Effects of Iron Administration on the Diameter of Cells of Growth Cartilage of Rat Pups During Pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of oral iron administration on pregnant rats on the diameter of cells of growth plate of rat pups.

STUDY DESIGN: Experimental study.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Anatomy Department, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi in collaboration with National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad from March to November 2016.

METHODOLOGY: Group Acontaining 8 pregnant rats was control group, and group B containing same number of pregnant rats was the study group. Control group Awas on standard diet throughout pregnancy. Iron was given to the experimental group B for 21 days (throughout pregnancy) in the form of syrup 0.5ml daily (2.75 mg of elemental iron) given in water. Rat infants were born via spontaneous vaginal delivery. Inclusion criteria for infants was pups born at term which were active and taking feed. Femur from each rat infant of right side was removed for the growth plate investigation. Processing, embedding and staining with Hematoxylin and Eosin, Perl's stain for histological study was done. The cell diameter in hypertrophy and proliferative zone was evaluated. Mean values of the diameter of chondrocytes in both the zones of growth cartilage of femur were measured.

RESULTS: Diameter of the cells in hypertrophy and proliferative zones was considerably decreased in group B as compared to group A.

CONCLUSION: Administration of iron during pregnancy with normal iron status can disturb growth of the rat infant through its accumulation in the epiphyseal plate of femur. The cell diameter of the hypertrophy and proliferative zones was markedly reduced in iron administered group as compared to the control group.