[Frontiers in Bioscience E3, 469-475, January 1, 2011]

A new bone surgical laser technique : technical aspects and applications in dentistry

Sodium thiosulfate exposure disrupts in vitro and in vivo heart development

Yi Cui1,2,3, Liyong Liu4, Hongfei Xia1,2,3, Zhongji Han1,2,3, Yi Hu1,2,3, Ge Song1,2,3, Xu Ma1,2,3

1Reproductive and Genetic Center of National Research Institute for Family Planning, Beijing, 100081, China, 2WHO Collaborative Center for Research in Human Reproduction, Beijing, 100081, China, 3Department of Genetics, Graduate school of peking union medical college, Beijing, 100005, China, 4North China Coal Medical College, Tangshan, China

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Materials and methods
3.1. Cell culture and treatment
3.2. Cytotoxicity Assay
3.3. Embryo treatments
3.4. Detection of heart malformations
3.5. Apoptosis assessment
3.6. Western blot analysis
3.7. Statistical analysis
4. Results
4.1. Viability of H9C2Cells after STS Treatment
4.2. STS induces general structural effects in chick embryos
4.3. STS -induced in vitro and in vivo apoptosis
4.4. Effect of STS on expression of apoptosis-related proteins.
5. Discussion
6. Acknowledgments
7. References

1. ABSTRACT

It is well-known that the majority of malformations found in the human population is based on complex gene-environment interactions. As an industrial chemical sodium thiosulfate (STS) is used heavily in many industries. Nevertheless, there is little known about the effects of STS on embryo development. In the present study, we have investigated the effects of STS on cardiac development in rat cardiomyocyte H9C2 cell line and chick embryos. As determined by MTT assays, the proliferation of H9C2 cells was inhibited by STS in a dose-dependent manner. Fertilized eggs injected via the yolk sac with STS at Hamburger-Hamilton (HH) stages 6, 9 and 12 showed significantly increased cardiotoxicity at HH stage 18, including cardiomyocyte apoptosis and animal mortality. Western blot analysis showed that STS significantly affected the expression of the apoptosis-related genes bcl-2, bax, and caspase-3 in a dose-dependent manner in the H9C2 cell line and in chick embryos. Dysregulation of apoptosis was correlated with embryonic heart malformations. Thus, STS may be a potent cardiac teratogen during embryo development.