Mitochondrial dysmorphology in the neuroepithelium of rat embryos following a single dose of maternal hyperthermia during gestation.

Hyperthermia is teratogenic to human and animal embryos and induces mainly anomalies of the nervous system. However, the teratogenic mechanism is poorly understood. Mammalian embryos are known to switch from anaerobic to aerobic metabolism around the time of neural tube closure.