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BackgroundIt is of high incidence of brain injuries in premature infants, so it is necessary to diagnose and treat the brain injury early for neonatal clinical practice. We are aimed to investigate the relationship between early postnatal cranial ultrasonography and psychomotor and mental development in prematrue infants at the age of 12 months.MethodsTwo-hundred and eight premature infants were selected and underwent follow-up from January, 2007 to November, 2012. Cranial ultrasonography was performed on them. The developmental outcomes of these premature infants at the age of 12 months were assessed by the psychomotor developmental index (PDI) scale and mental development index (MDI). The relationship between ultrasonic gray-scale value and PDI and MDI was analyzed.ResultsThe worse prognosis for psychomotor and mental development was associated with the gestational age, Apgar score(1 min), gender, chorioamnionitis, duration of mechanical ventilation and duration of mechanic ventilation. The differences between the prognosis of psychomotor and mental development, and peri-intraventricular hemorrhage (PIVH) and periventricular white matter damage (PWMD), were statistically significant (P < 0.05). There were also significant differences between the early postnatal ultrasonic gray-scale value and prognoses of both psychomotor development and mental development (P < 0.05). There were negative correlations between ultrasonic gray-scale and both PDI and MDI (r = −0.753, P < 0.05; r = −0.764, P < 0.05).ConclusionsThe early postnatal cranial ultrasonography can assist to predict the prognosis of psychomotor and mental development for premature infants. The higher grade of PIVH and PWMD was associated with the worse prognosis of psychomotor and mental development.

The aim of this study was to observe the dynamic changes of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), S-100B, and Tau proteins levels in full-term newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and to discuss their significance in brain damage. Serum samples of 28 full-term newborns diagnosed with HIE and 20 controls were obtained in the first 24 h of life. Another serum samples were also taken, respectively, at 3 and 7 days of life in HIE group. The concentrations of BDNF, S-100B, and Tau proteins were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Mean concentrations of BDNF, S-100B, and Tau proteins among different time period and in different grades of HIE group were calculated and compared. Compared with the control group, serum BDNF and proteins S-100B levels in HIE group were significantly elevated in 24 h after birth (P< 0.05) and their concentrations were also significantly higher among patients with mod-severe HIE compared to those with mild HIE at 24 h and 7 days after asphyxia (P < 0.05). Regardless of whether mod-severe HIE or mild HIE, there were no significant difference of serum BDNF and proteins S-100B among the three different time periods. There was no difference in Tau protein levels between HIE group and control group, also no difference between mod-severe HIE group and mild HIE group. BDNF and proteins S-100B are up-regulated early in asphyxia neonates with HIE; and the released amount of BDNF and proteins S-100B from nerve center system correlate with the extent of encephalopathy.

Few studies focused on the roles of high glucose combined with high lipid in placental development or fetal growth. This study was designed to investigate the roles of high glucose combined with high lipid in mitochondrial dysfunction of JEG-3 cells. We determined the cellular proliferation and apoptosis, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA), and lactic acid dehydrogenase in control group, high glucose group, high lipid group, and high glucose and high lipid group, together with the mitochondrial dysfunction, Nrf2, HO-1, SMAC, and cytochrome C (Cyt-C) expression. Significant decrease of SOD and significant elevation of MDA was seen in high glucose and high lipid group compared with the other three groups. There was significant decrease in mitochondrial SMAC and Cyt-C in high glucose group, high lipid group, and high glucose and high lipid group compared with those of control group. Nrf2 and HO-1 protein expression in high glucose combined with high lipid group showed significant decrease compared with that of high lipid group or high glucose group. We speculated that combination of high glucose and high lipid induced oxidative stress in JEG-3 cells, and Nrf2/ARE pathway may be related to this process.