Teratogenic effects of ciprofloxacin and pefloxacin in pregnant rats

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Pharmacology and Toxicology and Forensic Medicine Departments

2 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

  The adverse effects of ciprofloxacin and pefloxacin on rat fetuses following oral administration to the pregnant rats were studied. Ciprofloxacin and pefloxacin were given daily to pregnant rats at two (therapeutic and double therapeutic) dosage levels during the period of organogenesis (from the 6thto the 15th day of gestation). Oral administration of ciprofloxacin at 4.5 and 9 mg/100 g.b.wt.to pregnant rats induced fetal resorption, death and growth retardation. Visceral examination of live fetuses showed microcephaly, hypoplasia of the heart and lungs and dilatation of renal pelvis.  Skeletal examination revealed incomplete ossification of skull bones and absence of some coccygeal. vertebrae. Pefloxacin at 7.2 6 mg/100 g. b. wt. decreased the number of live fetuses and caused microcephaly, hypoplasia of the heart and lungs, dilatation of the renal pelvis. It also induced incomplete ossification of skull bones and absence of sternbrae and phalanges of forelimbs. A great attention should be considered during the clinical use of ciprofloxacin and pefloxacin in pregnant women and animals to avoid their teratogenic effects.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics