Summary
Single intraperitoneal injection of varying doses of Cyclophosphamide (Endoxan-Asta)
was - piven (o SE pregnant albino rats of Wistar Strain during 12th through 16th days
of gestation (the day of sperm positive vaginal smear designated as zero cay of pregnancy).
Ten pregnant rats were used as controls where similar amount of saline was injected
without the drug. Rats were sacrificed on 21st day of gestation and foetuses removed
after uterotomy and examined under the dissecting microscope for presence of any Joft
palate. Highly arched palate showing defective closure was observed in most of the
litters where injections were given on 12th-15th days of gestation while rats injected
on 16th day of gestalion showed normal palate in all the litters. Varying degrees
of actual cleftin the palate was found in 27% of foetiises trealed on 12th day. 70%
in those of 13th day treatment and 429, in case of 14th day group. No cleft palate
was detected in the 15th & 16th day treated foetuses or in the control ones, though
the 15th day treated group showed high arched palate in 100% of the foetuses. Mechanism
of the production of the developmental defect has been discussed.
