• Applied Microscopy
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.109-124
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• 1993

The prenatal development of thoracic spinal cord was studied by electron microscope in human embryos and fetuses ranging from 9mm to 260mm crown-rump length (5-30 weeks of gestational age). Ependymal cells in all fetal ages had conspicuous junctional complexes close to the lumen of the central canal into which microvilli and cilia projected. The ependymal cells contained numerous longitudinally arranged mitochondria, flattened cisternae of endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex. At 20 mm embryo, the floor and roof plates were composed of ependymoglial cells and undifferentiated neuroepithelial cells. The neuroepithelia of the sacral spinal cord were delineated from central medullary cord. By 100 mm fetus few undifferentiated neuroepithelial cells remained in the floor and roof plates. At 150 mm fetus, the whole central canal was formed by ciliated columnar epithelial cells containing cilia with basal bodies. The microvilli became tangled and club-shaped and formed a matted surface. The canal was filled with areas of dark and pale amorphous materials bounded by membrane-like structure. These two types of material were found throughout the whole central canal from 100 mm fetus onwards. By 260 mm fetus, microfibrils were first observed in the ependymal cells. In conclusion, it seems that early development and differentiation of central canal ependyma are simlar to that in other part of the brain ventricular system although ependymoglial cells are more prominent.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.335-340
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• 2015

The objective of this study was to evaluate the initial detection time and development of the fetal genital structures using ultrasound in twelve pregnant small bitches. The initial detection time of the fetal genital structures was as follows: genital tubercle at days 32.6; os penis at days 45.2; labia at days 45.7; scrotum at days 47.5. Ultrasonograms of fetal genital structure according to gestational stage were as follows: Undifferentiated stage (before day 35), the genital tubercle was observed to have a small elevation and just a hyper-echogenic structure in the midline between the umbilical cord and the tail in male and female fetus. Migration stage (between day 35~45), the genital tubercle was observed as a hyper-echogenic, bilobular, oval shaped and the genital tubercle began to migrate from the initial position toward the umbilical cord in males, and toward the tail in females. Differentiated stage (after day 46), the penis and os penis were observed to stand out in the abdominal wall and the scrotum was observed toward the perineal region in male fetuses. The labia was detected at the base of the tail in female fetuses. These results indicate that ultrasound of fetal genital structures could be useful for fetal gender determination and a completely prepartum evaluation of the canine fetus.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.117-122
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• 2015

Global developmental delay (GDD) is a relatively common early-onset chronic neurological condition, which may have prenatal, perinatal, postnatal, or undetermined causes. Family history, physical and neurological examinations, and detailed history of environmental risk factors might suggest a specific disease. However, diagnostic laboratory tests, brain imaging, and other evidence-based evaluations are necessary in most cases to elucidate the causes. Diagnosis of GDD has recently improved because of remarkable advances in genetic technology, but this is an exhaustive and expensive evaluation that may not lead to therapeutic benefits in the majority of GDD patients. Inborn metabolic errors are one of the main targets for the treatment of GDD, although only a small proportion of GDD patients have this type of error. Nevertheless, diagnosis is often challenging because the phenotypes of many genetic or metabolic diseases often overlap, and their clinical spectra are much broader than currently known. Appropriate and cost-effective strategies including up-to-date information for the early identification of the "treatable" causes of GDD are needed for the development of well-timed therapeutic applications with the potential to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.15-28
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• 2005

Purpose: With post-Genome Project, nurses must be able to incorporate genetic knowledge into their practice. The purpose of the present study aimed at providing the basic information needed to establish an education program for the training of nurses specialized in genetic counseling by comparing and analyzing the education contents in genetics of the various domestic and foreign nursing education institutions, identifying the problems of the existing programs, and investigating the current state of domestic genetic counseling programs. Result: The results of literature review were summarized as follows: Common curricula contents in Korea, Japan and U.S.A. were basic genetic knowledge, genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis. However, In Korea the curriculum was not included legal, ethical, and social issues. In U.S.A. the course was focused on health promotion related to genetics. The expanded role of nurses is to provide the genetic counseling for clients and their families. So, this articles provided a sample of the new genetic counseling program for nurses which are included basic genetics, genetic counseling, nurse's role and knowledge, legal, ethical, social issues and practicum. Conclusion: this study suggests that this educational program is to brought up genetic specialized nurses in the master's course in the near future.

• Journal of mucopolysaccharidosis and rare diseases
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.5-7
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• 2016

Mucolipidoses II and III alpha/beta (ML II and ML III) are lysosomal disorders in which the essential mannose-6-phosphate recognition marker is not synthesized onto lysosomal hydrolases and other glycoproteins. The disorders are caused by mutations in GNPTAB, which encodes two of three subunits of the heterohexameric enzyme, N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase ML II, recognizable at birth, often causes intrauterine growth impairment and sometimes the prenatal "Pacman" dysplasia. The main postnatal manifestations of ML II include gradual coarsening of neonatally evident craniofacial features, early cessation of statural growth and neuromotor development, dysostosis multiplex and major morbidity by hardening of soft connective tissue about the joints and in the cardiac valves. Fatal outcome occurs often before or in early childhood. ML III with clinical onset rarely detectable before three years of age, progresses slowly with gradual coarsening of the facial features, growth deficiency, dysostosis multiplex, restriction of movement in all joints before or from adolescence, painful gait impairment by prominent hip disease. Cognitive handicap remains minor or absent even in the adult, often wheelchair-bound patient with variable though significantly reduced life expectancy. As yet, there is no cure for individuals affected by these diseases. So, clinical manifestations and conservative treatment is important. This review aimed to highlight the extra-skeletal clinical problems in ML II and III.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.12
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• pp.979-984
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• 2010

