Table 2.
Main characteristics related to morphological analysis
| Study ID | Sample size | Outcome evaluation method | Embryo age at morphological outcome evaluation | Main teratogenic finding | Evaluated organs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Li et al., 2016 [18] | Not mentioned | Histological evaluation of brain slices, including Immunohistochemistry and Nissl staining and confocal imaging | 3dpi (E16.5) and 5dpi (E18.5) | Thinner cortex and microcephaly | Brain |
| Shao et al., 2016 [32] | 3 ZIKV/3 control | Histological processing, including TUNEL assay and immunohistochemistry | P1 and P3 | Microcephaly, growth restriction, and abnormal vasculature | Brain |
| Vermillion et al., 2017 [33] | 4 ZIKV/5 control litters* | Histological evaluation of cortical thickness of neonates (Nissl-stained tissue sections), immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence imaging | P0 | Reduction on cortical thickness and reduced litter size | Brain |
| Yockey et al., 2018 [25] | Different number of infected and control animals according to period of exposure and described below* | Weight, size, gross anomalies, resorption, crown-rump measurement and placental morphology and histology, including immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry | E9.5, E10.5, E11.5 and E12.5 | Ifnar1 + / − fetuses present higher growth restriction, death, resorption, lower weight, and placental abnormalities | Whole body |
| Khaiboullina et al., 2019 [34] | 26 ZIKV/31 control | No morphometric evaluation, just fetal and placental weight | GD 17.5 | Reduction on fetal and placental weight | Whole body |
| Rathore et al., 2019 [35] | At least 5 individuals per each group and for each evaluation | Fetal mass, head circumference, cortical thickness, gene expression | E8, E10 or E18 | Reduction of fetal mass and head circumferences in all groups infected with ZIKV; stunned growth and cortical thickness was also moderately reduced in the fetuses of naïve ZIKV-infected | whole embryo, brain, placenta |
| Westrich et al., 2021 [36] | At least 3 individuals per each group | Fetal and placental weight and fetal skull area | E19 (mice) and E58 (guinea pigs) | No differences in fetus and placental weight and in the skull area between ZIKV exposed fetus and mock for mice and guinea pigs | Whole fetus, placenta, maternal brain, uterus and spleen |
| Darbellay et al., 2017 [20] | 12 ZIKV/28 control | Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, histology, and morphometry | 1 PN and 21 PN | Neonatal body length and weight in the IP + IA group was lower than in the control group; two piglets had possible neurological or developmental defects | Brain |
| Thawani et al., 2018 [24] |
3dpi: 8 ZIKV/10 controls; 7 dpi (brain wet weight): 11 ZIKV/10 controls; (TE epithelial thickness): 5 ZIKV/5 controls |
Magnetic Resonance Imaging to brain size quantification, Histology and Morphometry | E5 and E9 | ZIKV treated embryos presented MB and FB smaller than controls | Whole body |
*Pup number not mentioned; dpi: days post infection
E: embryonic day; FB: forebrain; GD: gestational day; MB: midbrain; TE: telencephalon; P and PN: postnatal. Sample number of Yockey et al., 2018: E9.5 uninfected Ifnar1−/− n = 7 and Ifnar1+/− n = 12 from 2 litters infected Ifnar1−/− n = 9 and Ifnar1+/− n = 10 from 3 litters; E10.5 uninfected Ifnar1−/− n = 15 and Ifnar1+/− n = 5 from 3 litters, infected Ifnar1−/− n = 24 and Ifnar1+/− n = 17 from 6 litters; E11.5 uninfected Ifnar1−/− n = 5 and Ifnar1+/− n = 12 from 3 litters, infected Ifnar1−/− n = 12 and Ifnar1+/− n = 11 from 3 litters; E12.5 uninfected Ifnar1−/− n = 11 and Ifnar1+/− n = 11 from 3 litters, infected Ifnar1−/− n = 19 and Ifnar1+/− n = 19 from 5 litters