Comparative Study of the Effects of Photofrin II and Cyclophosphamide on Embryos

Comparative Study of the Effects of Photofrin II and Cyclophosphamide on Embryos

Violeta Žalgevičienė, Danutė Bulotienė, Mažena Vasilevska, Vytautas Kulvietis, Janina Didžiapetrienė, Ričardas Rotomskis

Summary

Introduction. Our previous spectro­scopic studies showed that photofrin II accumulates in embryo. Whereas, accumuliating of photosensitiser in embryos may have a negative effect on embryo de­velopment, the aim of this work - compare photofrin II and cyclophosphamide photofrin II (I group) with 15 mg/kg dose, cyclophosphamide with dose 15 mg/kg (II group) and saline (III group - control) were in- ected to pregnant rats. Embryotoxic effect was assessed by number of implantations, resorptions and live em­bryos, and by embryos weight and body length changes; teratogenic effect - by embryonic malformations’ character.

Results. Our results showed that photofrin II has slight embryotoxic effect on 6^th day of embryogenesis (critical pe­riod of implantation): due to photosensiti- ser’s effect there were 8% of resorptions while due to cyclophosphamide effect - 62%. This shows that embryotoxicity of photosensitiser is significantly lower than embryotoxicity of cyclophos­phamide. On the 13^th day neither photo- frin II nor cyclophosphamide had such ef­fect (evaluatfng embryotoxicity by num­ber of resorptions). This shows that embryotoxic effect of those medicines de­pends on embryogenesis stage.

Effect of photofrin II and cyclophos­phamide on embryonic development is shown by changes in weight and body length of embryos. Due to effect of these medicines embryos were smaller and shorter in comparison with their weight and body length in control group. There was no significant difference between men­tioned parameters in different periods of embryogenesis. In our experimental condi­tions teratogenicity of photofrin II didn’t Teratology Society: an awkward appear while teratogenicity of cyclo­phosphamide did.

Conclusions. The toxicity of photo­frin II on embryos is significantly lower than toxicity of cyclophosphamide. On the basis of the results photofrin II is not rec ommended for pregnant women.

Keywords: embryotoxicity, teratogenici­ty, pregnant rat, fotosensitiser, cyto­static.