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A descriptive study to provide evidence of the teratogenic and cellular effects of sibutramine and ephedrine on cardiac‐ and liver‐tissue of chick embryos

Exposure to drugs during pregnancy is a major concern, as some teratogenic compounds can influence normal foetal development. Although the use of drugs during pregnancy should generally be avoided, exposure of the developing foetus to teratogens may occur unknowingly since these compounds may be hidden in products that are being marketed as “all natural.” The aim of the current study was to investigate the possible teratogenic and cellular effects of sibutramine—a serotonin‐norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor used in the treatment of obesity—on the heart and liver tissue of chick embryos. Ephedrine was used as a positive control. The chick embryo model was chosen because it has been used in studying developmental and experimental biology and teratology with great success. The embryos were exposed to three different concentrations of sibutramine and ephedrine respectively. The results obtained revealed that both compounds exhibited embryotoxicity when compared to the control groups. Liver and heart tissue of the exposed embryos was severely affected by these compounds in a dose‐related manner. Morphology similar to that of muscle dystrophy was observed in the heart, where the muscle tissue was infiltrated by adipose and connective tissue. Severe liver steatosis was also noted. A more in‐depth investigation into the molecular pathways involved might provide more information on the exact mechanism of toxicity of these products influencing embryonic development. Microsc. Res. Tech. 78:737–746, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.