Teratogenicity of cyproheptadine in pregnant rats

Three groups of pregnant rats received respectively 0.5, 2.5 and 5 mg/kg/day cyproheptadine subcutaneously and a control group received 0.2 ml/day of the solvent normal saline. Higher doses were toxic to pregnant rats. There was no significant difference in birth rate, fetal resorption rate and malformation rate between the 4 groups. There was no significant difference between average weights, average fetal placental weights and male/female ratio in the experimental and control fetuses. It is concluded that cyproheptadine has no teratogenic effects in rat.