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The effects of human amniotic fluid stem cell (hAFSC) transplantation on bladder function and molecular changes in spinal cord-injured (SCI) rats were investigated. Four groups were studied: sham and SCI plus phosphate-buffered saline (SCI + PBS), human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells, and hAFSCs transplantation. In SCI + PBS rat bladders, cystometry showed increased peak voiding pressure, voiding volume, bladder capacity, residual volume, and number of non-voiding contractions, and the total elastin/collagen amount was increased but collagen concentration was decreased at days 7 and 28. Immunoreactivity and mRNA levels of IGF-1, TGF-β1, and β3-adrenoceptor were increased at days 7 and/or 28. M2 immunoreactivity and M3 mRNA levels of muscarinic receptor were increased at day 7. M2 immunoreactivity was increased, but M2/M3 mRNA and M3 immunoreactivity levels were decreased at day 28. Brain derived-neurotrophic factor mRNA was increased, but immunoreactivity was decreased at day 7. HEK293 cell transplantation caused no difference compared to SCI + PBS group. hAFSCs co-localized with neural cell markers and expressed BDNF, TGF-β1, GFAP, and IL-6. The present results showed that SCI bladders released IGF-1 and TGF-β1 to stimulate elastin and collagen for bladder wall remodelling, and hAFSC transplantation improved these changes, which involved the mechanisms of BDNF, muscarinic receptors, and β3-adrenoceptor expression.

Objective: Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is widely used as a powerful screening tool to detect common aneuploidies. However, its application for detection of rare chromosomal abnormalities remains inconclusive. Case report: A 38-year-old woman (gravida 2, para 0) requested NIPT as a primary screening test for fetal aneuploidies at 13 weeks and 1 day of gestation. An unexpected Trisomy 9 (T9) abnormality was highly suspected. Amniocentesis was arranged for further diagnosis at 18 weeks of gestation. Final karyotyping reported 47,XX,+9 [18]/46,XX [12], indicating 60% T9 mosaicism. Conclusion: This case shows strong evidence that NIPT can be a powerful screening tool to detect rare fetal trisomies at very early gestation. Keywords: Amniocentesis, Karyotyping, Maternal plasma DNA, Noninvasive prenatal testing, Trisomy 9 mosaicism

Aims This study investigated the protective effect of human amniotic fluid-derived stem cells (hAFSCs) against bladder overactivity in rat model of atherosclerosis-induced chronic bladder ischemia. Methods Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups: (1) Normal control with a regular diet for 8 weeks, (2) Sham-operation, (3) arterial balloon endothelial injury (AEI) of common iliac artery (AEI only), and post-AEI consecutive hAFSCs treatment for (4) 1 day, (5) 3 days, and (6) 7 days. Groups 2-6 were given 2% cholesterol diet for 8 weeks after operation (sham or AEI). Bladder functions were analyzed by cystometry at 8 weeks in controls and after operation in groups 2-6. Wall morphology of common iliac artery was examined by hematoxylin and eosin stain. Bladder oxidative stress and inflammatory markers were studied by immunohistochemistry of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG), malondialdehyde (MDA), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Results Bladder overactivity with decreased voided volumes and intercontraction intervals and increased residual volumes was seen in AEI only group, but improved after hAFSCs treatment for 1, 3, and 7 days. Compared with controls and shams, the wall thickness of iliac artery was increased in AEI only group, but improved after hAFSCs treatment for 3 and 7 days. The expressions of 8OHdG, MDA, and TNF-alpha were increased in AEI only group, but improved after hAFSCs treatment for 1, 3, and 7 days. Conclusions Bladder overactivity caused by chronic bladder ischemia can be improved by hAFSCs treatment, probably by acting through down-regulation of oxidative stress and TNF-alpha expressions.

To examine the effects of human amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSCs) transplantation on bladder function and molecular changes in diabetic rats, 60 female Sprague-Dawley rats were used for study. Three groups were assigned including sham control rats, streptozotocin (STZ, 60 mg/kg)-induced diabetic rats and STZ-induced diabetic rats plus bladder hAFSCs transplantation. Compared to controls, diabetic rats had decreased body weight but increased bladder weight. Cystometries showed non-voiding contraction, residual volume, voided volume and intercontraction interval increased significantly in diabetic rats at week 4 and 12 after DM induction, but improved after hAFSCs transplantation. The immunoreactivities and mRNAs of nerve growth factor (NGF) decreased significantly in diabetic bladder at week 4 and 12 after DM induction, but recovered after hAFSCs transplantation. The immunoreactivities and mRNAs of M2 and M3 muscarinic receptor increased significantly in diabetic bladder at week 4 after DM induction but recovered after hAFSCs transplantation. The immunoreactivity of 8-hydroxy-20-deoxyguanosine increased significantly in diabetic bladder at week 4 and 12 after DM induction but reduced after hAFSCs transplantation. The present study showed bladder dysfunction in STZ-induced diabetic rats could be improved by hAFSCs transplantation into bladder, which may be related to the recovery of bladder NGF and muscarinic receptors.

I am writing this manuscript to correct the second author information. My name is correctly spelt, S.W. Steven Shaw. But “S.W. Steven” is the first name, “Shaw” is the last name. My publications are always searched by “Shaw SW” in pubmed. However, in this article, my name is searched by “Shaw SS.”

A retrospective analysis of the Taiwanese National Birth Defect Registration and Notification System was conducted in order to determine the live birth- and stillbirth rates in infants with Down syndrome, trisomy 18, trisomy 13 and Turner syndrome between 2001 and 2010. The objective was to investigate the impact of Down syndrome screening on the Taiwanese Down syndrome live birth rate. In addition, the results of first-trimester Down syndrome screening between 2006 and 2011, and of second-trimester quadruple testing between 2008 and 2011, were obtained from the National Taiwan University Hospital. All Taiwanese infants born between 2001 and 2010 were included in the first part of the analysis, and women receiving first-trimester Down syndrome screening or second-trimester quadruple testing from the National Taiwan University Hospital were included in the second part. The live birth rate of infants with Down syndrome, per 100 000 live births, decreased from 22.28 in 2001 to 7.79 in 2010. The ratio of liveborn DS to total DS was 48.74% in 2001, and then decreased to 25.88% in 2006, when first-trimester screening was widely introduced in Taiwan. This ratio dropped to 20.64% in 2008, when the second-trimester quadruple test was implemented. The overall positive rate in first-trimester screening in the National Taiwan University Hospital was 3.1%, with a Down syndrome detection rate of 100%; the quadruple test had values of 9.0% and 75%, respectively. The use of first-trimester screening and the second-trimester quadruple test may be responsible for the marked decrease in the Taiwanese Down syndrome live birth rate observed between 2001 and 2010.