OSTEOLOGICAL STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF TRICHLOROETHYLENE ON THE AXIAL SKELETAL SYSTEM OF MATERNALLY TREATED 18-DAY-OLD ALBINO MICE FETUSES

Abstract: The present study investigates the effects of different doses of "trichloroethylene" TCE on the axial and ap-pendicular skeleton of day 18 mice fetuses maternally treated with TCE. The experimental females (90 virgin females) were divided into three groups; the first one (G1) was the control that treated with the solvent only (corn oil), the second (G2) and the third (G3) treated groups with low (24 mg/kg) and high (240 mg/kg) doses of TCE, respectively. Oral administration of TCE to female mice once daily for a period of 21 days before mating and till 17th day of pregnancy, caused a significant decrease in the body weight and body length of treated fetuses. Stereoscopic examination for the obtained 18th day fetuses showed severe skeletal alterations included incomplete ossification for some bones of skull, vertebrae, fore and hind limbs and significant reduction in the length of most long bones of both limbs. These alterations indicated that TCE treatment induced growth retardation confirmed by great reduction in body weight and body length. The results suggest that TCE has teratogenic effects on maternally treated 18-day-old albino mice fetuses.

Keywords: trichloroethylene, skeletal system, teratogenicity, 18-day-old Albino mice fetuses.