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Figure 5 | BMC Developmental Biology

Figure 5

From: The environmental toxicant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin disrupts morphogenesis of the rat pre-implantation embryo

Figure 5

Acute maternal periconceptional TCDD exposure induces nuclear and cytoskeletal defects in early blastocysts. Blastocysts collected from control and acutely exposed (50 ng/kg or 1 μg/kg TCDD) female rats were processed for visualization of microtubules, f-actin and DNA by fluorescence confocal microscopy. (A, B) Control blastocyst with blastocoel and distinct ICM and TE cell populations; note normal bipolar spindle (arrow). (C, D) 50 ng/kg TCDD exposed blastocyst with an abnormal metaphase blastomere (arrow) and slightly distorted cell shapes. (E, F) Developmentally delayed 50 ng/kg TCDD exposed blastocyst with an abnormally large mitotic spindle (arrow). (G, H) 1 μg/kg TCDD exposed blastocyst with a compacted morphology. F-actin and tubulin disorganization is apparent at one pole (arrow). (I, J) 1 μg/kg TCDD exposed blastocyst with multipolar spindle (arrow) and irregular sized cells. Scale bar: 15 μm.

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