Ronald McCarthy
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View article: Fetoplacental circadian rhythms develop and then synchronize to the mother <i>in utero</i>
Fetoplacental circadian rhythms develop and then synchronize to the mother <i>in utero</i> Open
Circadian rhythms in gene expression and hormones are ubiquitous across species and differentiated cell types, yet their developmental origins remain poorly understood. This study aimed to determine if daily rhythms can be detected in uter…
View article: Highly Potent and Subtype-Selective Sperm-Specific Potassium Channel SLO3 Inhibitors Display High Tissue Exposure in the Murine Female Reproductive Tract
Highly Potent and Subtype-Selective Sperm-Specific Potassium Channel SLO3 Inhibitors Display High Tissue Exposure in the Murine Female Reproductive Tract Open
To date, the study of drug exposure and distribution throughout the female reproductive tract has often been overlooked and neglected. Herein, we report the first highly potent and subtype-selective sperm-specific potassium channel 3 (SLO3…
View article: Bacterial vaginosis toxins impair sperm capacitation and fertilization
Bacterial vaginosis toxins impair sperm capacitation and fertilization Open
STUDY QUESTION What effect do toxins produced by bacterial vaginosis (BV) bacteria have on sperm function? SUMMARY ANSWER BV toxins dysregulate sperm capacitation and intracellular calcium homeostasis, and impair the ability of sperm to fe…
View article: Restricted mating windows and thrombospondin 2 gene deletion improve the precision of parturition timing in mice
Restricted mating windows and thrombospondin 2 gene deletion improve the precision of parturition timing in mice Open
Mice are an important model organism for studying reproduction, parturition timing, and embryonic development. Previous reports indicate that limiting mouse breeding periods can reduce variability in fetal weight. To expand on these findin…
View article: SLO2.1/NALCN Functional Complex Activity in Mouse Myometrial Smooth Muscle Cells During Pregnancy
SLO2.1/NALCN Functional Complex Activity in Mouse Myometrial Smooth Muscle Cells During Pregnancy Open
At the end of pregnancy, the uterus transitions from a quiescent to a highly contractile state. This is partly due to the depolarization of the resting membrane potential in uterine (myometrial) smooth muscle cells (MSMCs). In human MSMCs,…
View article: Bacterial Vaginosis Toxins Impair Sperm Capacitation and Fertilization
Bacterial Vaginosis Toxins Impair Sperm Capacitation and Fertilization Open
Study question What effect do toxins produced by bacterial vaginosis (BV) bacteria have on sperm function? Summary answer Bacterial vaginosis toxins dysregulate sperm capacitation and intracellular calcium homeostasis and impair the abilit…
View article: Social disadvantage is associated with impaired increase in salivary diurnal melatonin amplitude throughout pregnancy
Social disadvantage is associated with impaired increase in salivary diurnal melatonin amplitude throughout pregnancy Open
Study Objectives Melatonin regulates daily rhythms and is important for maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Certain socioeconomic factors may affect melatonin release. This study evaluates whether the increase in melatonin with advancing gest…
View article: Obese mice have decreased uterine contractility and altered energy metabolism in the uterus at term gestation
Obese mice have decreased uterine contractility and altered energy metabolism in the uterus at term gestation Open
Over 35% of reproductive-age women in the USA have obesity, putting them at increased risk for numerous obstetric complications due to abnormal labor. While the association between maternal obesity and abnormal labor has been well document…
View article: SLO2.1/NALCN Functional Complex Activity in Mouse Myometrial Smooth Muscle Cells During Pregnancy
SLO2.1/NALCN Functional Complex Activity in Mouse Myometrial Smooth Muscle Cells During Pregnancy Open
At the end of pregnancy, the uterus transitions from a quiescent to a highly contractile state. This is partly due to depolarization of the resting membrane potential in uterine (myometrial) smooth muscle cells (MSMCs). In human MSMCs, the…
