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Visceral heterotaxy syndrome causes abnormal arrangement of thoracoabdominal organs and severe complex cardiac anomalies by abnormal laterality. The purpose of the present study is to analyze the incidence and pattern of heterotaxy syndrome in etretinate and all-tran retinoic acid treated pregnant DDY mice. Pregnant DDY mice were intragastrically given a single dose of 15 mg/kg of etretinate at day 6, 7 of gestation, 30 mg/kg of etretinate at day 7 of gestation and 20 mg/kg of all-trans retinoic acid at day 7 of gestation. The incidence of visceral heterotaxy was highest in the etretinate 15 mg/kg treated group on day 7 of gestation (38.5%). The major cardiovascular anomalies in heterotaxy syndrome were common atrium, common atrioventricular valve, atrioventricular septal defect, transposition of great arteries, pulmonary atresia, pulmonary artery hypoplasia and aortic arch anomalies. Atrial situs of heterotaxy syndrome were right isomerism, solitus-like, inversus-like and left atrial aplasia, but right isomerism was observed most frequently. The results suggest that retinoic acid exerts a significant effect on the determination of atrial situs during the development of mouse embryo.
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