title: [Correlation between nutrient levels of vitamin A and zinc and HOX C4 gene expression in mice embryos].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Correlation between nutrient levels of vitamin A and zinc and HOX C4 (3.5) gene expression in mice embryos was studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Kunming female mice were divided three groups: deficient group (DG) fed with fodder deficient of vitamin A and zinc, replenished group (RG) fed with fodder deficient of vitamin A and zinc until the 7th day after conception and then fed with fodder rich in vitamin A and zinc, and normal group (NG), fed with normal fodder. After obvious symptoms of vitamin A and zinc deficiency appeared, the mice were mated. On the 12th day after conception, pregnant mice were killed and their levels of vitamin A and zinc were determined and the content of mRNA of HOX C4 (3.5) were determined for the embryos with situ hybridization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level of vitamin A was 0.44 mumol/L, 1.03 mumol/L and 1.40 mumol/L, respectively and that of zinc 124.3 mg/kg, 152.1 mg/kg and 193.8 mg/kg in DG, RG and NG, respectively. The mRNA of HOX C4 (3.5) gene expression in mouse embryos increased significantly in DG, RG and NG (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Levels of vitamin A and zinc in the body of pregnant mice positively correlated significantly with their HOX C4 (3.5) gene expression, with coefficients of correlation of 0.78 to 0.99.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014801:Vitamin A; D015032:Zinc