THE TERATOGENIC EFFECT OF RIFAMPICIN ON THE DEVELOPING CHICK EMBRYO

Abstract

Rifampicin is one of the antibiotics against bacteria with the key action of anti-tuberculosis drug. The duration of treatment is about 3-6 months and the dosage is of 10 mg/kg. Thus, it is interesting to study about the teratogenic effect of rifampicin when it is used during pregnancy as it might cause abnormality to the newborn. This study is conducted to elucidate the teratogenic effect of rifampicin which different concentrations by using chick embryo as an animal model to compare the results with normal. The 120 fertilized white leghorn eggs was randomly divided into 4 groups, one control group and 3 experimental groups with in different concentrations of rifampicin 2 mg/ml, 4 mg/ml and 8 mg/ml with normal saline (NSS). After 21 hours of incubation the drugs and NSS were injected into yolk sac and re-incubated. All the eggs from each group were collected in day 3 of incubation and studied total mount and serial section. The results in experimental groups showed increase in mortality rate and growth retardation as increasing concentration of rifampicin. There were retardation of brain vesicle, heart constricted to U-shaped loop, neutral tube lines were non-parallel, opened of posterior neuropore. Thus, rifampicin produced teratogenic and embryotoxic effects to developing chick embryo.