The research project deals with the prevention of adverse pregnancy outcomes of carbon monoxide under protein-zinc-deficient conditions by zinc treatments. The project is designed to mimic conditions of gestational CO exposure, protein, and zinc deficient diets of human populations in the laboratory. A three way factorial experimental design will be used. Pregnant mice will be maintained on zinc and protein deficient diets throughout gestation, exposed to low concentrations of CO for six hours per day from gestation days 8-20, and treated with different concentrations of zinc one hour before the daily exposure to CO. The animals will be sacrificed on gestation day 20. The animals~ uterine horns will be examined for number and sites of resorptions; and the numbers of live and dead fetuses will be recorded. Live fetuses will be examined for gross, internal, and skeletal malformations. Hematological parameers from the maternal blood will be estimated. Brain size protein concentration of fetal brains will be estimated. The project will yield valuable data about the preventive effects of zinc on pregnancy outcomes in c-exposed, and zinc-, and protein-deficient animals. Undergraduate minority students will participate in biomedical training during all phases of the research project. The students will learn the use and care of laboratory animals, various techniques, and methods of research. The student will collect, analyze, and interpret data, and present their findings at the scientific meetings. The students will also learn how to write scientific papers.
| Singh, Jarnail (2006) Interaction of maternal protein and carbon monoxide on pup mortality in mice: implications for global infant mortality. Birth Defects Res B Dev Reprod Toxicol 77:216-26 |
