Experimental studies on the effect of maternal environmental factors on the development of cleft lip and/or palate by using fertilized ovum transfer.

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The cause of spontaneous cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) of A/J strain mice remains unclear. To clarify whether the genetic factors or maternal environmental factors cotribute to manifestation of this disease, we tried the transplantation of fertilized ovum of CL/P-prone A/J mice into CL/P-resistant C57BL/6 strain mice. The uteri were examined for live and dead fetuses, and resorptions. In the first generation of the transfered A/J mice, neither CL nor CP were observed among 90 live fetuses. In the second generation, CLP alone was found in 5 fesues among 58 live fetuses.The absence of CP may be suppressed by altered maternal environment of C57BL/6 (foster mother), since CP alone may be more susceptible than CLP to maternal environment. In reverse transplantation of the mice, however, CLP andCP were more remarkably reduced than those of control mice. In particular, no CP developed in the first generation. It is indicated that CLP may be less influenced by maternal environmental factors than CP.It is also predicted that, since CLP was manifested in first and second generation, CLP may be determined by genetic factors retained succesively, rather than by maternal environmental factors.