Fetal malformations and maternal alpha-fetoprotein levels in curly tail (ct) mice

The malformations present in 196 fetuses (day 18 of gestation) of 29 litters of curly tail (ct) mice were as follows: tail defect only, 62; tail defect and spina bifida, 8; tail defect and intermuscular hemorrhage, 1; tail defect and exencephaly, 3; intermuscular hemorrhage only, 1. A total of 119 fetuses (61%) were free of defects. Murine alpha-fetoprotein (m-AFP) was quantified in maternal serum samples from pregnant curly tail (ct) mice from day 13 to day 18 of pregnancy. In case of intermuscular hemorrhages in fetuses (ct/ct) there were significantly higher levels of m-AFP than in groups with severe spinal neural tube defects or tail defects only.