title: Teratogenic effects of diabetic conditions in chick heart in ovo and in micromass culture may be prevented by addition of vitamin C and folic acid.
abstract: Maternal diseases like diabetes mellitus may cause developmental defects. Supplementation with folic acid and vitamin C during the periconceptional period has been shown to prevent some neural tube and congenital heart defects. Hearts were dissected from 5 days-old White Leghorn chick embryos, the cells isolated and cultured in micromass under diabetic conditions, with and without folic acid and vitamin C. Contractile activity, cell viability (resazurin reduction) and protein assays were performed. Results indicated diabetic conditions reduced contractile activity and cell viability, whilst vitamin C (100 μM) and folic acid (1 mM) administered concurrently significantly improved them to values comparable with the control. Day 3 chick embryos in ovo were injected with glucose+hydroxybutyrate or a combination of these and vitamins. Diabetic conditions caused gross and histological malformations, but these effects were abrogated by vitamin supplement. Teratogenic effects on heart development could possibly be prevented by vitamin supplementation during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Integrated Systems Biology and Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Samreen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Memon
authors.forename: Margaret K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Pratten
mesh_terms: D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo / Q000002:abnormalities; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000633:toxicity; D006321:Heart; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013723:Teratogens / Q000633:toxicity; D014815:Vitamins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D013723:Teratogens; D014815:Vitamins; D005492:Folic Acid; D005947:Glucose; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid