The main aim of the present study was to examine the neurotoxic effects of prenatal exposure to varying doses of diclofenac sodium (DS) on the rat hippocampus. Twenty-eight Wistar albino adult female rats weighing 280-300 g were initially used for pregnancy. When vaginal plaques were seen in female rats, it was accepted as the 0th day of pregnancy. Female rats were divided into five main groups; pure control, saline, low dose DS (3.6 mg/kg), moderate dose DS (9 mg/kg), and high dose DS (18 mg/kg). They were exposed to these treatments during their gestation. After birth, all newborn male rats were euthanized by overdose anesthesia on the 7th postnatal day. Histological and stereological techniques were used for analyzing tissue samples. The stereological analyses in this study showed that the number of neurons in the hippocampus may be reduced due to the use of DS. Histological investigation of the drug-treated groups showed significant cell loss compared to the control. Darkly stained nuclei of the neurons in the high dose group compared to the other groups were also obvious. When the results are evaluated, it can be concluded that the use of diclofenac sodium during pregnancy may have teratogenic effects on the development of the nervous system.
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