Skeletal ossification of 20-day albino rat fetuses under the influenee of maternal protein malnutrition and low doses caffeine administration during pregnancy

Abstract EN

Background: Caffeine may act as a positive or negative coteratogen to other substances which affects growth of the fetus.

Delayed or absent ossification in the preterm fetus is indicative for a non- specific retardation of fetal growth and development.

Obectives: The purpose of the present work is to study skeletal ossification of the 20-day albino rat fetus under the influence of maternal protein malnutrition and the administration of low subtoxic doses of caffeine which are known to produce minimal effects on the fetus.

Material and Methods: Twenty-four pregnant albino rats were divided equally into 4 groups: ل) Control group (20% protein), 2) Caffeine group (20% protein + caffeine), 3) Protein malnourished group (6% protein) and 4) Combined group (6% protein + caffeine).

Maternal protein malnutrition started from the first day 0،' gestation while low dose caffeine (25 mg/kg BW, 1G) was given daily to the mothers from day 6-12 of gestation.

Petuses were collected by caesarian section at the 20th day of gestation.

Bones were stained by alizarin red using Dawson's technique then ossification was assessed.

Results: The results revealed that low doses of caffeine administration have mild effects on ossification of fetal bones, while maternal protein malnutrition delayed ossification markedly.

The combination of caffeine and protein malnutrition increased the delaying of ossification in the combined group as compared to all other studied groups.

A significant delay in ossification was especially noticed in sternum, cervical and sacral vertebrae, pubis and metacarpal bones of the fetuses of the combined group as compared to the caffeine group which indicates that caffeine has a synergistic role to protein malnutrition in the combined group.

Conclusion: The combination of maternal protein malnutrition and the administration of caffeine during pregnancy, even in lo'>v subtoxic doses, markedly delayed ossification ١١؛ the rat fetus which suggests that caffeine may act as a positive coteratogen to protein malnutrition in delaying ossification.