The teratogenic effect of lamotrigine on vertebral column, sternum and ribs of mice fetus

One of the most important complications of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), used during pregnancy, is the increasing of congenital malformation in neonates. One of these drugs, lamotrigine (LTG), in addition to treatment of epilepsy, is used in many of the chronic neural diseases. There are a few controversial reports about teratogenic effect of this drug. Based on these reports, oral usage of this drug is not teratogenic. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate about the teratogenic effect of this drug on a number of mice fetuses following the interaperitoneal injections. In this study, 150 mice were divided in four groups: 1) control 1, no material administration, 2) control 2, ip ethanol solution was administrated, 3) case 1, LTG was administrated ip (25 mg/kg, tid) 4) fourth group (case 2), LTG was administrated ip 3 time/day (75 mg/kg) from the 9th to 18th day of gestation. Fetuses were collected on the GD 18 and then some of embryos were used for alizarin red and alcian blue staining. By this method of staining soft tissue would become clear, cartilages become blue, and bones turn to red. Then malformations in vertebral column, sternum and ribs were considered in four groups and were compared. In the group treated with LTG, different types of skeletal malformations were increased (p<0.001) and the incretion was drug dose-dependent. Conculusion: The results of this study showed that LTG is likely a risk factor in occurrence of skeletal malformation in mice fetus.