Some Effects of Cyclophosphamide and Vitamin C Given in ovo on Chicken Embryos

In the literature, Cyclophosphamide (CP) as a genotoxic substance and vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid, AA) as an antigenotoxic substance have been used extensively in many genotoxicity-antigenotoxicity studies conducted in vivo and in vitro, and these substances at doses of 50 μg/egg are also used in Hen’s Egg Test for Analysis of Micronucleus Induction (HET-MN) which is an alternative micronucleus test. The aim of this study was to determine the some effects of CP and AA at 50 μg/egg dose on the development of chicken embryos for the first time. Four groups were formed from the fertilized hen's eggs. CP, AA and CP+AA together, and sterile bidistilled water (as a control) were injected into the air sac of eggs in groups at 8th day of incubation. Following parameters of each group were examined on 11th day of the incubation: rates of dead and abnormal embryo, malformation types, live and relative embryo weights. In addition, some of the embryos were totally stained with Alizarin Red-S method for bone development. Two trials were conducted in the study. The results of the two trials were compatible with each other. As a result, CP, AA and CP+AA together at the examined doses did not present significant embryotoxic and teratogenic effects on chick embryos. They also did not affect the bone development of chicken embryos at the macroscopic level