Effect of Prenatal Exposure to Diagnostic Ultrasound on the Development of Mice

• Published in: Radiation research 1992-04, Vol.130 (1), p.125-128
• Main Authors: Hande, M. Prakash, Devi, P. Uma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Body weight; Brain; Diagnostic ultrasonography; Effects of various physical factors on living matter (vibrations, electric field, ultrasound, sound...); Embryonic and Fetal Development; Embryos; Female; Fetal Death - etiology; Fetal Growth Retardation - etiology; Fetus; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Microphthalmia; Microphthalmos - etiology; Mortality; Organogenesis; Pregnancy; Short Communications; Space life sciences; Tissues, organs and organisms biophysics; Ultrasonography; Ultrasonography, Prenatal - adverse effects
• ISSN: 0033-7587; 1938-5404
• DOI: 10.2307/3578490

Pregnant Swiss albino mice were exposed to diagnostic ultrasound (3.5 MHz, ∼ 65 mW) for 10 min on Day 3.5 (preimplantation period), 6.5 (early organogenesis period), or 11.5 (late organogenesis period) of gestation. Sham-exposed controls were maintained for comparison. Exposed as well as control fetuses were dissected out on the 18th day of gestation, and changes in total mortality, body weight, body length, head length, brain weight, sex ratio, and microphthalmia were recorded. Exposure on Day 3.5 of gestation resulted in a small increase in the resorption rate and a significant reduction in fetal body weight. A low fetal weight and an increase in the number of growth-retarded fetuses were produced by exposure on Day 6.5 postcoitus. A statistically nonsignificant increase in the incidence of microphthalmia was induced in fetuses exposed on Day 6.5 or Day 11.5 of gestation. These results indicate that ultrasound may have some adverse effects on the mouse embryos depending on the developmental stage at which the exposure occurred.