Ultrasound exposure during pregnancy affects rabbit foetal parathyroid hormone (PTH) level

• Main Authors: Md. Dom, Sulaiman, Abdul Razak, Hairil Rashmizal, Ahmad Zaiki, Farah Wahida, Saat, Nurul Hidayah, Abd Manan, Khairunnisa, Che Isa, Iza Nurzawani, Hashim, Ummi Farhana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: AME Publishing Company 2013
• Subjects: Q Science (General)
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/55195/1/SMD%2CFWAZ_2013.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/55195/; http://qims.amegroups.com/article/view/1591/2247
• Institution: Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in parathyroid hormone (PTH) level of rabbit foetal bodies exposed to ultrasound at different gestational stages. A total of 9 pregnant rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were insonated for 60 minutes at the middle of 1st, 2nd and 3rd gestational stages for group A (n=14 newborns), group B (n=7 newborns ) and group C (n=24 newborns) respectively. Seven pregnant rabbits with 41 newborns severed as negative control group. Blood samples were withdrawn from each newborn rabbits for Parathyroid Hormone-Intact (PTH-I) test. Results of the independent samples t-test implied statistically significant differences (P<0.05) between the control group and the 1st stage (P=0.001), the 2nd stage (P<0.001) and the 3rd stage group (P<0.001). This in-vivo study revealed diagnostic ultrasound heating has the potential of affecting foetal PTH level. This study observed significantly low PTH level for all the treated groups. A further study should be instituted to determine whether this finding in rabbit may also occur in human by means of clinical trials.