Teratogens and craniofacial malformations: relationships to cell death

Environmental agents including ethanol, 13-cis retinoic acid (RA, Accutane®), the antimetabolite methotrexate, periods of hypoxia, ionizing radiation or hyperthermic stress, when administered acutely to pregnant experimental animals, induce stage-dependent craniofacial malformations comparable to those in corresponding human teratogen syndromes. Acute treatment regimens have allowed analysis of cell populations initially affected and subsequent dysmorphogenetic sequences as well as speculation relative to mechanisms of teratogenesis. In rodent models, ethanol and RA appear to affect similar cell populations and comparable malformations can be induced by both agents. When administered during gastrulation they cause a major insult to the anterior neural plate which results in characteristic ocular, brain and facial malformations comparable to those seen in the fetal alcohol syndrome. Exposure to these drugs at a time just prior to and during neural crest cell migration into the craniofacial and cervical regions results in malformations comparable to those seen in the Di-George sequence and/or retinoic acid embryopathy. Slightly later, at the time that the epibranchial placodes are active, insult results in mandibulofacial dysostosis-like syndromes. We propose that the pattern of these malformations is related to the particular vulnerability of cells in the vicinity of normal programmed cell death. Cell death is also associated with ionizing radiation and hyperthermia-induced malformations. Both of these teratogens are particularly damaging to the early development of the eye and central nervous system. Teratogenic temperature elevations result in arrest of mitotic activity and death of cells in mitosis. Hypoxia is also associated with cell death in specific regions and subsequent malformation. For example, death of cells in the invaginating olfactory placode has recently been associated with cleft lip formation. The relationship of hypoxiainduced cell death to energy requirements is being explored. Acute treatment with methotrexate results in frontonasal dysplasia (median facial clefts). Combined effects of fluid imbalance, lack of proliferation or death of frontonasal mesenchyme appear to be involved. Although the mechanisms of craniofacial malformation are complex, a common feature for many is excessive cell death for which the embryo may be unable to compensate. Excessive cell death in regions of programmed cell death represents an important, yet little appreciated, mechanism of teratogenesis.