Beta-adrenergic blockade via atenolol negatively affects body and heart mass and renal morphology in the developing chicken (Gallus Gallus Domesticus).

Atenolol is a widely prescribed β-cardioselective blocker. We studied atenolol effects on cardiac and renal development in day 18 (D18) chicken embryos. Embryos were dosed with atenolol (3 μg atenolol/g estimated embryo mass) for three days during one of the mesonephric kidney stage (D7-D9), mesonephric-metanephric stage (D11-D13), or metanephric stage (D15-D17), and then sampled on D18.