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Using Chicken Embryo as a Powerful Tool in Assessment of Developmental Cardiotoxicities
Published on: March 21, 2021
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Carbon monoxide affects early cardiac development in an avian model
Filipa Rombo Matias1, Ian Groves2,3, Joshua Durrans4
1Lisbon School of Health Technology, Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
Birth Defects Research
|March 15, 2024
Summary
Low-level carbon monoxide (CO) exposure during early development significantly impacts chick embryo cardiac development, affecting heart weight and wall thickness. This suggests even minimal CO exposure poses risks to embryonic heart formation.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Toxicology
- Cardiovascular research
Background:
- Carbon monoxide (CO) is a toxic gas with potential physiological effects at both high and low doses.
- Previous epidemiological studies present conflicting evidence regarding CO's impact on embryo development, particularly cardiac development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of controlled, low-level carbon monoxide exposure on embryonic cardiac development.
- To determine if CO exposure influences specific cardiac structural parameters in developing chick embryos.
Main Methods:
- Chick embryos were exposed in ovo to three concentrations of CO (3, 9, 18 ppm) and an air control for the first 9 days of development.
- Key developmental and cardiac parameters were measured, including egg/embryo weight, ankle length, developmental stage, heart weight, and ventricular/atrial wall thickness.
Main Results:
- Reduced heart weight was observed at low and moderate CO exposures compared to controls.
- Increased atrial and ventricular wall thickness occurred at moderate and high CO exposures.
- Ventricular septal thickness increased across all CO exposure levels, showing a positive correlation with CO concentration.
Conclusions:
- This study indicates that even very low levels of carbon monoxide exposure can significantly affect cardiac development in chick embryos.
- Findings suggest a potential risk of CO exposure to embryonic heart formation, warranting further investigation.
