Molecular Background of Toxic-Substances-Induced Morphological Alterations in the Umbilical Cord Vessels and Fetal Red Blood Cells.

ABSTRACT: The relationship between smoking and human health has been investigated mostly in adults, despite the fact that the chemicals originating from sustained maternal smoking disrupt the carefully orchestrated regulatory cascades in the developing fetus. In this study, we followed molecular alterations in the umbilical cord (UC) vessels and fetal red blood cells (RBCs), which faithfully reflect the in vivo status of the fetus. We showed evidence for the decreased level of DNA-PKcs-positive nuclei in samples with smoking origin, which is associated with the impaired DNA repair system. Furthermore, we pointed out the altered ratio of MMP-9 metalloproteinase and its endogenous inhibitor TIMP-1, which might be a possible explanation for the morphological abnormalities in the UC vessels. The present

SUBMITTER: Zahoran S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9736329 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature