title: The effect of prenatal exposure of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug on the optic nerve of female rats: a stereological, histological, and electron microscopic study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can have adverse effects for in both mother and fetus following administration during the prenatal period. If given during pregnancy, diclofenac sodium (DS), an NSAID, is given during the pregnancy, may also affect the development of the central nervous system (CNS) or related structures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant rats were separated into pure control (PG), saline (SG) and diclofenac groups (DG). A daily dose of 1 mg/kg of DS and 1 mL/kg saline was injected intraperitoneally to the DG and SG groups, respectively, from the 5th gestation day for a 15 day of period; the PG group received no treatment. After spontaneous delivery, female offspring were obtained from all groups. After the 20th week of postnatal life, the animals (n = 6 for each group) were perfused and the right optic nerves were resected. Sections were subjected to stereological and histological analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) between PG, SG and DG groups with respect to myelin thickness, axonal cross-sectional area, axon numerical density, total section area of optic nerve and axon number.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Histological and stereological results indicated that treatment with DS or saline produced undesirable effects on female rat optic nerve development and myelinization with respect to morphology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Ondokuz Mayis University , Samsun , Turkey .
authors.forename: Suleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Mukaddes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eşrefoglu
authors.forename: Abit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aktaş
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gül
authors.forename: Mehmet Emin
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Onger
authors.forename: M Eyüp
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Altunkaynak
authors.forename: M Başak
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Ulkay
authors.forename: Murat Çetin
authors.initials: MÇ
authors.lastname: Ragbetli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004008:Diclofenac / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D004008:Diclofenac