the genes with significant upregulation in translation efficiency were mainly enriched in positive regulation of ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal process and NIK/NF-κB signaling pathway (such as NF-κB2, ILK), and negative regulation of type I interferon production, protein level of these genes were further confirmed in HEK293T and Calu3 cells upon NSP12 overexpression. These results indicate that NSP12 of SARS-CoV-2 can hijack the eEF1A factor to regulate translation efficiency of host mRNAs, which provides a new idea for us to evaluate the impact of SARS-CoV2 virus on the host and study the potential drug targets.

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)-derived metrics have been used to accurately assess glycemic variability (GV) to facilitate management of diabetes mellitus, yet their relationship with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is not fully understood. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between GV metrics and the risk of developing DPN. Nine studies totaling 3,649 patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus were included. A significant association was found between increased GV, as indicated by metrics including standard deviation (SD) with OR and 95% CI of 2.58 (1.45-4.57), mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) with OR and 95% CI of 1.90 (1.01-3.58), mean of daily difference (MODD) with OR and 95% CI of 2.88 (2.17-3.81) and the incidence of DPN. Our findings support a link between higher GV and an increased risk of DPN in patients with diabetes. These findings highlight the potential of GV metrics as indicators for the development of DPN, advocating for their inclusion in diabetes management strategies to potentially mitigate neuropathy risk. Longitudinal studies with longer observation periods and larger sample sizes are necessary to validate these associations across diverse populations.

Background Limited data are available for postpartum hypertension prediction after preeclampsia. Methods and Results We examined the association between maternal serum chemerin levels in patients with preeclampsia and blood pressure (BP) levels after delivery in a prospective birth cohort of 15 041 singleton pregnant women. A total of 310 cases among 322 patients with preeclampsia (follow-up rate, 96.3%) were followed up during a mean 2.8 years after delivery. Compared with matched uncomplicated controls (n=310), serum chemerin measured at ≈35 gestational weeks was significantly increased in preeclampsia (171.8±49.2 versus 140.2±53.5 ng/mL; P<0.01) and positively correlated with the occurrence of postpartum hypertension, defined as either BP ≥130/80 mm Hg (per 1-SD increase: odds ratio [OR], 4.01 [95% CI, 2.77-5.81]) or as BP ≥140/90 mm Hg (per 1-SD increase: OR, 1.70 [95% CI, 1.28-2.25]) in patients with preeclampsia. The addition of chemerin levels improved the predictive performance of the clinical variable-derived prediction models for postpartum hypertension (for BP ≥130/80 mm Hg: area under the curve, 0.903 [95% CI, 0.869-0.937], Δ area under the curve, 0.070, P<0.001; for BP ≥140/90 mm Hg: area under the curve, 0.852 [95% CI, 0.803-0.902], Δ area under the curve, 0.030, P=0.002). The decision curve analysis revealed a net benefit of the chemerin-based prediction model for postpartum BP ≥130/80 mm Hg. Conclusions This study provides the first evidence supporting the independent predictive role of third-trimester maternal chemerin levels for postpartum hypertension after preeclampsia. Future study is warranted for external validation of this finding.

目的:采用MRI测量产前骨盆倾斜度,探讨其与阴道分娩结局的关系.方法:搜集2016年9月-2019年7月在我院住院的分娩产妇为研究对象.病例纳入标准:足月妊娠、单胎、头位、初产妇;有阴道试产的强烈愿望.病例排除标准:存在妊娠合并症或并发症、骨盆狭窄、脐带或胎盘异常、羊水异常、巨大儿、使用催产素或分娩镇痛、有MR I检查禁忌症(体内金属植入物、幽闭恐惧症).获取患者知情同意后在产前一周内进行MR I骨盆测量.依据阴道试产结局及骨盆倾斜度大小将研究对象进行分组,分析骨盆倾斜度与阴道分娩结局的关系.结果:最终纳入161例产妇.自然分娩组与助产、试产失败中转剖宫产组的骨盆倾斜度差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);骨盆倾斜度<70°组与≥70°组在分娩方式、胎儿宫内窘迫及新生儿窒息发生率、产后出血量方面差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);骨盆倾斜度≥70°组相较于骨盆倾斜度<70°组的第一产程及总产程时长延长.结论:骨盆倾斜度过大可能导致产程延长,但最终对于阴道分娩结局没有显著影响,不足以成为预测分娩方式的因素之一.

