title: Ultrasound exposure during pregnancy affects rabbit foetal parathyroid hormone (PTH) level.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in parathyroid hormone (PTH) level of rabbit foetal bodies exposed to ultrasound at different gestational stages. A total of 9 pregnant rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were insonated for 60 minutes at the middle of 1(st), 2(nd) and 3(rd) gestational stages for group A (n=14 newborns), group B (n=7 newborns) and group C (n=24 newborns) respectively. Seven pregnant rabbits with 41 newborns severed as negative control group. Blood samples were withdrawn from each newborn rabbits for Parathyroid Hormone-Intact (PTH-I) test. Results of the independent samples t-test implied statistically significant differences (P<0.05) between the control group and the 1(st) stage (P=0.001), the 2(nd) stage (P<0.001) and the 3(rd) stage group (P<0.001). This in-vivo study revealed diagnostic ultrasound heating has the potential of affecting foetal PTH level. This study observed significantly low PTH level for all the treated groups. A further study should be instituted to determine whether this finding in rabbit may also occur in human by means of clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor, Malaysia;
authors.forename: Sulaiman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Md Dom
authors.forename: Hairil Rashmizal
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Abdul Razak
authors.forename: Farah Wahida
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Ahmad Zaiki
authors.forename: Nurul Hidayah
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Saat
authors.forename: Khairunnisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abd Manan
authors.forename: Iza Nurzawani
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Che Isa
authors.forename: Ummi Farhana
authors.initials: UF
authors.lastname: Hashim
keywords: Ultrasound imaging; parathyroid hormone; parathyroid hormone-intact test