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Cardiac Changes In Fetal Mice From Tap Water Exposure
Author(s) -
Hrubec Terry C,
Melin Travis,
Reinoso Valerie P,
Gutierrez J Claudio
Publication year - 2012
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.26.1_supplement.910.2
Subject(s) - tap water , teratology , gestation , fetus , medicine , distilled water , interventricular septum , thorax (insect anatomy) , anatomy , pregnancy , cardiology , biology , chemistry , chromatography , environmental engineering , ventricle , engineering , genetics
In 2006, we began to observe neural tube defects, cleft palates and rib malformations in mice exposed to an unidentified teratogen present in the water. Providing distilled deionized (DDI) water decreased or eliminated malformations while providing water from different municipalities induced malformations. We wanted to examine the effect of this unidentified teratogen on heart development. Mice were exposed to tap water or DDI water for 8 weeks prior to breeding and throughout gestation. Fetuses were examined on day 17 of gestation and processed for histopathological evaluation. Changes in cardiac development were assessed from digital images of serial sections taken at standardized levels in the thorax. Parametric and non‐parametric statistical analysis was performed on 13 morphological measurements to compare difference between treatments (P<0.05). Exposure to tap water significantly increased total myocardial area, interventricular septal area, left myocardial area, aortic valve area, and ascending transverse aortic diameter. Right ventricular chamber area significantly decreased with tap water exposure possibly due to enlargement of the left ventricular myocardium. Collectively these changes indicate a left sided hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in day 17 tap water exposed mouse fetuses. Funded by the Harvey Peters Foundation and the VA‐MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.