Objective. To study the effect of health education combined with personalized psychological nursing intervention on pregnancy outcome of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods. 170 patients with GDM admitted to Guangdong Women and Children Hospital from January 2018 to December 2018 were selected as study subjects and randomly divided into two groups. During the period from diagnosis of GDM to termination of pregnancy, both groups were given routine education and routine examination, and the intervention group adopted health education combined with personalized psychological nursing interventions during pregnancy. The pregnancy weight, blood glucose index, compliance, disease awareness, self-adjustment management ability, satisfaction, and pregnancy outcome were measured before and after the intervention. Results. There were no statistically significant differences in pregnancy weight, fasting plasma glucose, and 2 h postprandial blood glucose between the two groups before intervention (P=0.768, 0.605, and 0.762). After intervention, lower levels of the above indicators were obtained in the intervention group than in the control group (P < 0.001). The compliance and satisfaction with the intervention in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.001). The intervention group had remarkably higher disease awareness rate and self-psychological adjustment and management ability than the control group (P < 0.001). Better pregnancy outcomes were observed in the intervention group compared with the control group (P < 0.001). Conclusion. For patients with GDM, health education combined with personalized psychological nursing on the basis of the conventional nursing can effectively control patients' condition and ensure a better pregnancy outcome, which merits widespread promotion.

Objectives: The relative contributions of vitamin D status to pregnancy complications are not fully understood. We investigated the correlation between vitamin D status and pregnancy outcomes. Design: Prospective analysis of cases Setting: China Population or Sample: A total of 1766 pregnant women admitted to The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University and Guangdong Women and Children Hospital between January 2019 and December 2020. Methods: This prospective cohort study was performed on women who paid antennal visits during their whole gestation. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations were measured among women before 24 weeks of gestation. Associations between maternal vitamin D status, maternal characteristics, and pregnancy outcomes were assessed. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for adverse pregnancy outcomes was calculated using the logistic regression analysis. Results: Among all the participants ,192(10.87%), 1023(57.93%) and 551(31.20%) were defined as vitamin D sufficiency, insufficiency, and deficiency, respectively. There was no significant difference in vitamin D between pregnant women with adverse pregnancy outcomes and those without adverse pregnancy outcome. Neither vitamin D deficiency nor insufficiency was associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes compared with vitamin D sufficiency. Risks of adverse outcomes were as follows: GDM (OR=0.72 95%CI 0.46-1.14; OR=0.86 95%CI 0.57-1.30), SGA (OR=1.38 95%CI 0.73-2.60; OR=1.28 95%CI 0.70-2.34), early preterm delivery (OR=0.59 95%CI 0.13-2.70; OR=0.84 95%CI 0.23-3.00), PE (OR=3.44 95%CI 0.43-27.52; OR=2.40 95%CI 0.31-18.50), and postpartum hemorrhage (OR=0.58 95%CI 0.33-1.03; OR=0.81 95%CI 0.49-1.35). Conclusions: Low vitamin D status may not be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Vitamin D screening in all pregnant women seems not reasonable.

Objective: Emerging evidence shows that high blood pressure (BP) level even below 140/90 mmHg during pregnancy is associated with increased risk for maternal and infant complications. The meta-analysis evaluated the associations between prehypertension (BP 120-139/80-89 mmHg) during pregnancy and the risk of small for gestational age (SGA), as well as the impact of prehypertension on birth weight (BW). Methods: Databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library) were searched for cohort studies with data on prehypertension in pregnancy and adverse obstetrical outcomes, including SGA and/or BW. The relative risks (RRs) of SGA and weighted mean differences (WMD) in BW were calculated and reported with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). We calculated pooled RRs using fixed- and random-effects models. Results: A total of 143,835 participants from five cohort studies were included. Prehypertension in pregnancy increased the risk of SGA (RR 1.59, 95%CI 1.44 to 1.76, p < .00001) and lowered BW (WMD -13.71, 95% CI -83.28 to 55.87, p = .70) compared with optimal BP (<120/80 mmHg). In subgroup analyses, for prehypertension in late pregnancy, the risk of SGA was significantly higher than for optimal BP (RR 1.60, 95% CI 1.44 to 1.78). Conclusion: BP within the range of 120-139/80-89 mmHg during pregnancy, as previously defined as prehypertension, particularly in late pregnancy, was associated with a 59% increase in the risk of having an SGA birth.

