Quantitative Analysis of the Area of the Apical Ectodermal Ridge in Chick Appendages Using Image-J

To determine the effect of sodium phenytoin on the apical ectodermal ridges (AER) of chick wing buds by using the software program Image-J.

An experimental study.

Department of Anatomy, Regional Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP), Islamabad, from January 2014 to January 2015.

Sixty fertilised chicken eggs of 'Egyptian fayoumi' breed were selected and separated into experimental (B) and control (A) groups, each having 30 eggs. A single dose of 3.5 mg sodium phenytoin was injected into each egg of the experimental group. The controls were injected with the same volume of normal saline. Developing embryos were extracted 96 hours (day 4) after incubation and histological sections were cut at 5 μm thickness. These sections were stained with Feulgen Nuclear and Light Green. The area of apical ectodermal ridges of chick wing buds was calculated by employing Image-J and subjected to statistical analysis.

The difference between the mean values of the area of apical ectodermal ridges of experimental and control groups, as calculated by Image-J, was found to be statistically insignificant.

Change in the area of the apical ectodermal ridges in experimental chicks, following phenytoin exposure, was insignificant as proven on the basis of quantification by Image-J.