[The physiologic cell death areas in mouse embryo branchial arches: a morphologic and histochemical study with teratologic implications].

The association of a morphological study using semi-thin sections with a histochemical approach of the programmed cell death phenomenon in mouse embryo branchial arches permits to observe a spatio-temporal dorsoventral gradient. It also confirms that physiological cell death occurs in a mesectodermal population. The study of the increase of this process induced by retinoic acid administration provides some hypothesis which may explain the teratogenicity of the retinoid family.