Effect of folic acid overdose on the histomorphometric indices of pancreatic tissue in NMRI mice embryo

Embryonic period is the most sensitive stage of the human life in confronting with taken material by mother. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effect of folic acid overdose on days 8, 9, and 10 of gestation on the pancreatic tissue. A total of 20 pregnant mice were equally divided into four groups. The control group received no injection. The sham group received distilled water injection and experimental groups received folic acid in doses of 0.45 μg (1 experimental group = E1) and 0.6 μg (2 experimental group = E2) intraperitoneally on days 8, 9, and 10 of gestation. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 22) and ANOVA test with Tukey at the significance level of p≤ 0.05. After treatment with folic acid, uterine bleeding was not observed in the mice and no morphological abnormalities were found in control, sham, and experimental groups. Moreover, in implanted places, no percentage of the embryos died, were absorbed or aborted. In the study of pancreatic tissue, area of largest acini (P=0.096) (979.7 ± 67) and the nuclear number in the largest acini (P=0.087) (15 ± 2) in E2 group had no significant increase as compared with that of the control group. It seems that administration of the extract of folic acid to pregnant mice leads to changes in the development of pancreatic tissue. Therefore, it is recommended that this vitamin be consumed during pregnancy under physician’s supervision.