Abstract
SUMMARY Aminoglycosides are antibiotics used in the treatme nt of infections caused by gram-negative bacteria. They cross the placenta, are ototoxic in children and are nephroto xic in adults. The exposure to such antibiotics mus t be careful during fetal development. So, the purpose of this study wa s to verify their action in fetus and evaluate, mor phologically and morphometrically, the changes they induce in the fe tal liver, placental and umbilical cord. Albino Wis tar rats received a single intramuscular dose of 5 milligrams of gentam icin on the tenth day of pregnancy. The rats were s acrificed on the 20 th day. A delay in intra-uterine growth was macroscop ically observed. Gentamicin significantly reduced t he fetal weight, the placental weight and the length of umbi lical cord. Histologically, the gentamicin-treated animals exhibited livers with disorganized hepatocyte plaques and cap illary sinusoids. The hepatocytes showed a very vac uolated cytoplasm. Not withstanding the increased interstit ial connective tissue. It was concluded that the do ses of gentamicin used in this study caused no malformation, but indu ced changes in the fetal liver when administered du ring pregnancy.
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