Abstract
In order to analyze the potential teratogenic mechanism of RA in secondary palate development, we established RA-induced cleft palate (CP) model by using C57BL/6J mice and performed immunohistochemical staining by using Wnt5a, β-Catenin and Bcl-2 antibodies. Higher level expression of Wnt5a was detected in mesenchymal cells of secondary palate at E13 and the expression decreased from E14 in wild type. In RA-induced CP Wnt5a decreased severely at E15 and disappeared earlier. No relative of β-catenin and Wnt5a was detected in both wide type and RA-induced CP mouse. We also found the expression of Bcl-2 located in MEE cells of RA-induced CP group was restrained in horizontal stage of palate development.