Effect of khat on uteroplacental blood flow in awake, chronically catheterized, late-pregnant guinea pigs.
In order to investigate effects of khat chewing on uteroplacental blood flow, eight awake, chronically catheterized guinea pigs were fed 2.2 g khat leaves/kg in late pregnancy and regional blood flows were measured with the microsphere technique. Seven animals fed with aspen leaves in the same amounts served as controls. The mean concentration of (+)-norpseudoephedrine in urine 3 h after the end of the feeding was 4.6 micrograms/ml in the khat-fed group with no detectable amounts in the controls. Placental blood flow was reduced by 10% 75 min and by 24% 180 min after khat feeding. Since the khat dose used gave urinary concentrations of (+)-norpseudoephedrine of the same magnitude as those reported in khat chewing women, khat chewing in pregnancy may reduce placental blood flow and impair fetal growth.
Department of Physiology, Gothenburg University, Sweden.
T
T
Jansson
B
B
Kristiansson
A
A
Qirbi
D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D029754:Catha; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D010665:Phenylpropanolamine / Q000652:urine; D010920:Placenta / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects*
D010936:Plant Extracts; C005331:norpseudoephedrine; D010665:Phenylpropanolamine