Possible Teratogenic Potential Of The Interaction Between Caffeine And Certain Antiasthamatic Drugs In Rats

Abstract

The present work was fonnulated to investigate the possible teratogenic interactions between caffeine and either salbutamol or theophylline, which are commonly used antiasthmatics during pregnancy. Pregnant ladies suffering from asthma might have to receive an antiasthmatic and may be exposed at the same time to caffeine in some beverages. Drug interactions were evaluated during this study concerning teratogenicity, growth parameters and hist@pathological changes, in addition, the developmental changes in physical signs, reflexes and behavioural changes were also investigated in postnatal neonates. The effect of coadministration of caffeine and salbutamol near term of gestation on postnatal viability was also examined. The doses used in this study for caffeine , salbutamol and theophylline were proportional to the usually used clinical doses. Female Sprague-Dawely rats weighing 170 -200 gm were used. Drugs were administered once daily starting from day 7 to day 14 of pregnancy. Each drug was given in two dose levels, caffeine (25 and 50 mg kg'), salbutamol (l and 2 mg kg' ) and theophyline (60 and 120 mg kg') To investigate the drug interaction, low and high doses of caffeine was used with either salbutamol or theophylline. To investigate the teratogenic effect, ceserian section in the rat was done at day 2I of pregnancy and the rate of resorption as well as external, internal and skeletal anomalies were determined. The liver, kidney and heart were isolated for hist0pathological studies.