title: All-trans-retinoic acid alters Smads expression in embryonic neural tissue of mice.
abstract: Retinoic acid can cause malformations of the developing nervous system. Smad signaling is involved in embryonic development. The current study investigated all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA)-induced alteration of Smad expression in the developing neural tubes of mice. Pregnant mice were treated with a single dose of 50 mg/kg ATRA by oral gavage on embryonic day E7. Western immunoblotting was used to examine Smads proteins, particularly phosphorylated (p-) Smad1, total Smad1 and Smad6 in the neural tissue of the embryos on E8-E11 following treatment. Results showed that ATRA treatment significantly increased expression of both p-Smad1 and total Smad1, while Smad6 was decreased in neural tissues of ATRA-exposed embryos in utero from E8 to E11, a critical period for neural tube formation. Data suggest that disruption of Smad signaling may be involved in ATRA-induced neural tube defects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China.
authors.forename: Juntao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Quanren
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Wan-I
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Niuliang
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaoying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D054259:Neural Tube / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011247:Pregnancy; D051785:Smad Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051898:Smad1 Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051905:Smad6 Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D051785:Smad Proteins; D051898:Smad1 Protein; C497401:Smad1 protein, mouse; D051905:Smad6 Protein; C497803:Smad6 protein, mouse; D014212:Tretinoin