Microscopic study of morphogenesis of foot in human fetus, in different gestational ages

• Grant number: 18/14758-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2019
• End date: December 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Luís Otávio Carvalho de Moraes
• Grantee: Karina Maebayashi
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The development of the feet occurs from the fourth week of gestational life with the differentiation of the Mesenchyma. However, only from the seventh gestational week of life that the anatomy of the foot can be seen with clarity. Surveys conducted in Brazil show that congenital deformities related to lower limb are the second with the highest number of incidence in hospitals. Among the congenital deformities of the foot with higher incidences, we highlight the clubfoot which affects more men (1: 1000) and the metatarsus adductus which affects more women (1: 1000). In this way, the objective of our research is to study chronologically the development of foot from histological techniques to differentiate the extracellular matrix connective tissue and collagens fibers) and muscle tissues that composes the foot and thus, associating the normal development with malformations. Method: will be selected a sample composed of 18 feet of human fetuses with gestational ages ranging between the seventh and the twelfth week of intrauterine life. After a macroscopic approach the samples will be analyzed by the techniques of hematoxylin-eosin, Verhoeff, alcian blue and immunohistochemistry. Results: Among the results it is expected to analyze, to differentiate and characterize the extracellular matrix (elastic and collagen fibers), muscles and blood vessels and correlate them with anatomical development of the foot in human fetuses at different gestational ages.