Determination of the embryotoxic effect of Metronidazole using an in ovo model

Metronidazole is an imidazole group bactericidal antibiotic used against anaerobic bacteria and some protozoa. There is no detailed information about the embryotoxic effect of Metronidazole. This study aims to determine the embryotoxic activity of Metronidazole using an in ovo method. A total of 210 fertile chicken eggs were placed in an incubator, divided into seven equal groups of 30. The first group was considered as the control group. On the seventh day of the study, Metronidazole was administered to the other six groups within 50 µL saline solution at doses of 250, 125, 62.5, 31.25, and 15.62 µg·egg-1 (5; 2.5; 1.25; 0.625; 0.312 mg·kg-1). At the end of the incubation period, the eggs hatched, and the number of live and dead embryos was determined. There were no significant differences in deaths between the groups (P>0.05 in all cases). No anomaly was detected in the macroscopic morphology of the embryos. As a result, it can be stated that Metronidazole may be safe for use during pregnancy. However, it is necessary to conduct molecular and histopathological studies to investigate the effects of this drug on organogenesis, especially in mammalian embryos

Determination of Embryotoxic effects of Atipamezole using in ovo model

Atipamezole is a specific α2-adrenergic receptor antagonist, and there exists insufficient information on its use during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to determine the embryotoxic activity of Atipamezole through an in ovo method. During the first stage of the study, 210 fertile eggs were divided into seven groups of 30 fertile eggs and placed in an incubator. On the seventh day of the first stage, no application was made to the control group. The second group was administered 50 microliters (µL) of saline solution, while the other groups were given Atipamezole at doses of 250, 125, 62.5, 31.25 and 15.62 micrograms·egg-1 (µg·egg-1) in 50 µL saline solution. In the second stage, according to the embryotoxic dose range determined from the first stage, 150 fertile eggs were divided into five groups of 30 fertile eggs and placed in an incubator. On the seventh day of the second stage, no application was made to the control group. Fifty µL of saline solution was administered to the second group. The other groups were given Atipamezole at doses of 220, 190 and 160 µg·egg-1 in 50 µL saline solution. After the incubation period, the eggs hatched, and the embryonic mortality rates were calculated. The mortality rate was determined to be 39.3% at the highest dose (250 µg·egg-1 = 5 miligrams·kilograms-1 –mg·kg-1–) (P0.05). In conclusion, it can be stated that the dose determined for Atipamezole in this study was very high compared to the recommended doses and it can be used in pregnancy as a benefit-loss calculation when necessary. However molecular or histopathological studies regarding the development of organ drafts are necessary to determine the safety of its use during pregnancy