FIGURE 4.

NTDs IN LM/Bc MICE ON HIGH Mg²⁺ DIETS (SOY vs CASEIN) x DTG750. LM/Bc mice were placed on either soy (blue dots) or casein (red dots) high Mg²⁺ (0.3%) diet for a minimum of 4 weeks prior to timed matings. Susceptibility to NTDs following administration of DTG (750 mg/kg/d oral gavage from GD 0.5—GD 9.5) was compared within each diet to a diet only control group (no treatment). Comparisons were also made between the two high Mg²⁺ (soy vs casein) diets in dams treated with DTG750. [An additional n = 6 dam on each diet received vehicle to confirm previous results that vehicle treatment alone did not cause NTDs; no NTDs were found in any of these litters (data not shown on graph)]. The dam was considered the experimental unit and comparisons shown are between litter means (average % of embryos in each litter that had an NTD). A litter was considered affected if at least 1 embryo presented with exencephaly (NTD). The % DTG-NTD-affected litters (63% soy vs 19% casein) and mean % affected embryos/litter (shown on graph) were both higher on the high Mg²⁺ soy diet compared to the high Mg²⁺ casein diet. (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01)