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Updated: Jan 29, 2026

High Frequency Ultrasound for the Analysis of Fetal and Placental Development In Vivo
Published on: November 8, 2018
Dietary exposure to mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEA) during post-implantation adversely affects placental development in
Rong Li1, Christian Lee Andersen2, Lianmei Hu3
1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Reproductive Developmental Biology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS/NIH), 111 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
Abstract:
Zearalenone (ZEA) is a common food contaminant (ppb-ppm) derived from Fusarium fungi. With its estrogenicity and potential chronic exposure, ZEA poses a risk to pregnancy. Our previous studies implied post-implantational lethality by ZEA. Since a functional placenta is essential for fetal development and survival, it was hypothesized that ZEA may have adverse effects on placental development leading to post-implantational lethality. Exposure of young mice to 0, 0.8, 4, 10, and 40 ppm ZEA diets from gestation day 5.5 (D5.5) to D13.5 led to increased resorption of implantation sites, increased placental hemorrhage, decreased placental and fetal weights, proportionally reduced placental layers, and disorganized placental labyrinth vascular spaces in the 40 ppm ZEA group, as well as lipid accumulation in the labyrinth layer of all four ZEA treatment groups examined on D13.5. These data demonstrate adverse effects of ZEA on placental development.
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