View article: BKCa channels are involved in spontaneous and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated uterine contraction in late gestation mice
BKCa channels are involved in spontaneous and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated uterine contraction in late gestation mice Open
The large-conductance, voltage-gated, calcium (Ca2+)-activated potassium channel (BKCa) is one of the most abundant potassium channels in the myometrium. Previous work conducted by our group has identified a link between inflammation, BKCa…
View article: Fetal daily rhythms develop during pregnancy and entrain to the maternal circadian system
Fetal daily rhythms develop during pregnancy and entrain to the maternal circadian system Open
Circadian rhythms in gene expression and hormones are ubiquitous across species and differentiated cell types. This study aimed to determine when daily rhythms begin in the fetus and synchronize to the mother. We developed methods to monit…
View article: Estrogen metabolites increase nociceptor hyperactivity in a mouse model of uterine pain
Estrogen metabolites increase nociceptor hyperactivity in a mouse model of uterine pain Open
Pain emanating from the female reproductive tract is notoriously difficult to treat, and the prevalence of transient pelvic pain has been placed as high as 70%-80% in women surveyed. Although sex hormones, especially estrogen, are thought …
View article: Labor induction with oxytocin in pregnant rats is not associated with oxidative stress in the fetal brain
Labor induction with oxytocin in pregnant rats is not associated with oxidative stress in the fetal brain Open
Despite the widespread use of oxytocin for induction of labor, mechanistic insights into fetal/neonatal wellbeing are lacking because of the absence of an animal model that recapitulates modern obstetric practice. Here, we create and valid…
View article: A NOVEL PREGNANT RAT MODEL FOR LABOR INDUCTION AND AUGMENTATION WITH OXYTOCIN
A NOVEL PREGNANT RAT MODEL FOR LABOR INDUCTION AND AUGMENTATION WITH OXYTOCIN Open
Background Despite the widespread use of oxytocin for induction of labor, mechanistic insights into maternal and neonatal wellbeing are lacking because of the absence of an animal model that recapitulates modern obstetric practice. Objecti…
View article: Riding the Rhythm of Melatonin Through Pregnancy to Deliver on Time
Riding the Rhythm of Melatonin Through Pregnancy to Deliver on Time Open
Pregnancy is influenced by the circadian (“circa” or approximately; diēm or day) system, which coordinates physiology and behavior with predictable daily changes in the environment such as light/dark cycles. For example, most species deliv…
View article: Pregnancy Induces an Earlier Chronotype in Both Mice and Women
Pregnancy Induces an Earlier Chronotype in Both Mice and Women Open
Daily rhythms generated by endogenous circadian mechanisms and synchronized to the light-dark cycle have been implicated in the timing of birth in a wide variety of species. Although chronodisruption (e.g., shift work or clock gene mutatio…
View article: Transvaginal fast-scanning optical-resolution photoacoustic endoscopy
Transvaginal fast-scanning optical-resolution photoacoustic endoscopy Open
Photoacoustic endoscopy offers in vivo examination of the visceral tissue using endogenous contrast, but its typical B-scan rate is ∼10 Hz, restricted by the speed of the scanning unit and the laser pulse repetition rate. Here, we present …
View article: In vivo characterization of connective tissue remodeling using infrared photoacoustic spectra.
In vivo characterization of connective tissue remodeling using infrared photoacoustic spectra. Open
Premature cervical remodeling is a critical precursor of spontaneous preterm birth, and the remodeling process is characterized by an increase in tissue hydration. Nevertheless, current clinical measurements of cervical remodeling are subj…
View article: Mouse models of preterm birth: suggested assessment and reporting guidelines†
Mouse models of preterm birth: suggested assessment and reporting guidelines† Open
Preterm birth affects approximately 1 out of every 10 births in the United States, leading to high rates of mortality and long-term negative health consequences. To investigate the mechanisms leading to preterm birth so as to develop preve…