Effects of chloramphenicol and its analogues on pregnant females adn developing foeti

Chloramphenicol, the first broad spectnun antibiotic to be discovered, and its analogues (thiamphenicol and florfenicol) are broad spectnun antibiotics widely used in veterinary and human medicine for treatment of diseases caused by both gram positive andhaving a sulfonyl methyl group in place of nitro group. While, florfenicolis a novel structure analogue of chloramphenicol, it differes fromchloramphenicol by the replacement of a hydroxy group with fluorine andby the substitution of a sulfonyl methyl group for a nitro group.The present study was conducted to throw the light on the effects ofthese chloramphenicol analogues on pregnant rats and developing foetiduring both the gestation and suckling periods compared with those seenwith chloramphenicol. The test drugs were intramuscularly administered in their therapeutic regimen, chloramphenicol; 18 mg/200 gm. b.wt., thiampheni-col; 13.5 mg/200 gm.b.wt. and florfenicol; 20 mg/200 gm. b.wt. Both chloramphenicol and thiamphenicol werconsecutive days. Florfenicol was injected twice with an interval of 48hours.