ABSTRACT
Ivermectin belongs to the group of the avermectins, which are anthelmintic substances produced by Streptomyces avermitilis fermentation. The evaluation of toxic effects by drugs includes their toxicity on the maternal organism, where any metabolic alterations can reflect on the development of the embryo. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of treatment by ivermectin on pregnancy and lactation periods of rats. We used 70 rats divided in 7 groups with 10 animals each that received different dosages of ivermectin, which varied from 0.5 mg/kg to 10 mg/kg, by oral route. The animals were treated for 36 days, with administration of the medicine every 3 days, totaling 13 administrations for each animal. The control animals received only distilled water (the vehicle of the ivermectin) during the same period. The animals were mated and after the detection of the pregnancy, treated with ivermectin or vehicle, in the corresponding doses for each group, during the entire gestation period and until the 15th postnatal day. The newborns were counted, weighed and analyzed for the existence or not of congenital defects and mortality. The results demonstrated that the treatment with ivermectin was not associated with the presence of congenital defects, significant mortality, or alterations in the number of newborns. However, it was associated with significant alterations in weight gain during the lactation period.
KEY WORDS
Ivermectin; gestation; lactation; rats