Vegetarian and vegan diets have increased worldwide in the last decades, according to the knowledge that they might prevent coronary heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Althought plant-based diets are at risk of nutritional deficiencies such as proteins, iron, vitamin D, calcium, iodine, omega-3, and vitamin B12, the available evidence shows that well planned vegetarian and vegan diets may be considered safe during pregnancy and lactation, but they require a strong awareness for a balanced intake of key nutrients. A review of the scientific literature in this field was performed, focusing specifically on observational studies in humans, in order to investigate protective effects elicited by maternal diets enriched in plant-derived foods and possible unfavorable outcomes related to micronutrients deficiencies and their impact on fetal development. A design of pregestational nutrition intervention is required in order to avoid maternal undernutrition and consequent impaired fetal growth.

Pregnancy induces a number of immunological, hormonal, and metabolic changes that are necessary for the mother to adapt her body to this new physiological situation. The microbiome of the mother, the placenta and the fetus influence the fetus growth and undoubtedly plays a major role in the adequate development of the newborn infant. Hence, the microbiome modulates the inflammatory mechanisms related to physiological and pathological processes that are involved in the perinatal progress through different mechanisms. The present review summarizes the actual knowledge related to physiological changes in the microbiota occurring in the mother, the fetus, and the child, both during neonatal period and beyond. In addition, we approach some specific pathological situations during the perinatal periods, as well as the influence of the type of delivery and feeding.

The Bcl-2 (B-cell lymphoma 2) protein Bax (Bcl-2 associated X, apoptosis regulator) can commit cells to apoptosis via outer mitochondrial membrane permeabilization. Bax activity is controlled in healthy cells by prosurvival Bcl-2 proteins. C-terminal Bax transmembrane domain interactions were implicated recently in Bax pore formation. Here, we show that the isolated transmembrane domains of Bax, Bcl-x L (B-cell lymphoma-extra large), and Bcl-2 can mediate interactions between Bax and prosurvival proteins inside the membrane in the absence of apoptotic stimuli. Bcl-2 protein transmembrane domains specifically homooligomerize and heterooligomerize in bacterial and mitochondrial membranes. Their interactions participate in the regulation of Bcl-2 proteins, thus modulating apoptotic activity. Our results suggest that interactions between the transmembrane domains of Bax and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins represent a previously unappreciated level of apoptosis regulation.

Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated to different physical, behavioral, cognitive, and neurological impairments collectively known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The underlying mechanisms of ethanol toxicity are not completely understood. Experimental studies during human pregnancy to identify new diagnostic biomarkers are difficult to carry out beyond genetic or epigenetic analyses in biological matrices. Therefore, animal models are a useful tool to study the teratogenic effects of alcohol on the central nervous system and analyze the benefits of promising therapies. Animal models of alcohol spectrum disorder allow the analysis of key variables such as amount, timing and frequency of ethanol consumption to describe the harmful effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. In this review, we aim to synthetize neurodevelopmental disabilities in rodent fetal alcohol spectrum disorder phenotypes, considering facial dysmorphology and fetal growth restriction. We examine the different neurodevelopmental stages based on the most consistently implicated epigenetic mechanisms, cell types and molecular pathways, and assess the advantages and disadvantages of murine models in the study of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, the different routes of alcohol administration, and alcohol consumption patterns applied to rodents. Finally, we analyze a wide range of phenotypic features to identify fetal alcohol spectrum disorder phenotypes in murine models, exploring facial dysmorphology, neurodevelopmental deficits, and growth restriction, as well as the methodologies used to evaluate behavioral and anatomical alterations produced by prenatal alcohol exposure in rodents.