Recent progress in neonatal medicine has enabled survival of many extremely low-birth-weight infants. Prenatal steroids, surfactants, and non-invasive ventilation have helped reduce the incidence of the classical form of bronchopulmonary dysplasia characterized by marked fibrosis and emphysema. However, a new form of bronchopulmonary dysplasia marked by arrest of alveolarization remains a complication in the postnatal course of extremely low-birth-weight infants. To better understand this challenging complication, detailed alveolarization mechanisms should be delineated. Proper alveolarization involves the temporal and spatial coordination of a number of cells, mediators, and genes. Cross-talk between the mesenchyme and the epithelium through soluble and diffusible factors are key processes of alveolarization. Lung interstitial cells derived from the mesenchyme play a crucial role in alveolarization. Peak alveolar formation coincides with intense lung interstitial cell proliferation. Myofibroblasts are essential for secondary septation, a critical process of alveolarization, and localize to the front lines of alveologenesis. The differentiation and migration of myofibroblasts are strictly controlled by various mediators and genes. Disruption of this finely controlled mechanism leads to abnormal alveolarization. Since arrest in alveolarization is a hallmark of a new form of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, knowledge regarding the role of lung interstitial cells during alveolarization and their control mechanism will enable us to find more specific therapeutic strategies for bronchopulmonary dysplasia. In this review, the role of lung interstitial cells during alveolarization and control mechanisms of their differentiation and migration will be discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.48-64
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• 2002

The primary recognized health risk from common deficiencies in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), a cytoprotective enzyme for oxidative stress, is red blood cell hemolysis. Here we show that litters from untreated pregnant mutant mice with a hereditary G6PD deficiency had increased prenatal (fetal resorptions) and postnatal death. When treated with the anticonvulsant drug phenytoin, a human teratogen that is commonly used in pregnant women and causes embryonic oxidative stress, G6PD-deficient dams had higher embryonic DNA oxidation and more fetal death and birth defects. The reported G6PD gene mutation was confirmed and used to genotype fetal resorptions, which were primarily G6PD deficient. This is the first evidence that G6PD is a developmentally critical cytoprotective enzyme for both endogenous and xenobiotic-initiated embryopathic oxidative stress and DNA damage. G6PD deficiencies accordingly may have a broader biological relevance as important determinants of infertility, in utero and postnatal death, and teratogenesis.-Nicol, C. J., Zielenski, J., Tsui, L.-C., Wells, P. G. An embryoprotective role for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in developmental oxidative stress and chemical teratogenesis.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.415-426
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• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify relations among the parenting stress, maternal sensitivity to infant cues, parenting environment of first-time mothers. Method: The participants were 194 first-time mothers of babies aged 1-6 months who visited well-baby clinics in 5 hospitals. The data were collected from April 15 to June 15, 2003. Results: The parenting stress level was moderate with a mean score of 2.4(range 1-5). The parent domain and parent-child relationship domain of the parenting stress scale were significantly correlated with maternal sensitivity to infant feeding cues (r=-.178, p<.05; r=-.197, p<.01). Parenting stress was significantly correlated with childrearing environment(r=-2.19, p<.01). Parenting stress and childrearing environment were significantly different according to the educational level of the mothers and their prenatal care. Conclusions: Nursing interventions to reduce parenting stress in first-time mothers are needed to improve maternal sensitivity to infant cues and childrearing environment which foster infant development.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.195-203
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• 2014

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between fatigue, sleep disturbance, and gestational stress in women during late stage of pregnancy. Methods: This study was conducted with 113 healthy pregnant women at gestational age greater than 27 weeks who were registered at community health centers and received prenatal care. A structured questionnaire regarding fatigue, sleep disturbance, and gestational stress was used. The data was analyzed using a t-test, an ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: The subjects with unplanned pregnancies and irregular exercise patterns showed a higher level of fatigue than those with planned pregnancies and regular exercise patterns. Pregnant women with caffeine intake manifested higher levels of gestational stress and sleep disturbance than those without. The levels of sleep disturbance and gestational stress increased as the fatigue levels increased. The fatigue levels increased with increased levels of sleep disturbance. Conclusion: Planned pregnancy, regular exercise patterns, and caffeine intake were related with fatigue, sleep disturbance, and gestational stress in women during late stages of pregnancy. Fatigue, sleep disturbance, and gestational stress had close associations to each other. In the future, such results should guide development of nursing intervention programs for women in late stages of pregnancy.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.276-286
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of pregnant women's experiences with drinking alcohol during first trimester of pregnancy Methods: The data were collected through in-depth interviews of 7 pregnant women who drank alcohol in the first trimester. Giorgi's phenomenological method was used for data analysis. Results: Findings included 6 main themes and 14 themes. The main themes concerning pregnancy and drinking were: 'Open attitude in drinking, History of drinking in family or spouse, Seeking information in how drinking affects pregnancy, Regret not doing planned pregnancy and not quitting drinking before pregnancy, Willing to stop drinking until the child birth, Awareness about importance of preconception care. Conclusion: The results of this study provide a deeper understanding of pregnant women's experiences of drinking alcohol during the first trimester of pregnancy. These results can be used in the development of strategies to prevent drinking alcohol during first trimester and to support preconception care and prenatal care.