Effects of maternal ritodrine therapy on fetal rat brain development.
The effects of maternal treatment with ritodrine, a beta 2-adrenergic agonist, on the biochemical development of fetal brain were studied in an animal model. Pregnant rats were treated with long and short dosage schedules. Fetuses were delivered by hysterotomy 4 h after the last dose. No differences in the fetal brain content of protein, DNA, glycogen, cholesterol or beta-adrenergic receptors were found. In this animal model, using relatively high maternal doses of ritodrine, there were no apparent effects on the fetal brain biochemical indices measured, suggesting a relatively high efficacy to toxicity ratio of ritodrine for brain development.
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000196:embryology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011412:Propanolamines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000378:metabolism; D012312:Ritodrine / Q000494:pharmacology*
D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011412:Propanolamines; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D006003:Glycogen; D004247:DNA; D002784:Cholesterol; D012312:Ritodrine