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Eco/Toxicology

Noise exposure of pregnant mice induces heart defects in their fetuses

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Pages 780-788 | Received 25 Jul 2010, Accepted 27 Dec 2010, Published online: 25 Feb 2011
 

Abstract

To determine the effects of noise exposure on hearts of newborn mice, 48 pregnant mice were exposed to recorded aircraft flight noise (100 dB) for 150 min from the 2nd day of pregnancy to 7th day after delivery. Mice of the same age were selected as control group. The weights and crown-rump lengths of the fetuses and the newborns were measured, and their hearts were removed under deep anesthesia on the 1st, 7th, and 14th days after birth and prepared histologically. Quantitative changes of the hearts were measured stereologically by the Cavalieri method. The ultrastructural changes of cardiac myocytes were examined using transmission electron microscopy. No histological changes were observed, but the volumes of newborns’ hearts in the experimental groups increased significantly compared to the control group. Photomicrographs of cardiac muscle cells revealed nuclear envelope changes, chromatin condensation, and increased mitochondria and myofibrils in noise-exposed newborns. It is concluded that the newborns of pregnant mice exposed to noise stress have hypertrophic hearts with ultrastructural changes.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Office of Vice Chancellor for Research of Shiraz University for providing financial support of this study (grant number 82-SC-1584-C238).

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