Figure 5

Histological comparison of omphalocele and cleft palate between VGAT^-/- and GAD67^-/- mice. (A) Hematoxylin-eosin stained coronal sections of the facial region of E18.5 wild-type (left panel), VGAT^-/- (middle panel) and GAD67^-/- (right panel) mice. Histological examination revealed that the secondary palatal shelves (arrowhead) of VGAT^-/- mice were directed vertically down along the side of tongue in contrast to the fused palate of wild-type mice. In the cleft palate of GAD67^-/- mice (right panel), palatal shelves failed to fuse but were elevated horizontally unlike those in VGAT^-/- mice. (B) Hematoxylin-eosin stained coronal sections of the umbilical region of E18.5 wild-type (left panel), VGAT^-/- (middle panel) and GAD67^-/- (right panel) embryos. The ventral body wall of the VGAT^-/- mice did not close and the gut protruded from the peritoneal cavity. In contrast to VGAT^-/- mice, the ventral body wall of wild-type mice closed around the umbilicus, and the gut had already returned to the peritoneal cavity. The omphalocele in GAD67^-/- mice was less severe than in VGAT^-/- mice because a large amount of gut was observed at the umbilical level in VGAT^-/- mice compared to GAD67^-/- mice.