PAX3 and Hyperglycemia: In mouse embryos collected from hyperglycemic dames whose hyperglycemia was induced with either streptozotocin (STZ: 2-deoxy-2-(3 -methyl-3-nitrosoureido)-d-glucopyranose) or phlorizin-treatments, a high incidence of congenital neural tube defects and reduced levels of Pax-3 mRNA have been reported; and reduced expression of Pax-3 was associated with apoptosis, as measured by TUNEL-labeled DNA fragments, within the neuroepithelial of the mouse neural tube47.