Effect of Ascaris trypsin inhibitor on fetal development of mice

In this study, maternal toxicity and developmental effects of exposure to Ascaris trypsin inhibitor were evaluated in mice. Pregnant BALB/c females were injected intraperitoneally by Ascaris inhibitor /AIT/ at 200, 300, and 400 mg/kg body weight/day, on days 12 to 15 of gestation (stage of fetal development). At day 19 of pregnancy, uterine contents were inspected for implantation sites, early resorptions (moles), living fetuses and dead fetuses. The living fetuses were weighed and examined for external, internal and skeletal abnormalities. The results showed that AIT induced maternal toxicity, evidenced by maternal deaths, abortions, bleeding from uterus and reduced body weight gain as compared to control (p <0.01). There were no differences between the control group and the rest of all groups investigated for total implantation sites and early resorptions. Fetotoxicity was observed as shown by the decrease in the number of living fetuses and mean fetal weight, a high rate of intrauterine fetal deaths, delayed skeletal ossification, occurrence of pathological changes of fetal organs and tissues. Only one type of congenital malformations (hydronephrosis) was noted in fetuses after injection of higher doses of AIT.