Developmental alterations in murine embryos exposed in vitro to an estrogenic pesticide, o,p'-DDT.
Culturing pronuclear embryos from CD-1 mice with o,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDT was examined as a means for directly evaluating toxicant risk and for increasing the speed of screening developmental toxicants. Pronuclear (2PN) embryos from CD-1 mice were cultured 96 h in modified Earle's balanced salt solution containing 0.1% (v/v) ethanol (control) or 10-fold dilutions of 17/beta-estradiol, o,p'-DDT, or p,p'-DDT. Compared to control treatment, 96 h incubation of 2PN embryos with 0.1 gg/mL o,p'-DDT significantly reduced embryo development to blastocyst and mean cell number, and increased the percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis. The effects of o,p'-DDT on developmental parameters were dose-responsive. Embryo sexing by multiplex polymerase chain reaction indicated that both sexes were susceptible to toxicant injury with comparable reduction in development to blastocyst (27% and 24%, respectively) in the presence of o,p'-DDT. Results of this study suggest that in vitro exposure of preimplantation embryos to xenobiotics may provide a useful tool for rapidly screening developmental toxicants.
Greenlee
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National Farm Medicine Center, Marshfield Medical Research Foundation, Wisconsin 5449, USA. greenlea@mfldclin.edu
Quail
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CA
Berg
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D000818:Animals; D001757:Blastomeres / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D046508:Culture Techniques; D003634:DDT / Q000633:toxicity*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity; D007536:Isomerism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D012744:Sex Ratio
D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal; D007306:Insecticides; D003634:DDT; C016340:o,p'-DDT