Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 5.3 CD-1 mouse embryos from control (a, c, e) or methanol-treated
C57BL/6J mouse dams (b, d, f) on gestation day 7 (a, b), 8 (c, d), and 9 (e, f).
Embryos were fixed and surface stained with acridine orange and photographed
on a fluorescence microscope. Pregnant mice were injected i.p. with 4.9 g/kg
methanol, split in two doses 4 hours apart on gestation day 7. On gestation day 7,
2 hours after the second dose, the anterior neurectoderm of the treated embryos
(b) was narrow in comparison to controls (a). At gestation day 8, further
narrowing of the anterior neural folds and lack of the optic pit is evident (d)
compared to the control (c). By gestation day 9, micro/anophthalmia is apparent
in the methanol-treated embryo (f), along with poorly developed branchial
arches and small forebrain, compared to the control (e).
Maternal menstrual cycles, conception rate, and live birth index were all
unaffected. There were also no effects on maternal weight gain or
clinical toxicity among the dams. The decrease in pregnancy length was
largely due to complications of pregnancy requiring Cesarean section
