STUDY THE EFFECT OF METRONIDAZOLE DRUG (FLAGYL®) IN THE INDUCING CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS IN PREGNANT RAT

Abstract

A teratogen is an agent or drug or other substance capable of interfering with the development of an embryo and fetus that may lead to congenital malformation. Parasitic illnesses is increasing all over the world, especially in Iraq and developing countries, and Metronidazole (MTZ) drug is the therapeutic agent usually administered to children as well as adults at the reproductive age. In this study, we propose an evaluation of MTZ in order to analyze the potential damage in infants of Rattus norvegicus as an animal model. Adult female pregnant rats were treated with commercial MTZ. Different types of defects were evaluated using prenatal mortality, phenotypic abnormalities as parameters were studied and scored in pup 1st generation of 40 adult mothers. They were divided into four groups: a) untreated pregnant females as a control; b) females treated with MTZ daily for 18 days as therapeutic dose; c) a double therapeutic dose; and d) a triple therapeutic dose. The results of this study showed that the using of Metronidazole (Flagyl®) during pregnancy in pregnant rats was a teratogen causing multiple different anomalies, birth defects and preterm birth to new born infants.