Abnormalities of the urinary system of rat embryos resulting from maternal pteroylglutamic acid deficiency

✍ Scribed by Monie, Ian W. ;Nelson, Marjorie M. ;Evans, Herbert M.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1954
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 866 KB
• Volume: 120
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0003-276X
• DOI: 10.1002/ar.1091200109

✦ Synopsis

The studies of Nelson, Asling and Evans ( '52) have shown that fetal death and resorption result if a deficiency of pteroylglutamic acid (PGA or folic acid) is instituted as late as 9 days after breeding. If the administration of this diet is delayed until ll days after breeding, 95% of the animals litter but the young show multiple abnormalities. Skeletal, ocular, pulmonary and renal anomalies are especially prevalent and, in addition, all young show marked edema.

Macroscopically, two-thirds of the PGA-deficient embryos examined at 21 days fetal age (one day before parturition) show marked renal and ureteric hypoplasia while one-third show moderate renal hypoplasia with hydronephrosis and oc- casionally hydro-ureter.

The following investigation was undertaken in an attempt to determine the fundamental disturbances of development which are responsible for these abnormalities.

MATERIAL AND METHODS Rat embryos (Long-Evans strain) from mothers maintained on a PGA-deficient diet from day 112 of gestation onwards