Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Science - Department of Biotechnology

The topiramate which belongs to a sulfamate-substituted monosaccharide compound is a drug used mainly in the treatment of epilepsy in both adults and children. Recent studies suggest that administration of topiramate to pregnant women increases the risk of birth defect in the offspring and possible also other adverse effect in the exposed infant. The present work studied the ameliorative effect of fennel oil against teratogenic effect which induced by the topiramate in albino rats. The animals were divided into 4 groups: group 1 (control), group 2: the pregnant rat orally given fennel oil (1 ml/kg body weight), group 3: the pregnant rat orally-administered with human equivalent dose (100 mg/kg) of topiramate and group 4: the pregnant rat orally-administered with topiramate followed by fennel oil from 5th day of gestation to 19th day of gestation. The pregnant rats were sacrificed under anesthesia at 20th day of gestation.The uteri horns were isolated and the numbers of resorbed sites were determined. In addition, the morphological examination and skeletal staining of fetuses and the histological studies on placenta, fetal liver, fetal kidney and fetal brain have been done. The Result showed decrease in both corrected body weight and placenta weight of pregnant mother and high incidence of resorption. Many hematomas in different part of body and other malformations represented in deformed fore limb were recorded in group treated with topiramate.The skeletal malformation summarized as less degree ossification, complete unossified bones, wavy ribs, curved ribs and costal separation in group treated with topiramate.The histopathological change summarized in degeneration of giant cells, pyknotic spongiotrophoblast and necrotic areas in histology of placenta, also shrinkage of glomeruli, pyknotic nuclei and disintegration of cells lining tubules were detected in histology of kidney

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