Azithromycin Prevents Pregnancy Loss : Reducing the Level of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha and Raising the Level of Interleukin-10 in Rats

Abstract EN

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of azithromycin on LPS-induced pregnancy loss.

Thirty-six pregnant female Wistar rats were divided into 4 equal groups as follows: control group, where 0.3 mL of normal saline solution was administered intravenously on day 10 of pregnancy; azithromycin group, where azithromycin was administered orally at 350 mg kg−1 day on days 9, 10, and 11 of pregnancy; lipopolysaccharide group, where LPS was administered intravenously via the tail vein at 160 μg kg−1 on day 10 of pregnancy; and the azithromycin + LPS group, where azithromycin was administered orally at 350 mg kg−1 day on days 9, 10, and 11 of pregnancy and LPS was administered intravenously at 160 μg kg−1 on day 10 of pregnancy.

Blood samples were obtained from the tail vein on day 10 of the experiment.

Pregnancy rates were determined.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL-10) levels were measured by ELISA.

Azithromycin prevented (P<0.05) LPS-induced pregnancy loss.

Higher TNF-α and IL-10 levels were measured (P<0.05) in the LPS and azithromycin + LPS groups, respectively.

In conclusion, azithromycin may be useful in infection- or endotoxemia-dependent pregnancy loss.