Cephalometric Analysis of Craniofacial Malformations in Newborn Mice With Cleft Palate Induced by Retinoic Acid

Objective: To determine changes on craniofacial growth morphometrically in newborn mice with cleft palate induced by retinoic acid. Design, Setting, Participants, Interventions: Gestation day 10 or 12 pregnant female C57BL/6N mice were given a single dose of all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) by gastric intubations via oral gavage. Sixty newborn mice with cleft palate (CP), 52 without CP from the experimental group, and 30 without CP from the control group were collected, and lateral cephalograms were taken of all of the mice. Main Outcome Measures: Cephalometric analysis of the craniofacial skeleton was performed by means of a personal computer. Results: Inhibition of craniofacial growth was found in the experimental groups but not in the control groups. In the maxillary bone and mandible, the amount of growth was significantly reduced. Conclusions: These results suggest that craniofacial growth is inhibited in newborn mice with cleft palate induced by retinoic acid.