ABSTRACT
Treatment options for epilepsy have been increased markedly during the
recent years. Phenytoin, Phenobarbital, primidon, and valproate were used for
partial and secondarily generalized seizures. Additional agents have been
introduced with the promise of improved seizure's control and minimal side
effects.
In the present study 80 female albino rats and 40 males were used. The
females were virgin, about 120 days in age and 160 — 200 gm in weight The
males were of the same range of age and weight. The animals were fed a
balanced diet. Each 3 females were placed with 2 males, if the vaginal smear,
in the following morning contained sperms, that day was considered as day
zero of gestation. The pregnant rats were classified into 2 groups; control
group (10 rats) and treated group. The treated group was subdivided into 7
subgroups (10 of each). They were treated daily from the lat day of gestation
till the day of operation (20th day of gestation).
The drugs given were; phenytoin as 5mg/Kg B. 0< via intraperitonial
injection, valproic acid as 400 mg/Kg B. 0< via gastric intubations, Gabapentin
as 30 mg/Kg B. 0< via gastric intubations and folic acid as 100 ug/kg/ B.W. via
gastric intubations. The fetuses of the pregnant mothers were obtained by
caesarian operation at 20" days. Two fetuses picked up from each group,
dehydrated, fixed by immersion in 95% ethyl alcohol and were used for skeletal
visualization by aleatrine stain. The rest of fetuses were placed in Bouin's
solution were used for razor section as well as histological sections.
The present study revealed that the pre implantation loss and
postitnplanation loss and resorption were increased in all the treated groups.
The addition of folic acid improved this percent. The CRL, Head length, BP
and weight parameters showed statistical difference in comparison between the
treated groups and the control group. Also, the modulative effect of folic acid
was evident. Also the sizes of the rats of the treated groups were lower than
those of the control group especially in the old & combined drug groups. |