The flavanol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is being tested for the treatment of several diseases in humans. However, its bioavailability and pharmacokinetic profile needs a better understanding to enable its use in clinical trials. There is no consensus on the most appropriate concentration of EGCG in the body to obtain the maximum therapeutic effects. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the bioavailability of EGCG orally administered alone or with different food supplements after overnight fasting in order to determine its optimal conditions (high concentrations in blood and the lowest interindividual variations) to be used as a pharmacological tool in human trials. Ten healthy volunteers (5 men and 5 women) aged 25 to 35 years were recruited prospectively. Three series of clinical experiments with a washout period of seven days among each were performed: (1) Teavigo® (EGCG extract) alone, (2) Teavigo® with a standard breakfast, and (3) FontUp® (Teavigo® commercially prepared with fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals). Blood samples were collected at 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, and 360 min after EGCG intake. Free EGCG in plasma was measured using a liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry UPLC-ESI-MS/MS analytical method. The pharmacokinetic variables analyzed statistically were area under the curve (AUC0–360), Cmax, Cav, Cmin, T1/2, and Tmax. EGCG (Teavigo®) alone was the group with higher AUC0–360, Cmax, and Cav both in men (3.86 ± 4.11 µg/mL/kg/6 h; 5.95 ng/mL/kg; 2.96 ng/mL/kg) and women (3.33 ± 1.08 µg/mL/kg/6 h; 6.66 ng/mL/kg; 3.66 ng/mL). Moreover, FontUp® was the group with the highest value of T1/2 both in men (192 ± 66 min) and women (133 ± 28 min). Teavigo® intake after fasting overnight revealed the highest concentration of EGCG in plasma according to its pharmacokinetic profile, indicating that this is an excellent alternative of administration if the experimental design requires good absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, EGCG taken along with food supplements (FontUp®) improved the stability of the molecule in the body, being the best choice if the experimental design wants to reduce interindividual variation.

The Bcl-2 protein family comprises both pro- and antiapoptotic members that control the permeabilization of the mitochondrial outer membrane, a crucial step in the modulation of apoptosis. Recent research has demonstrated that the carboxyl-terminal transmembrane domain (TMD) of some Bcl-2 protein family members can modulate apoptosis; however, the transmembrane interactome of the antiapoptotic protein Mcl-1 remains largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that the Mcl-1 TMD forms homooligomers in the mitochondrial membrane, competes with full-length Mcl-1 protein with regards to its antiapoptotic function, and induces cell death in a Bok-dependent manner. While the Bok TMD oligomers locate preferentially to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), heterooligomerization between the TMDs of Mcl-1 and Bok predominantly takes place at the mitochondrial membrane. Strikingly, the coexpression of Mcl-1 and Bok TMDs produces an increase in ER mitochondrial-associated membranes, suggesting an active role of Mcl-1 in the induced mitochondrial targeting of Bok. Finally, the introduction of Mcl-1 TMD somatic mutations detected in cancer patients alters the TMD interaction pattern to provide the Mcl-1 protein with enhanced antiapoptotic activity, thereby highlighting the clinical relevance of Mcl-1 TMD interactions.

Alcohol and drugs of abuse consumption in young adults, including women of childbearing age, has experienced significant increase over the past two decades. The use of questionnaires as the only measure to investigate prenatal alcohol and drugs of abuse exposure underestimates the real prevalence of exposure and could mislead to wrong conclusions. Therefore, the aim of this article was to compare reported rates of prenatal alcohol and drugs of abuse consumption with biomarkers of exposure by a comprehensive review of the available literature. We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for articles catalogued between 1992 and 2015. We identified relevant published studies that assessed the comparison between prenatal exposure to alcohol and drugs of abuse assessed by self-reported questionnaire of consumption versus biomarkers of exposure. Thirteen studies were included regarding alcohol consumption, and seven of them about drugs of abuse. Women who admitted consumption during pregnancy by questionnaire varied from 0 to 37% for alcohol, from 0 to 4.3% for cocaine, and 2.9% for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Positive biomarkers results ranged from 16 to 44% for alcohol, 15.4% for cocaine, and from 4 to 12.4% for THC. Biomarkers should always complement questionnaires, as it has been shown that self-report may underestimate prenatal exposure to substances of abuse.

The perinatal period is crucial to the establishment of lifelong gut microbiota. The abundance and composition of microbiota can be altered by several factors such as preterm delivery, formula feeding, infections, antibiotic treatment, and lifestyle during pregnancy. Gut dysbiosis affects the development of innate and adaptive immune responses and resistance to pathogens, promoting atopic diseases, food sensitization, and infections such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Recent studies have indicated that the gut microbiota imbalance can be restored after a single or multi-strain probiotic supplementation, especially mixtures of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains. Following the systematic search methodology, the current review addresses the importance of probiotics as a preventive or therapeutic tool for dysbiosis produced during the perinatal and infant period. We also discuss the safety of the use of probiotics in pregnant women, preterm neonates, or infants for the treatment of atopic diseases and infections.