Cleft palate formation: The effects of fasting and lodoacetic acid on mice

A 24 h fast of pregnant CFW mice on day 11, 13, or 14 of gestation produced 2, 16, and 1% cleft palate (CP), respectively. A 48 h fast on days 11–12 gave 8% CP, and a 72 h fast on days 11–13 gave 58%. A maximal response to fasting thus occurred during day 13. The CP incidence induced by fasting was reduced with drinking solutions containing glucose or glucose plus ammonium chloride. Ip administration of glucose or succinate decreased the incidence of affected offspring, but ammonium chloride and pyruvate did not. lodoacetic acid also produced CP, 5% on day 11 of gestation, 8% on day 13, 8% on days 11–13, and 14% on days 12–14. The incidence of iodoacetic acid‐induced CP was reduced with succinate. Administering iodoacetic acid to fasting mice produced results indicating that both teratogens acted on the same metabolic pathway.