Repairability of skeletal alterations induced by sodium valproate in rats

The present study aimed at examining postnatal repairability of sodium valproate-induced skeletal alterations in rats. Sodium valproate (400 mg/kg) or the vehicle (distilled water) was orally administrated to pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats from gestation days 9 to 11. Fetuses and pups were obtained on gestation day 21 and postnatal day 11, respectively, and their skeletons were stained with Alizarin red S and Alcian blue and examined. Sodium valproate-induced costal and vertebral alterations in the fetuses included discontinued rib cartilage, fused rib, full or short supernumerary rib, bipart ossification of thoracic centrum, supernumerary lumbar vertebrae, and lumbarization. In pups, however, discontinued rib cartilage was not observed, and the incidence of a short supernumerary rib was significantly lower than that in the fetuses, suggesting that these alterations are postnatally repairable.