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Molecular characterization of spina bifida in embryos of diabetic pregnancies
Author(s) -
Tay Samuel SW,
Loh Wan Ting,
Thameem Dheen S
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a598
Subject(s) - neural tube , embryo , spina bifida , andrology , embryogenesis , biology , immunofluorescence , spinal cord , haematoxylin , anatomy , immunohistochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , immunology , neuroscience , antibody , genetics
Maternal diabetes induces several forms of neural tube defects (NTDs) including spina bifida which is caudal neural tube closure defect during embryogenesis. In the present study, embryos at embryonic day 11.5 were collected from normal and diabetic mice and subjected to morphological and immunohistochemical analyses. Transverse sections of E11.5 embryos from diabetic pregnancies stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin revealed an open neural tube with architectural disruption of the surrounding tissues. The developing dorsal root ganglia (DRG) appeared to be displaced and reduced in size. Development of different cell types including motor neurons, interneurons, oligodendrocytes, radial glial cells, and astrocytes has also been found to be affected in the spinal cord of embryos from diabetic pregnancies. In addition, cell proliferation analysis by BrdU incorporation revealed a majority of the cells in the dorsal neural tube of embryos are BrdU immuno‐positive, thus suggesting a delay in the differentiation process. Quantitative analysis confirmed that the percentage of proliferating cells in embryos of diabetic mice was significantly increased in comparison to the controls (34.71„b5.36% versus 21.32„b9.61%, p<0.05). Immunofluorescence staining with Tuj‐1, a marker against neuron specific class III ƒÒ‐tubulin in the DRG of embryos from diabetic pregnancies showed a decrease in the number of differentiated neurons as compared to the controls (22.06„b7.04% versus 38.50„b10%, p<0.05). Results from the present study would provide better insights into the patterning mechanisms of the neural tube in embryos from diabetic pregnancies. This study was supported by a research grant (R‐181‐000‐075‐112) from the Academic Research Fund, National University of Singapore.