Teratogens LT Flashcards
Teratogens act by
- Producing cell death
- Altering normal growth of tissues
- Interfering with normal cellular differentiation
⇒Abnormalities in form or function of fetus
- Fetal loss
- Growth restriction
- Birth defects
- Impaired Neuro
- Fetal ALcohol Syndrome (altered neuro connections)
Enviornmental teratogens account for
4-6% of birth defects
Enviornmental teratogens include
- Maternal ilness
- DM
- PKU
- TORCH
- Physical agents
- Radiation
- Heat
- Drugs
- Thalidomide
- Antiepileptic
- Chemicals
- Hg
TORCH infections
- Toxo
- Others- syphilis, VZV, Parvo B19
- Rubella
- Cytomegalo
- Herpes
Factors that influence response to teratogen
- Genetic Succeptibility
- Dose
- Route
- Timing
- Concourrent exposures/maternal illnesses
- Absorption of mom
Genetic succeptibility to teratogen
- genetic makeup of BOTH fetus and mom
- different that genetic conditions that directly cause defects
Example of genetic succeptibility
- Defect in folate metabolism predisposes to a higher risk for developing structural abnormalities such as NT defects, cleft lip and palate and cardio malformations
- MTHFR gene mutation
- Risk of these malformations depends on the prescence of altered folate metabolism (MTHFR gene mutation) AND inadequate folate intake by mom
- ie risk can be reduced by suplementing folate to mom in preconceptional and early pregnancy period
Genetic succeptibility and interaction with antiepileptic drugs
Fetuses with low epoxide hydrolase activity + exposure to antiepileptic drugs→higher levels of teratogenic oxidative metabolites
Epidemiology of postaxial polydactyly
-
MORE common in African americans (1%)
- Caucasians (0.1%)
Epidemiology of NT defects
- MORE common in caucasians than African Americans
Epidemiology of pyloric stenosis and cleft lip
- MALES > Females
Example of role of route exposure in teratogenecity
- Absorption and action of drug differ if adminstered dermally or systemically
-
Systemic route
- abnormalities
- fluconazole→potentially teratogenic
- Retinoic acid
- oral/systemic
-
Dermal
- safe
- fluconazole and retinoic acid are safe if adminstered dermally
Dose of a drug and teratogenicity
Threshold Effects
Threshold Effects:
- a dose below which the drug is unlikely to increase the incidence of embryonic death, growth rstriction, functional impairment
- 1-3 orders of magnitude below teratogenic dose
The use of teratogenic doses in animals
- Used when no human doses are available
- Teratogenic dose less than 10X the max theraputic dose in humans
- TERATOGENIC
- Teratogenic dose more than 100X the max theraputic dose in humans
- SAFE
Teratogenicity among different species
-
Thalidomide
- Teratogenic in humans
- Safe in rabbits
-
Many drugs
- Teratogenic when given at 10 to 1000 times the normal dose adminstered to humans (100 fold difference is necesary to deem a drug safe)
-
Meclizine
-
When given to mice casues cleft palate due to apetite supression
- __Therefore, force feeding the mice would prevent the occurence of cleft palate
-
When given to mice casues cleft palate due to apetite supression
The duration of dose adminstration and amount admisntered
- Some drugs are teratogenic when given at one large dose
- ie spreading out this dose wouyld make it safe
- eg. Daily intake of one alcoholic drik for a week is safer than binge drinking seven alcoholic drinks in a day
- Another drug is teratogenic when it exposure is prolonged
- ie giving it all at once would make it safe
- eg. Occasional very high maternal glucose is safer than persistent high glucose levels
Drug drug interactions
- Synergistic drugs
- Independent
- Protective against the teratogenic effects of the other
- Folic acid is protective in patients taking antiepileptic (valproate, carbamazepine)
- Still try to avoid giving valproate
Preimplantation and implantation
days 5-11
Formation of the three germ layers
by day 16
Formation of neural plate
by day 19
Closure of neural tube
by day 27
Appearance of limb buds
by day 30
Formation of branchial arches, clefts, pouches, optic vesicle
between weeks 4-5