The major cause of first-trimester pregnancy loss is chromosomal abnormality, which could be detected by many methods. Conventional karyotyping based on chorionic villi (CV) culture is frequently used but may have limitations due to culture failure and selective growth of cells. In this study, we aimed to investigate the degree of mosaicism present in villi by a combination of three different methods, namely conventional karyotyping following culture, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), with a view to exploring the incidence of selective growth of mosaic CV cells during the process of culture for conventional karyotyping. CV samples were obtained from 207 patients with early spontaneous miscarriage (ESM). There were 56 (56/207, 27.1%) samples with mosaic chromosome detected by FISH based on four or five types of probes in this study. The incidence of selective growth of mosaic cells during the process of conventional karyotyping was 6.0% (11/183). In addition, we found that mosaic cell lines as low as 2% could grow and completely dominate the outcome of karyotyping results. The selective growth of a particular cell line during culture, whether euploidy or aneuploidy, could supress the diagnosis of mosaicism.

Background In contrast to the general population, outcome‐derived thresholds for diagnosing ambulatory hypertension in pregnancy are not yet available. We aimed to identify and compare outcome‐derived ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring thresholds for adverse perinatal outcomes by using approaches related and not related to clinic BP in a southern Chinese population. Methods and Results Ambulatory BP monitoring was performed in a cohort of 1768 high‐risk participants in late pregnancy who were not taking antihypertensive medications. Participants were followed for composite maternal (severe complications) and neonatal (pregnancy loss, advanced neonatal care, and small for gestational age) outcomes. Modeling of clinic BP–unrelated approaches revealed a nonlinear threshold effect of ambulatory diastolic BP on the composite outcome, with increased risk for daytime ≥79 mm Hg and 24‐hour measurement ≥76 mm Hg. For other ambulatory BP components showing linear associations with outcome, the following thresholds were identified: 131 mm Hg for daytime systolic, 121 mm Hg for nighttime systolic, 130 mm Hg for 24‐hour systolic, and 73 mm Hg for night‐time diastolic BP. These thresholds unrelated to clinic BP were lower than the equivalents yielding a similar probability of outcome to clinic BP of 140/90 mm Hg and were comparable with equivalents to clinic BP of 130/80 mm Hg. Conclusions Using an outcome‐derived approach unrelated to clinic BP, we identified rounded thresholds to define ambulatory hypertension in at‐risk women in late pregnancy in a southern Chinese population as follows: 130/80 mm Hg for daytime, 120/75 mm Hg for nighttime, and 130/75 mm Hg for 24‐hour measurement. For wider clinical applicability and to align both nonpregnancy and pregnancy ambulatory BP monitoring with an outcomes‐based approach, prospective, multiethnic, international studies from early pregnancy onward will be required.

HELLP syndrome is a combination of symptoms described as hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets. HELLP is a common life-threatening complication of pregnancy thought to be a variant or complication of preeclampsia. In this case report, we aimed to present a woman with acute postpartum HELLP syndrome complicated by pulmonary edema after caesarean section following severe preeclampsia. Our experience suggests that early detection of HELLP syndrome and timely management will bring good outcomes.

Background: The associations between umbilical cord coiling, feto-placental vascular resistance and maternal blood pressure (BP) are not well understood. Method: We retrospectively analyzed 502 pregnant women suspected of hypertensive disorders in the third trimester from a hospital-based cohort, who underwent ambulatory BP monitoring and umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry examinations within 14 days before delivery. By applying quantile regression, a significant quantile-dependent positive association between umbilical cord coiling index and umbilical artery pulsatility index (UAPIMOM; converted to multiples of median) was observed from above 0.75th quantiles for each parameter. Results: Using the cutoffs both at the 0.75th quantile to define high umbilical cord coiling (>= 0.28 coils/cm) and high UAPIMOM (>= 1.30), respectively, a graded increase in BP level was observed from patients with both low, either high and both high categories. Multivariate linear and quantile regression revealed that the high umbilical cord coiling/high UAPIMOM interaction was significantly correlated with night-time mean DBP level. Moreover, umbilical cord hypercoiling (>= 0.3 coils/cm) was significantly correlated with night-time DBP with an average increase of similar to 5mmHg from the 0.05th to 0.70th quantiles and independently predicted the occurrence of severe (odds ratio 2.32, 95% confidence interval: 1.22-4.41) and earlyonset (odds ratio 2.43, 95% confidence interval: 1.184.97) preeclampsia after adjusting for covariates. Further mediation analysis showed that elevated high UAPIMOM (>= 1.30) could explain 11.4% of the umbilical cord hypercoiling -> high night-time DBP association. Conclusion: Therefore, this retrospective study identifies excessive umbilical cord coiling, and its interaction with increased feto-placental vascular resistance, as novel risk factors for nocturnal BP elevation and preeclampsia.

