The present study evaluates potential hazardous of nickel (Ni(+2) as NiCl2 ·6H2O) to Swiss albino mice fetus. Ni was administered orally on body weight base from days 6 to 13 of gestation period. Based on LD50, Ni doses (46.125, 92.25, and 184.5) mg Ni/kg b.wt. were used. On day 18 of gestation, uteri of the sacrificed dams were examined. A dose-dependent decrease (P < 0.01) in the body weight ...

Mice lacking the AP-1 transcription factor c-Jun die around embryonic day E13.0 but little is known about the cell types affected as well as the cause of embryonic lethality. Here we show that a fraction of mutant E13.0 fetal livers exhibits extensive apoptosis of both hematopoietic cells and hepatoblasts, whereas the expression of 15 mRNAs, including those of albumin, keratin 18, hepatocyte nu...

Even though congenital heart disease is the most prevalent malformation, little is known about how mutations affect cardiovascular function during development. Akt1 is a crucial intracellular signaling molecule, affecting cell survival, proliferation, and metabolism. The aim of this study was to determine the role of Akt1 on prenatal cardiac development. In utero echocardiography was performed ...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of gabapentin (GBP) administration on mice fetuses. METHODS This study was carried out in Birjand University of Medical Sciences during 2008. Thirty Balb/c pregnant mice were divided randomly into 3 groups: 2 experimental groups that received 25 mg/kg (I) and 50 mg/kg (II) of GBP intraperitoneally for the first 15 days of pregnancy, and a control group that r...

The methylation status of DNA methylation regions (DMRs) of the imprinted gene IGF2/Igf2 is associated with neural tube defects (NTDs), which are caused by a failure of the neural tube to fold and close and are the second-most common birth defect; however, the characterization of the expression level of IGF2/Igf2 in neural tissue from human fetuses affected with NTDs remains elusive. More impor...

OBJECTIVES Stachys lavandulifolia is commonly used for many health problems including anxiety. A couple of reports indicate that this plant might have an abortifacient effect on pregnant women. Here we examined this effect on pregnant mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS Incremental doses of 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg of the extracts or normal saline (control group) were injected intraperitoneally ...

Effects of alternating magnetic fields (MFs) on the embryonic and fetal development in CBA/Ca mice were studied. Mated females were exposed continuously to a sinusoidal 50 Hz (13 microT or 0.13 mT root mean square) or a sawtooth 20 kHz (15 microT peak-to-peak) MF from day 0 to day 18 of pregnancy for 24 h/day until necropsied on day 18. Control animals were kept under the same conditions withou...

Objective: Carthamus tinctorius L. (Safflower) is a member of the asteraceae family which is used as a food additive but also has medicinal applications. This study investigated its effects on placental histomorphology and survival of mice neonates. Materials and Methods: Eighty Balb/C pregnant mice were randomly distributed into one control and three experimental groups (n=20). The control gr...

the thyroid structural changes in pregnant ewes and their fetuses were investigated. out of 100 pairs of thyroid glands collected from ewes and their fetuses at the local municipal abattoir in ahvaz city of khuzestan province, multiple lesions were seen in 59% and 21% of the thyroid glands of ewes and fetuses, respectively. histologically, ninety nine lesions in the ewes and twenty two lesions ...

Analysis of large scale human genomic data has yielded unexplained mutations known to cause severe disease in healthy individuals. Here we report the unexpected recovery a rare dominant lethal mutation TPM1, sarcomeric actin-binding protein, 8 individuals with atrial septal defect (ASD) 5-generation pedigree. Mice TPM1 exhibited early embryonic lethality disrupted myofibril assembly and no hear...