Effect of some hypotensive drugs on foetal development in rats

In this work, the effect of some hypotensive drugs on foetal development in albino rats was studied. Thiswas determined by morphological, visceral and skeletalchanges occured in foetuses whose mothers were treatedwith the tested drugs during pregnancy. The studied. drugs were furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, methyl dopa,papaverine hydrochloride and reaerpine.Experiments were carried out on 11 groups, each of 20 pregnant female rats. The lay group was kept as controlthe 2nd and 3rd groups were, daily, injeceted intramuscularly with furosemide in d..oses of 10 and. 20 mg/kg b.wt. respectiv- ely. The 4~ht 5th, 6th and 7th groups were, respectively, \given orally hydrochlorothiezide in doses of 20 and 40 mg/kg b.wt. andpapaverine hydrochloride and reserpine respectively. The tested drugs were given daily ,from ,the 6th to the lS.!h day of gestation, as this time is the period of organogenesis.Furosemide giv~n intramuscular1y in doses of 10 and or20. mg/kg b swt •• daily f produced a significant reduction in