Acta Anatomica Sinica

AAS ›› 2013, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (4 ): 519-524.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.0529-1356.2013.04.014

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Distribution and function of cellular retinoic acid binding protein 1 positive neural crest cells of mouse embryo

YANG Yan-ping1 WU Shan-shan2 JING Ya 1* LI Hai-rong1 QIAO Cong-jin1 ZHANG Tao1   

  1. 1.Department of Histology and Embryology of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan030001, China;2. Department of Nursing of Weinan Vocational and Technical College，Shanxi  Weinan 714000, China)
  • Received:2012-07-13 Revised:2012-09-01 Online:2013-08-06 Published:2013-09-04

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the formation and the distribution pattern of cardiac neural crest and its function during the development of cardiovascular system of mouse embryo. Methods Serial sections of forty-five mouse embryos during embryonic
day(ED) 8 to ED 12 were stained immunohistochemically with antibodies against cellular retinoic acid binding protein 1 (CRABP1), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), myosin heavy chain (MHC) and islet-1 (Isl-1). Results At ED8, CRABP1 had not been expressed
in the ectoderm of neural fold. During ED8.5 to ED9, at the level of cardiac tube and branchial arch, immunohistochemical positive reactive cells for CRABP1 were observed in neural fold and a part of them delaminated from neural fold entered into
the neighbor mesechyme. At ED10, CRABP1 positive cells in the bilateral mesenchyme of the neural tube migrated into branchial arch, exterior of aortic arch endothelium and the cardiac jelly of the outflow tract. From ED11 to ED12, CRABP1 expression in
immunohistochemical reactive positive cells was down-regulated in the mesenchyme surrounding the aortic arch endothelium and in the endocardial cushion. While α-SMA immunohistochemical positive staining intensity in the smooth muscle cells of aortic
arch wall was increased. Isl-1 positive cells were shown in the aortic-pulmonary septum and the walls of ascending aorta and pulmonary trunk septated by the septum, where CRABP1 was negative staining. Conclusion The time window of CRABP1 positive neural
crest formation is from ED8.5 to ED9 in mouse embryo. After ED10, CRABP1 positive cells migrate and contribute to the formation of the tunica media smooth muscle of the aortic arch and endocardial cushion of the outflow tract. CRABP1 could not be used
to mark the neural crest cells after migration.

Key words: Embryo, Neural crest, Cellular retinoic acid binding protein 1, Aortic arch, Outflow tract of the heart, Immunohistochemistry, Mouse