The effects of methadone on maternal-fetal interactions in the rat.
Female Sprague-Dawley rats received methadone (25 mg/kg/day) by gavage throughout gestation. Water-gavaged rats served as controls. Fetuses were delivered by cesarean section when parturition was imminent. Our results indicate that methadone may interfere with fetal development and maternal-fetal interactions to some degree. The observed alterations were as follows: fetal growth retardation, an interference with the triggering of parturition once normal delivery size is attained and possible positional malformations.
D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000209:etiology; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000139:chemically induced; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000187:drug effects*; D008691:Methadone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology
D008691:Methadone