Abstrakt

Placental toxicity in rats after administration of broncholytic drug (Mucophylline). A morphological, histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical studies.

Heba Ali, Abd El Wahab El Ghareeb, EL-Sayed Fahim Taha, Hamida Hamdi

Mycophylline is a mucolytic and broncholytic drug can be used in women during pregnancy for the treatment of bronchospasm symptoms, the potential effects induced by this drug in the placenta are not reported. Our study has been designed to evaluate the safety of Mucophylline in different doses (Therapeutic dose), on the rat placenta. The pregnant rats orally administered from 5th until 19th day of gestation with doses 30.83 mg/Kg and 66.61 mg/Kg of Mycophylline (human equivalent dose) daily. On the twentieth day of gestation, the pregnant rats were sacrificed and the placental weights of different groups were recorded. Histological, histochemical, immunohistochemical investigations of placenta, were assessed. Additionally, the oxidative stress markers were assessed. Our results revealed that mucophylline caused the reduction in placental weight was statistically significant in the pregnant rats treated with high dose of mucophylline. histopathologically mucophylline caused an increase number of giant cells, Pycnotic cells, Cystic degeneration in glycogen cells, deposition of fibrin and degeneration of the fetal blood vessels in the labyrinth zone. histochemically, both treated groups showed decrease in amount of carbohydrates in basal and labyrinth layers of the placental tissue. Immunohistochemically, mucophylline caused caspase-3 expression (this is an apoptotic marker) in the placenta. Moreover, Mucophylline elevated malondialdehyde content, reduced the activity of the antioxidant enzymes glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and the level of non-enzymatic antioxidant reduced glutathione. Our results concluded that Mucophylline medication during pregnancy could possibly cause placental toxicity. Finally, the present work recommended that the pregnant women must avoid the up taking of this bronchodilator drug.