妊娠期代谢综合征(GMS)是代谢综合征的特殊类型,具有孕前超重或肥胖、脂代谢异常、糖代谢异常、血压升高等多种代谢异常聚集,是导致不良妊娠结局和远期母子心血管代谢风险的一组症候群.GMS是开放的科学问题,需要进一步研究与探讨.

Objective: Emerging evidence shows that high blood pressure (BP) level even below 140/90 mmHg during pregnancy is associated with increased risk for maternal and infant complications. The meta-analysis evaluated the associations between prehypertension (BP 120–139/80–89 mmHg) during pregnancy and the risk of small for gestational age (SGA), as well as the impact of prehypertension on birth weight (BW).Methods: Databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library) were searched for cohort studies with data on prehypertension in pregnancy and adverse obstetrical outcomes, including SGA and/or BW. The relative risks (RRs) of SGA and weighted mean differences (WMD) in BW were calculated and reported with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). We calculated pooled RRs using fixed- and random-effects models.Results: A total of 143,835 participants from five cohort studies were included. Prehypertension in pregnancy increased the risk of SGA (RR 1.59, 95%CI 1.44 to 1.76, p < .00001) and lowered BW (WMD −13.71, 95% CI −83.28 to 55.87, p = .70) compared with optimal BP (<120/80 mmHg). In subgroup analyses, for prehypertension in late pregnancy, the risk of SGA was significantly higher than for optimal BP (RR 1.60, 95% CI 1.44 to 1.78).Conclusion: BP within the range of 120–139/80–89 mmHg during pregnancy, as previously defined as prehypertension, particularly in late pregnancy, was associated with a 59% increase in the risk of having an SGA birth.

In preeclampsia, maternal serum chemerin level is significantly increased and associated with dyslipidemia. However, the mechanism by which chemerin contributes to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia remains elusive. This study aimed to investigate the effect of chemerin on placental microvascular generation using human placental microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) as the experimental model. HPMECs were isolated and cultured and then treated with chemerin at different concentrations (0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0 and 10.0 ng/ml). The viability, migration and tube formation of HPMECs were evaluated. The expression of chemerin receptor ChemR23 and the activation of MAPK/AKT pathway were analyzed by Western blot analysis. HPMECs isolated were positive for vWf and CD31 staining. Chemerin enhanced the viability, migration and tube formation of HPMECs, and significantly increased the expression of ChemR23. In addition, chemerin activated ERK1/2, p38MAPK and Akt pathways. In conclusion, chemerin promotes the formation of blood vessels in human placenta and activates Akt and MAPKs pathways, which may be involved in the occurrence and progression of preeclampsia.

The longitudinal exposure-response relationship between trimester-specific gestational weight gain (GWG) and blood pressure (BP) during pregnancy is not well understood. We retrospectively assessed 1112 uncomplicated, normotensive pregnant women whose body weight and BP were measured from 12(+0) to 40(+0) weeks of gestation from a hospital-based cohort. By using growth curve modeling, a J-shaped pattern dominated diastolic BP (DBP) changing dynamics, with a midpregnancy drop at 20(+0) to 22(+0) weeks followed by a rebound. Using group-based trajectory modeling, 3 distinctive trajectories of DBP were identified: high-J shaped (18.5%), moderate-J shaped (48.3%), and low-J shaped (33.1%), as well as 3 distinctive GWG trajectories: high increasing (14.7%), moderate increasing (48.6%) and low increasing (36.8%). A temporal coincidence between the maximal rate of GWG and DBP transition from its nadir to rebound was observed during 20(+0) to 22(+0) weeks. Moreover, women in the high-increasing GWG group had the highest probability of being in the high-J DBP group. The GWG rate during the late midsecond trimester (22(+0) to 26(+0) weeks) was consistently associated with an elevated DBP level: for every 200 g/wk increase, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio was 1.27 (95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.43) for the trajectory shift to the high-J group and 1.20 (95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.35) for the occurrence of diastolic prehypertension after 37(+0) weeks. Furthermore, adding a trimester-specific GWG rate (22(+0) to 26(+0) weeks) contributed to the incremental yield for the prediction of diastolic prehypertension after 37(+0) weeks. Our results thus provide the timing and extent of gestational weight control relevant to the optimized BP level during pregnancy.