The effect of the antibiotic Amoxicillin on pregnant mice and their fetuses.

Abstract

The beta-lactam antibiotics are widely used in Egypt for the treatment of many cases of acute otitis media, respiratory and urinary tract infections, skin infections, and chlamydia infections. The widely used antibiotic amoxicillin with the trade name "E-mox" is related to penicillin derivatives group of the beta-lactam antibiotics which inhibits essential enzymes involved in the terminal stages of peptidoglycan biosynthesis important for cell division and growth. In spite of the beneficial effects of this antibiotic, yet some medical reports have been incriminated it for producing certain adverse consequences following its usage. Hence, the present study was constructed to evaluate the expected side effects of the beta-lactam antibiotic amoxicillin on the pregnant mothers of albino mice and their fetuses. Maternal evaluations included morphological alterations and changes in body weight of confirmed-mated females and maternal pregnancy status. At the 19th day of gestation, the pregnant females of both control and the treated groups were sacrificed and the fetuses were obtained for morphological, skeletal, and histological investigations. The study was also devoted to show any histological and cytological changes which might arise in the body organs, exemplified by two