The Effect of Retinoic Acid on the Development of Neural Tube at Early Stages of Chicken Embryo

Aims: this study aimed to find out the effect of application of 1.5 mg\ml of retinoic acid on chicken development at different stages of neural tube development.

Methodology: thirty fertile domestic Gallus gallus eggs were divided into three groups of 10 eggs for each. These groups repeated four time for four different stages HH8, HH10, HH15 and HH18. Retinoic acid (RA) or dimethyl sulphoxide (DEMSO) was injected through the air sac, and the eggs were incubated for another 24 h. Eggs were opened after 24 or 48 h of incubation, and the embryos were evaluated morphologically and histologically.

Results: The results of this experiment indicated that, In control group and DEMSO group none exhibited neural tube defects neural tube (NTDs). However group treated with 1.5mg/ml of RA exhibit sever NTDs and malformed at the head, cranial and cardiac regions. Shape of the lumen and spatial arrangement of the cell populations of floor plate and roof plate of neural tube has been changed after RA treatment.

Conclusion: Association of excises RA with neural tube defects was demonstrated in the present study on neurulation process during embryogenesis.