Evaluation of chick in ovo culture as screening method for detection of teratogens

Congenital malformations are the leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. Out of all birth defects, congenital abnormalities of the heart are at the top. There are many etiological factors responsible for such defects. Environmental agents or teratogens are the factors which could be detected by certain screening methods and may be controlled at an early stage to minimize the chance of mortality. This study was conducted to detect the efficacy of inovo culture system as screening system for teratogenecity testing. Experimental study. This study was conducted at the Department of Anatomy, Isra University Hyderabad for a period of six months. White Leghorn Chicken eggs were incubated for 3 days and after 3 days eggs were injected with ethanol 10% and 20%, PBS, neutral red dye and some were left untouched. The eggs were again incubated back until day 9. On day 9 the embryos were taken out and examined for gross malformations. The hearts were then fixed and processed for H and E staining and examined under microscope. The results showed that addition of alcohol [ethanol] to chicken eggs produced many gross malformations and examination of hearts under microscope also showed malformed hearts. However other chemicals used did not show any malformations. This study confirmed the teratogenecity of ethanol in chick embryos and can be used as an alternative method for screening of teratogens and toxins

[Cyclopia - about an observation]

Cyclopia is a rare congenital facial abnormality [1/100 000 pregnancies]. It is characterized by the fusion of the orbits and by the presence of a proboscis below the eye. This abnormality is incompatible with life, and this is due to the severity of the cerebrofacial abnormalities. The antenatal diagnosis is actually passible thanks to the obstetrical echography. In our study, we report a case of a neonatal girl coming from a full term pregnancy. She represented at birth a cylindric cutaneous facial formation implanted at the middle of the front [proboscis], rudimentary and retracted eyelids which were surrounded by eyelashes and a central cavity which seems to be the fusion of the two orbits. According to the classification of STOLL and MARAUD, it is a synophtalm rhinocephale cyclope

Acardiac twins: an analysis of 10 cases

The pathological characteristics of the acardiac fetus were studied based on 10 autopsy cases. These cases were collected during a 13-year period at Seoul National University Hospital. All 10 fetuses were monochorionic twins, and six of them were male. Externally normal co-twins survived in five cases and died perinatally in three cases. The gestational period of these acardiacs ranged from 20 to 33 weeks. All of them showed a growth arrest of a fairly wide spectrum. Four cases belonged to acardius anceps, five were acardius acephalus, and one was acardius amorphus. Nine out of 10 cases were holoacardius, whereas one was hemiacardius with a vestigial heart tube present. Characteristic artery-to-artery anastomoses were demonstrated in all cases where examination was possible. The umbilical cords of the acardiacs often consisted of only two vessels, i.e., one umbilical artery and one umbilical vein, and these vessels were directly attached to the arteries and veins of the normal co-twins on the placental surface. The vascular system of the acardiac fetuses was simplified, providing only inflow and outflow pathways through common iliac vessels and vitelline vessels. When the head part was preserved (acardius anceps), the facial features were indistinguishable, particularly in the midfacial region, which resulted in a characteristic holoprosencephalic malformation of the brain in two out of four cases. Normal eyeball structure was not noted in any of these cases. The oral cavity and tongue were rarely recognized. Once the head part was absent (acardius acephalus) there was a wide variation of thoracic organ development. Hypoplastic lungs were seen in three cases, and they were connected to the trachea. A tracheoesophageal fistula was seen twice. The gastrointestinal tract was the most common feature of these acardiac monsters. However, it often lacked some portions, such as a stomach, midgut or part of a large intestine. The kidneys, testes and other parts of the urinary system were other common constituents of the acardiacs.