Proteins Fetus

Beneficial effects have also been attributed to PAF. In reproduction, PAF secreted by the fertilized egg is instrumental in the implantation of the egg in the uterine wall. PAF is produced in significant quantities in the lungs of the fetus late in pregnancy and may stimulate the production of fetal lung surfactant, a protein-lipid complex that prevents collapse of the lungs in a newborn infant. 

The POMC protein is processed differendy in the anterior lobe than in the intermediate lobe. The intermediate lobe of the pituitary is mdimentary in adult humans, but it is active in human fetuses and in pregnant women during late gestation and is also active in many animal species. Processing of the POMC protein in the peripheral tissues (gut, placenta, male reproductive tract) resem-... 

Chuah M. and Zheng D. (1987). Olfactory marker protein is present in olfactory receptor cells of human fetuses. Neuroscience 23, 363-370. 

Takahashi S., Iwanaga T Takahashi Y., Nakano Y., et al. (1984). Neuron-specific enolase, neurofilament protein and S-100 protein protein in the olfactory mucosa of human fetuses an immunohistochemical study. Cell Tiss Res 238, 231-234. 

Yukimatsu M., Takami S., Matsumura G. and Nishiyama F. (2000). Immunoreactivity for G-proteins in the vomeronasal organ of human fetuses. Chem Senses 25, 215 (abs. P-17). 

There is only one major system of interacting growth factors and receptors in the fetus — the insulin (INS) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system (Table 1 and Fig. 1). Ignoring various binding proteins that modulate IGF actions in tissues and... 

With disruption of this barrier, molecules such as albumin freely enter the brain and ions and water follow. Because the brain lacks a well-developed lymphatic system, clearance of plasma constituents is slow, edema occurs, and intracranial pressure rises. At lower levels of exposure, subtle dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier may contribute to neurobehavioral deficits in children (Bressler and Goldstein 1991 Goldstein 1993). The particular vulnerability of the fetus and infant to the neurotoxicity of lead may be due in part to immaturity of the blood-brain barrier and to the lack of the high-affinity leadbinding protein in astroglia, which is discussed later in this section. Results of measurements of transendothelial electrical resistance across the blood-brain barrier from mice of various ages showed that lead potentiates cytokines-induced increase in ion permeability of the blood-brain barrier (Dyatlov et al. 

Grabowski, C.T. 1981. Plasma proteins and colloid osmotic pressure of blood of rat fetuses prenatally exposed to mirex. Jour. Toxicol. Environ. Health 7 705-714. 

Lipophilic drugs (e.g., opiates and antibiotics) cross more easily than do water-soluble drugs. Certain protein-bound drugs may achieve higher plasma concentrations in the fetus than in the mother. 

Rogers JM, Morelli L, Grabowski CT. 1984. Plasma glucose and protein concentrations in rat fetuses and neonates exposed to cataractogenic doses of mirex. Environ Res 34 155-161. 

Genetic tests are performed on a sample of blood, hair, skin, amniotic fluid (the fluid that surrounds a fetus during pregnancy), or other tissue. For example, a procedure called a buccal smear uses a small brush or cotton swab to collect a sample of cells from the inside surface of the cheek. The sample is sent to a laboratory where technicians look for specific changes in chromosomes, DNA, or proteins, depending on the suspected disorder. The laboratory reports the test results in writing to a person s doctor or genetic counselor. 

The Serum Proteins of the Fetus and Young of Some Mammals R. A. Kekwick... 

Ellis WG, Semple JL, Hoogenboom JR, Kavlock RJ, Zeman FJ Benomyl-induced craniocerebral anomalies in fetuses of adequately nourished and protein-deprived rats. Teratog Carcinog Mutagen 8 377-391, 1988... 

The mechanisms of action of the effects of alcohol on the nervous system remain unclear. For some time, researchers thought that the depressant effects of alcohol, like other anesthetic agents, were caused by dissolving into the cell lipid membranes and disrupting the function of various proteins. More recently, researchers have focused on specific receptors such as glutamate (excitatory) and GABA (inhibitory). Despite intensive research, the mechanism of effect of alcohol on the fetus is unknown. 

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