title: Nitric oxide rescues thalidomide mediated teratogenicity.
abstract: Thalidomide, a sedative drug given to pregnant women, unfortunately caused limb deformities in thousands of babies. Recently the drug was revived because of its therapeutic potential; however the search is still ongoing for an antidote against thalidomide induced limb deformities. In the current study we found that nitric oxide (NO) rescues thalidomide affected chick (Gallus gallus) and zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. This study confirms that NO reduced the number of thalidomide mediated limb deformities by 94% and 80% in chick and zebrafish embryos respectively. NO prevents limb deformities by promoting angiogenesis, reducing oxidative stress and inactivating caspase-3 dependent apoptosis. We conclude that NO secures angiogenesis in the thalidomide treated embryos to protect them from deformities.
authors.affiliation: Vascular Biology Lab, AU-KBC Research Centre, Anna University, MIT Campus, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: Jamila H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Siamwala
authors.forename: Vimal
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Veeriah
authors.forename: M Krishna
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Priya
authors.forename: Saranya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rajendran
authors.forename: Uttara
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Saran
authors.forename: Swaraj
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: Shunmugam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagarajan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pradeep
authors.forename: Suvro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
mesh_terms: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002374:Catalase / Q000502:physiology; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009139:Musculoskeletal Abnormalities / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013096:Spermine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013723:Teratogens / Q000633:toxicity*; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000633:toxicity*; D015027:Zebrafish; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013723:Teratogens; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C091861:spermine nitric oxide complex; D013096:Spermine; D013792:Thalidomide; D002374:Catalase; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D053148:Caspase 3