Early to middle gestational exposure to diethylstilbestrol impairs the development of labyrinth zone in mouse

Nao Kagawa1, Yoshiaki Saito, Tetsuji Nagao

  • 1Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Kinki, University, Osaka, Japan.

Congenital Anomalies
|October 15, 2013
PubMed

This study was performed to clarify the involvement of impaired labyrinth zone (LZ) of the placenta in the developmental toxicity of diethylstilbestrol (DES). DES at 10 μg/kg per day was administered orally to mice on days 4 through 8 of gestation. Histological observation of the LZ and determination of blood glucose levels in dam and fetus were performed on day 13. A high frequency of embryonic death was observed in the DES group. DES induced the underdevelopment of the plexus vasculosus, extensive maternal blood space and the decreased expression of glucose transporters in the LZ, and a reduction of the glucose level in embryos. These findings suggest that impaired LZ development may be related to the embryolethality of DES.

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