EFFECTS OF ANTIMONY COMPOUNDS ON FETAL DEVELOPMENT IN RATS

Pentavalent antimonials (PVA), sodium stibogluconate (SSG) and meglumi ne antimoniate (MA) are considered the mainstay of chemotherapy of all forms of leishmaniasis. We report here the possible teratogenic poten tial of these compounds when they are used during pregnancy in rats. A nimals were divided into 10 treatment groups of to rats each. Rats in Group 1 were injected with saline (control). Groups 2-5 were injected with SSG i.m. for 10 successive days (days 6-15 of pregnancy) with dos es of 30, too, 300 and 900 mg Sb/kg. Groups 6-9 were injected with MA for the same period and at the same dose levels. Those in Group 10 wer e injected with 100 mg/kg of SbCl3 using the same protocol. On day 20 of gestation foetuses were removed by C-section and examined for any t eratogenic abnormality. Rats injected with SSG (30 mg Sb/kg) exhibited a 5.9% foetal resorption rate. This effect seems to be dose dependent as doses of too and 300 mg Sb/kg caused 14% and 21.4% foetal resorpti on, respectively, injection of MA at the same dose levels of 30, 100 a nd 300 mg Sb/kg also caused dose dependent increase in foetal resorpti on of 1.2%, 26.7% and 33%, respectively. Most resorptions with either SSG or MA appeared to occur ill early gestation. The mean weight of th e viable foetuses from mothers treated with PVA's was significantly lo wer than that of the control mice (P<0.05). Some skeletal and visceral deformities were also observed in marry foetuses. Antimony trichlorid e also caused 36% foetal resorption when it wets injected at a. dose o f too mg/kg. The teratogenic effects of PVA's may be related to their antimony content.