The effect of vitamin A deficiency in the duration of pregnancy in anorectal malformations

Abstract

Objective To study the effect of vitamin A( VA) deficiency on the teratogenesis of anorectal malformations( ARMs) and the enteric nervous system(ENS) formation in the rectum.Methods Female SD mice were randomized into 3 groups, namely Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) group, normal group (negative control) and ETU group (positive control group) with normal diet.On the tenth day of the pregnancy, ETU group was given 1 % ETU via gavage.On the twentieth day of the pregnancy, pregnant mice underwent the Cesarian sections.The incidence of ARMs and the expression of PGP9.5 and S-100 protein in the rectal end of the fetal mice were examined wtih immunohistochemis-try.Results 1.The serum concentrations of Vitamin A in VAD group which was fed with VA deficient diet for two weeks were significantly lower than that in normal group (P = 0.0310) and ETU-group (P = 0.0401).2.The incidence of ARMs in VAD group and ETU group was 64.5%(20/31 )and 45.9%(61/133), respectively, and there were no statistical differences both in the incidence of ARMs (P>0.05).There was no fetus with ARMs in normal group.3.Immunohistochemical results; (1) In the rectal end of fetal mice with anus, the expression of PGP 9.5 and S-100 protein in VAD group was significantly lower than that in ETU group (PGP 9.5: P = 0.0156; S-100:P = 0.0105) and normal group (PGP 9.5:P = 0.0091;S-100:P = 0.0024), but there were no significant differences between ETU group and normal group (P>0.05).(2) In the rectal end of fetal mice with ARMs, the expres-sion of PGP 9.5 and S-100 protein in VAD group was significantly lower than that in ETU group (P< 0.0001).And the expression of the two antibodies in the rectal end of fetal mice with ARMs was significantly lower than that in the rectal end of fetal mice with anus, respectively (VAD group:P values of PGP 9.5 and S-100 were both less than 0.0001; ETU group: P values of PGP 9.5 and S-100 were 0.0203 and 0.0122, respectively).Conclusions The VA deficiency during pregnancy may result in ARMs, and the developmental extent of the ENS in the rectal end of the fetal mice may be related with the pathological changes of ARMs. Key words: Rectum, abnormalities; Enteric nervous system; Vitamin A