Effects of diazepam on fetal development in rats

Kim, Chang-jin; Kim, Yong-jun; Yu, Il-jeoung

Korean Journal of Veterinary Research 1999;39(6):1161-1167.

Chang-jin Kim, Yong-jun Kim, Il-jeoung Yu

Department of Obstetrics, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonbuk National University

Diazepam이 랫드 태아의 발육에 미치는 영향

김창진, 김용준, 유일정

전북대학교 수의과대학

Abstract

To investigate the effect of diazepam on fetal development in pregnant rats, this experiment was performed in eighty Sprague-Dawley female rats which were 8 weeks old and grouped into two according to different diazepam treatment period during 5-9 days of gestation and 10-14 days of gestation. Both experimental groups were included by saline treated groups (control) and diazepam-treated groups (6mg, 12mg and 24mg), respectively. Diazepam was injected to pregnant rats subcutaneously, which were sacrified on 20 days of gestation and mean litter size, fetal body weight, fetal crown-rump length (CRL) and pathological findings were examined. 1. Concerning mean litter size, diazepam-treated groups showed lower mean litter size than control in both 5-9 days and 10-14 days of gestation groups(p < 0.05) without difference according to dosage of diazepam and day of gestation. 2. Concerning fetal body weight, diazepam-treated groups during 5-9 days of gestation showed lower fetal body weight than control and the other treated group during 10-14 days(p < 0.01) without difference according to dosage of diazepam. Diazepam-treated group during 10-14 days of gestation showed no difference among experimented groups. 3. Concerning fetal crown-rump length (CRL), diazepam-treated groups during 5-9 days of gestation showed shorter CRL than control and the other treated group during 10-14 days of gestation(p < 0.01) without difference according to dosage of diazepam. 4. Reduction of mean litter size, fetal body weight and CRL was shown from when treated by the dosage of 6mg/kg of diazepam. 5. Maternal mortality according to dosage of the 20mg/kg of diazepam were 30% and 20% in the treated group during 5-9 days and 10-14 days of gestation, respectively. These results indicated that diazepam treatment in pregnant rats caused considerable reduction of mean litter size, fetal body weight and fetal crown-rump length when treated during 5-9 days of gestation.

Key Words: gestation, mean litter size, fetal body weight, fetal crown-rump length