Misoprostol exposure disrupts neural tube development in a chick embryo model: experimental implications for forensic
Ugur Kayhan1, Abdülkadir Bilir2, Tolga Ertekin2
1Faculty of Medicine, Department of Forensic Medicine, Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University, Afyonkarahisar, 03030, Turkey. drugurkayhan@gmail.com.
Purpose:
Misoprostol is a uterotonic agent widely used in obstetric and gynecological practice and is of forensic importance due to its involvement in pregnancy termination cases and related medico-legal evaluations. This study aimed to investigate the effects of misoprostol exposure on neural tube development during early embryogenesis using a chick embryo model.
Methods:
Early-stage chick embryos were exposed to different doses of misoprostol. Neural tube development was evaluated through morphometric, immunohistochemical, and molecular analyses. Morphological changes were assessed, while the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and caspase-3 was examined immunohistochemically. In addition, the expression levels of selected neurodevelopment-related genes were analyzed.
Results:
Morphometric assessments revealed neural tube closure defects and developmental delay in the misoprostol-exposed groups. Immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated decreased PCNA expression and increased caspase-3 expression compared with controls. Molecular analyses showed significant alterations in the expression of genes associated with neurodevelopment.
Conclusion:
Misoprostol exposure adversely affected neural tube development by disrupting cellular proliferation, apoptosis, and neurodevelopment-related gene expression during early embryogenesis. These findings suggest potential developmental risks associated with early embryonic exposure to misoprostol and may contribute to forensic and medico-legal evaluations of prenatal exposure cases.
