title: Effects of high gravity on amphibian development.
abstract: In order to clarify the possible effects of high gravity environments on eggs and developing embryos, Rana rugosa and Xenopus laevis fertilized eggs and early embryos were raised in 2 G, 5 G, 7 G and 10 G up to the hatched tadpole stage. The results showed that: (1) High gravity significantly retarded the development of eggs and embryos beginning treatment before the blastula stage and induced various abnormalities, including two heads and microcephally suggesting that high gravity is apt to disrupt the animal-vegital axis. On the other hand, embryos beginning treatment after the gastrula stage showed a striking increase in the number of normal-appearing feeding tadpoles. (2) Autopsy revealed that brains, notochords and muscles were reduced in development and differentiation for embryos and tadpoles developed in high gravity. (3) It seems likely that the system for hydrogen peroxide detoxification develops abnormally in high gravity-treated embryos and tadpoles, which probably results in oxidative stress, leading to considerable cell damage.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Amphibian Biology, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima.
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kashiwagi
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hanada
authors.forename: Satomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shinkai
authors.forename: Hirotada
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kashiwagi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000502:physiology; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005775:Gastrula; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D018471:Hypergravity; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development; D009024:Morphogenesis; D010063:Ovum / Q000254:growth & development; D011898:Ranidae / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide