Teratology · 1971 · 42 citations · 10 references
MedicineDevelopmental BiologyEndocrinologyBone MetabolismEmbryogenesisOrganogenesisBone DevelopmentFetal DevelopmentFetal GrowthFetal PhysiologyMaternal-fetal PhysiologySkeletal DevelopmentAxial Skeleton OssificationFetal Skeletal GrowthGestation PeriodGestation PhysiologySkeletal Development EndocrinologySupernumerary RibsSupernumerary StructuresVertebral Development
Abstract Acute hypoglycemia was produced in pregnant Holtzman rats, by fasting or fasting plus insulin injections. Rats were fasted for 48 hours beginning on days 7, 9, or 11 of gestation. Examinations of day‐21 fetuses showed that greatest susceptibility to the effects of fasting occurred during gestation days 9 and 10. The effects noted were retarded ossification of the axial skeleton and increased frequency of supernumerary ribs, duplicated vertebral centra, and asynchronous ossification of vertebral centra. Insulin administered during the fasting state produced no further decrease in the ossification rate, but the frequency of supernumerary ribs and duplicated vertebral centra was increased.
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