Catch-up growth and craniofacial dimensions following administration of the antineoplastic agent vincristine to young rats

Decreased linear growth is a common problem during childhood anticancer the rapy. Although catch-up growth may occur, short stature is sometimes perman ent. A macroscopic experimental study was performed to investigate the catc h-up growth of body and craniofacial structures of growing rats subjected t o the antineoplastic agent vincristine. A total of 150 Long-Evans/Turku str ain rats were randomly divided into one of two treatment or control groups. A group of 10-d-old rats was given a single s.c. injection of 0.0375 mg/kg vincristine, while another treatment group of 30-d-old rats received three injections of 0.05 mg/kg vincristine. All rats were killed at the age of 1 00 d. Twelve different craniofacial dimensions. tibia and body length, and final weight were recorded. Female and male groups were analyzed separately . As an expression of catch-up growth, most of the body and craniofacial st ructures returned to the control level by 100 d of age. A clear sex-depende ncy was seen in the measurements which remained reduced so that females see med to catch-up better than males. The tinting of the first injection was f ound to be important for the catch-up growth in the neurocranial area.