title: [Preliminary study on E-cadherin expression in dexamethasone-induced palatal cleft in mouse].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX) can induce palatal cleft; however, the mechanism involved remains unclear. E-cadherin is an important cell adhesion molecule, and it can significantly affect cell fate and embryonic development. Recent studies have indicated that E-cadherin expression in palatal epithelial cells is suppressed in normal palate fusion. This study aimed to determine whether the change in E-cadherin expression is related to the incidence of cleft palate in DEX-induced mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mice were divided into the experimental group and the control group. Pregnant mice were injected with DEX on E10.0-E12.0, whereas mice in the control group were injected with normal saline. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, immunohistochemistry, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction were employed to evaluate the effect of DEX on fetal mouse palatal processes, particularly the changes in E-cadherin and β-catenin expression levels in the phases of the experimental and control groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data indicated that the incidence of cleft palate in the DEX group was 43.59% (17/39), whereas that in the control group was only 3.03% (1/33). The results of HE staining showed that the obviously shortened palatal processes could not contact and fuse with one another in the DEX-treated mice model compared with those in the control group. The ectopic expression of E-cadherin in embryonic palatal mesenchymal cells was also analyzed. The expression levels of E-cadherin and β-catenin in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicated that DEX could induce E-cadherin gene upregulation and ectopic expression, as well as high β-catenin expression, thereby inhibiting the growth of mesenchyme cells and cleft palate.
authors.forename: Pang
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xiaoxiao
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ma
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chenghao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000196:embryology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C513384:CDH1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D051176:beta Catenin; D003907:Dexamethasone