Research Article

Teratogenic effect of maternal oral ingestion of aspirin on neural tube development of foetal wistar rats

Thomas M A¹, Amosu A M^2*, Degun A M³ and Okunlola A O¹

¹Department of Anatomy, College of Health Sciences, Bowen University, Iwo, Nigeria

^*2Department of Community Health, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa

³Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

* Corresponding Author E-mail: dlivingrock2004@yahoo.com

Accepted 04 May  2013

Abstract

This is an experimental study to investigate the influence of maternal oral ingestion of aspirin on the neural tube development of wistar rat foetus. Ten albino rats consisting of 8 females and 2 males (weight range 200g-250g) were collected and used for the experiment. The 2 males were separated from the 8females which were then divided into 2 groups A and B. Three female wistar rats were then taken from each group to form classes A and B, while the remaining 2 females formed the control class C. They were then placed in an enclosure for 2 days with the males after which they were examined for signs of copulation. Water containing aspirin in varying doses was then administered to the rats in classes A and B on the various gestational days. The female wistar rats were sacrificed on Gestation Day 18 and the neural tubes of the developing foetuses were examined for any anomalies. Foetuses from classes A and B both showed decrease in the average head length with slight decrease observed in class A and significant difference (P<0.05) in Class B when compared to the control C. Slight decrease in the mean body length was observed in both classes without any significant difference in reference to the control class (class C).
 

Keywords: Aspirin, neural tube, wistar rats and foetuses.