The activation of the retinoic acid response element is inhibited in an animal model of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Defects very similar to those seen in infants born with congenital diaphragmatic hernias can be induced in rodents by the administration of the teratogen nitrofen. There is an interest in understanding the biochemical mechanisms of nitrofen's actions in hopes of gaining insights into the etiology of congenital diaphragmatic hernia. In this study, we test the hypothesis that nitrofen is acting to perturb the retinoid signaling pathway by utilizing genetically engineered mice that have the lacZ reporter gene linked to a retinoic acid response element (RARE). We demonstrate a pronounced suppression of RARE-lacZ expression by nitrofen in vitro (by approximately 64%) and in vivo (by approximately 43%). Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel