Glycogen Contents and Related Enzymes in Placenta and Fetal Organs of Rats Exposed to Titanium Trichloride During Pregnancy

Exposure of Titanium trichloride to pregnant rats during the period of organogenesis is known to induce sever embryotoxicity, however, the overall mechanism is not know. Disturbances in the carbohydrate metabolism in the exposed mother may induced physiological alteration which are transported to the fetuses through Placenta. Glycogen contents, the activity of adenosine triphoshatase and glucose-6-phosphatase play an important role in inducing embryotoxicity and therefore these parameters has been studied in placenta, fetal liver and kidney of rats exposed to titanium trichloride. Doses of titanium trichloride 0.72 ml/kg of the body weight (1/5th of LD50) were administered orally once on 9th and 15th day of gestation p.c. and 0.36 ml/kg of the body weight (1/10 of LD50) were also administered orally daily from 6th to 14th day and 15th to 20th day of gestation. It has been observed that at doese of 0.72 and 0.36 ml/kg of body weight during organogeneises (from 6th to 14th and 9th day of gestation) and fetal development (from 15th to 20th and 15th day of gestation) significant depletion in glycogen contents in fetal livker and placenta was observed, however, no changes were recorede in kidney. The activity of ATPase during organogenesis and fetal development causes significant increase in kidney and liver. However, the activity of Glucose-6-phosphatase during organogenesis was significantly decreased in liver, kidney and placenta. Disturbances in carbohydrate metabolism in treated animals may become the cause of embryotoxicity.