Effects of fluoxetine and imipramine in rat fetuses treated during a critical gestational period: a macro and microscopic study.

Objective: To evaluate morphological alterations in rat fetuses treated with fluoxetine and imipramine during the "critical" period of gestation.

Method: Fifteen female rats were separated into three groups (n = 5) and treated with 10 mg/kg/day of test substances on the ninth, tenth and eleventh day of pregnancy: G1, fluoxetine; G2, imipramine hydrochloride; G3 (control), saline. On day 21, cesarean sections were performed to release the fetuses, whose bodies were weighed and macroscopically analyzed.