ABSTRACT
The present study was done to investigate the role played by CoQ10 in the control of the morphological and histological changes induced in the fetuses of rats injected by the antidepressant Venlafaxine. 70 pregnant Wister wister rats were injected Intraperitonealy during the organogenesis period with the antidepressant Venlafaxine [0.25mg /100g.body weight] on day 7of gestation.Mean number of alive embryos,weight and length of them were recorded with the noticeable malformations beside maternal weights.The protective role of CoQ10 [0.6 mg. /100g. body weight] was also detected. Venlafaxine injection induced a very highly significant decrease in the mean maternal and fetal body weights, the two horns of the uteri appeared unequal as well as the fetuses were unequally distributed between them, beside the appearance of a lot of resorbed bodies into them, also fat sacs were clear, a case of ectopic pregnancy was obvious, as well as very highly significant decrease in the mean number of alive fetuses was noticed, fetal growth retardation beside lots of rat fetal malformations were observed such as subcutaneous blood bleeding, cleft lips and anomalies of the fore and hind limbs as well as kyphosis of the body. Intraperitonealy injection of Venlafaxine by the fractionated dose [0.75mg. / 100g body weight] on days 7, 10 and 13 of gestation 0.25mg. /100g each resulted in the death of all the pregnant rats. CoQ10 [0.6 mg. /100g. body weight] orally injected to the pregnant rats before Venlafaxine treatment at the two doses [0.25 and 0.75mg./100g.body weight] improved the above morphometric and morphological as well as the skeletal system changes. CoQ10 [0.6 mg. /100g. body weight] orally injected to the pregnant rats treated with Venlafaxine showed protective effect against the dangerous changes induced by this antidepressant