Crack cocaine smoke on pregnant rats: Maternal evaluation and teratogenic effect.

This study aimed to evaluate maternal toxicity, teratogenic, and placental oxidative effects resulting from the exposure of rats to crack cocaine smoke during pregnancy. Pregnant rats were exposed either to the smoke of crack and ashes (Crack) or to the smoke of ashes alone, nonexposed or pair-fed with the Crack group. Crack group was exposed to the smoke resulting from the burning of 250 mg of crack for 10 min, twice a day, from 7 days prior to mating until cesarian on gestational day 20. Placental oxidative stress and classical parameters of maternal and fetal evaluation were studied, in addition to the morphometric analysis of the fetal metamers. Even in the absence of changes in body weight gain and feed intake, crack altered the reproductive performance of dams. Exposure to the drug promoted late closure of the fetal fontanel. Furthermore, the morphometric study of the brain mass (BM)/skull cap ratio revealed a decrease in the BM of the fetuses exposed to the drug. Exposure to crack has an oxidative potential in fetal development, since exposure to the drug promoted placental lipid peroxidation. Our study showed that daily exposure to crack, even in lower frequency than that performed by users, has a teratogenic potential.

Maternal feed restriction during pregnancy in Wistar rats: Evaluation of offspring using classical and immunoteratology protocols.

Studies have revealed that impairment of the pregnant body weight reduces the fetal body weight and causes minor changes in skeletal development. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of maternal feed restriction during pregnancy in offspring immune system development. Pregnant Wistar rats were distributed into 5 groups: 1 control in which dams received food ad libitum and 4 experimental groups in which dams were fed restricted amounts of rodent ration (16, 12, 9, or 6 g/rat/day) from the 6th to 17th gestation day. Teratogenicity was assessed using classical teratological evaluation and developmental immunotoxicology protocols. Maternal body weight gain, fetus weight, and placenta weight were reduced for feed-restricted females from the groups fed 12, 9, and 6 g/rat/day ( p < 0.05). No pup mortality was observed immediately after cesarean sections among the groups, and no visceral or skeletal malformations were detected. An immunoteratological study revealed an increase in the relative weight of the thymus and an increase in the phorbol myristate-acetate solution-induced hydrogen peroxide release by inflammatory cells in 21-day-old pups. Alterations in the delayed-type hypersensitivity response and the humoral immune response against sheep red blood cells were observed in pups from feed-restricted mothers. Feed restriction in Wistar rats during organogenesis did not promote structural malformations but resulted in offspring with lower birth weights and promoted significant changes in the immune responses of the rat pups.

Effect of Senna occidentalis seeds on immunity in broiler chickens.

This study investigated possible immunotoxic effects of Senna occidentalis (So) seeds incorporated in broiler chicken rations at different concentrations (0.0%, 0.25%, 0.50% and 0.75%), for 28 or 42 days. We evaluated innate immune function (macrophage activities of spreading, phagocytosis, peroxide and nitric oxide production) and acquired immune function (humoral and cellular immune responses), as well as lymphoid organ weights and pathology. There was enhanced macrophage activity, as hydrogen peroxide production increased (P < 0.05) in cells of birds given 0.75%So, but there were no other pro-inflammatory effects. Birds receiving 0.75% of So in ration for 42 days gained less weight (P < 0.01), and showed a decrease in relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius (P < 0.05) and spleen (P < 0.01). In addition, morphological changes were also noted in these lymphoid organs, with depletion of lymphoid cells on the spleen and bursa of Fabricius, resulting in lower relative weight of both lymphoid organs. No impairment of humoral immune response against Newcastle disease and in cellular immune response after a phytohaemagglutinin challenge was found. It is probable that mitochondrial damage and related apoptosis may be responsible for the enhanced peroxide production and the reduced relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius and spleen.

Toxic effects of prenatal Ipomoea carnea administration to rats.

Chronic exposure of livestock to Ipomoea carnea, a toxic plant, promotes toxicosis characterized by lysosomal vacuolization of different organs, and is clinically manifested by CNS signs, abnormal endocrine and gastrointestinal functions, alteration of the immune system, and abnormal embryogenesis. The present study evaluated the effects of different doses of the plant extract on pregnant rats and their offspring after oral administration to the dams from day 6 to day 20 of gestation. Histopathology of thyroid, pancreas, liver and kidneys of dams on gestational day 21 showed characteristic vacuolization promoted by I. carnea toxicosis in these organs; the same was observed in the organs of 7-d-old pups. On the other hand, no alteration was found in these same organs of dams the 7th d after parturition. Although the lesions were reversed in the dams, the same did not occur in their pups. I. carnea administration also promoted decreased body weight, thymus atrophy and spleen enlargement in pups. The toxic principle of I. carnea (swainsonine) seems to pass through the placenta.

Evaluation of immunomodulatory activity of Ipomoea carnea on peritoneal cells of rats.

In the present study, animals of the experimental groups were treated with an aqueous fraction (AF) of Ipomoea carnea diluted in drinking water in order to obtain daily doses of 3gdryleaves/kg/body weight (bw) and 15g/kg/bw for 14 and 21 days, or by gavage 15g/kg/bw administered for 14 days, respectively. Peritoneal macrophages were collected and submitted to the spreading, phagocytosis, and hydrogen peroxide release tests. AF administration in drinking water for 14 and 21 days promoted increased macrophage phagocytosis activity and hydrogen peroxide release. However, the administration of 15g/kg/bw of AF by gavage for 14 days resulted in no alteration in macrophage activity. These results suggest that low dosages of Ipomoea carnea induced enhanced phagocytosis activity and hydrogen peroxide production by macrophages.