title: Changes in the osmolarity of the embryonic microenvironment induce neural tube defects.
abstract: Many maternal disorders that modify the embryonic microenvironment, such as a change in osmolarity, can affect development, but how these changes influence the early embryo remains obscure. Neural tube defects, for example, are common congenital disorders found in fetus and neonates. In this study, we investigated the impact of anisotonic osmolarity (unequal osmotic pressures) on neural tube development in the early chick embryo, finding that neuronal cell differentiation was impaired in the neural tube due to enhanced apoptosis and repressed cell proliferation. Anisotonic osmolarity also affected normal development of the neural crest, which in turn influenced abnormal development of the neural tube. As neural tube development is highly dependent on the proper expression of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), paired box 7 (PAX7), and sonic hedgehog (SHH) genes in the dorsal and ventral regions along the tube, we investigated the impact of anisotonic osmolarity on their expression. Indeed, small changes in osmolarity could positively and negatively impact the expression of these regulatory genes, which profoundly affected neural tube development. Thus, both the central and peripheral nervous systems were perturbed by anisotonic consitions as a consequence of the abnormal expression of key genes within the developing neural tube.
authors: Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Division of Histology and Embryology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Yi-Mei
authors: YM
authors: Jin
authors: Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Division of Histology and Embryology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Guang
authors: G
authors: Wang
authors: Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Division of Histology and Embryology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Nuan
authors: N
authors: Zhang
authors: Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Division of Histology and Embryology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Yi-Fan
authors: YF
authors: Wei
authors: Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Division of Histology and Embryology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Shuai
authors: S
authors: Li
authors: Department of Neonates, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: You-Peng
authors: YP
authors: Chen
authors: Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.
authors: Manli
authors: M
authors: Chuai
authors: Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors: Henry Siu Sum
authors: HS
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Neonates, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.|Humboldt University of Berlin, University Hospital Charite, Center for Cardiovascular Research & Institute for Pharmacology, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Berthold
authors: B
authors: Hocher
authors: Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Division of Histology and Embryology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Xuesong
authors: X
authors: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D060833:Cellular Microenvironment / Q000502:physiology*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054259:Neural Tube / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D051763:PAX7 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D051763:PAX7 Transcription Factor