Effect of dexamethazone on the development of the pancreas in albino rats

Twenty pregnant albino rats were used in this study and divided into control and treated groups. The animals of the treated group were injected intramuscularly by a single dose of dexamethasone [0.5 mg/day] from the 5th to the 19th day of pregnancy. The control animals were injected intramuscularly by oily solution in amounts and at times corresponding to the treated animals. It was found that dexamethasone administration during pregnancy caused a decrease of the maternal gestational body weight gain, high incidence of resorption and fetal death. It also impaired the fetal growth in the form of a significant decrease in the lengths and weights of the maternally treated fetuses. It was advised to avoid the use of dexamethasone in pregnant women throughout the period of pregnancy to avoid developing pancreatitis in mothers and their newborns and also to avoid its teratogenic effects

Histological and photochemical studies on the effect of ranitidine on the liver of maternal and newborn albino rats

Twenty pregnant albino rats weighting about 150 - 200 gm and their newly born rats at age of 1 day were used. They were divided into two groups; the first group of 10 animals were injected intraperitoneally with distilled water and were regarded as a control group. The second group of 10 animals injected intraperitoneally with a therapeutic dose [0.45 mg] of ranitidine for 21 days. Paraffin sections from liver specimens were prepare din the usual mannewr and stained with routine haematoxylin and eosin [Hx and E.], periodic acid Schiff reaction [P.A.S] and Masson's trichrome stain. Livewr cellsd of treated rats and their newborns showed marked degeneration and mononuclear inflammatory cellular infilteration around the central vein. The central vein. The central vein and blood sinusoids were dilated and engorged with blood cells. Areas of necrosis and haemorage were seen. Increase in the cellular glycogen was found especially in the centribolular cells. Also, increase in collagen fibres especially around the portal tract and central vein was noticed. Ranitidine should be used with caution and must not be given to pregnant women