ABSTRACT
To see the effect of chloroquine on endothelial cells in developing liver of albino rats. Design: Case control prospective study. Place and Duration of Study: Anatomy Department of Post Graduate Medical Institute, Lahore from September to December 2000. Subjects and Twenty-four pregnant female albino rats were divided in 4 groups. The gestation period in rats ranges from 20-22 days, which was divided into three trimesters of seven days each. Oral dose of chloroquine 700 mg/kg body weight in first, second and third weeks of pregnancy was administered. Hepatic tissue of newborn rats were analyzed histologically. Chloroquine induced considerable endothelial cell injury in newborn rat liver. Central venular endothelial cells[CVECs] and sinusoidal endothelial cells[SECs] were specially involved. Livers from animals exposed to chloroquine during the third trimester showed many areas of intrahepatic hemorrhage due to complete destruction of endothelial lining of central veins. Chloroquine is toxic to endothelial cells of liver and should be avoided during pregnancy