Abstract:
Pantoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor used in the management of hypergastric secretions and
gastroesophageal reflux during pregnancy. However, its prenatal effects on maternal and fetal
outcomes are not well reported when administered at varying doses and at different gestational
periods. A post-test-only experimental study design was adopted in conducting this study. A
sample size of 30 female albino rats was used for the study. The 30 albino rats were grouped
into two broad study categories: 3 control rats and 27 treatment rats. The 27 treatment rats
were subdivided into three study groups of nine rats each according to the doses administered
as follows: 9 low-dose rats, 9 medium-dose rats, and 9 high-dose rats The nine rats assemblies
were further divided up into three subgroups, each of three rats, according to the time of
exposure, as follows: three rats for trimester one, three rats for trimester two, and three rats
for trimester three. Daily maternal weights were recorded every morning, and then at gestation
day 20, all animals were humanely sacrificed and the fetuses harvested. Continuous data
included the maternal and fetal weights, and discrete data included the litter sizes, number of
devoured fetuses, resorbed glands, and number of embryolithalities. Data was recorded, coded,
and entered in the computer using MS Excel spreadsheets version 13, and analyzed using the
SPSS programme for Windows version 25 (one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) followed by
Tukey’s post hoc multiple comparisons test). The results were expressed as means ± standard
error of the mean (SEM). Results with a P < 0.05 were considered significant in the study. This
study observed that pantoprazole, at high doses, was associated with a decrease in the mean
maternal weight gain, reduced litter sizes with increased numbers of resorbed endometrial
glands, and devoured fetuses.
