Miconazole is an imidazole antifungal agent, commonly applied topically to the skin or mucous membranes. The aim of this study was to examine the alternative method for gaining mechanism or the bimolecular changes caused by the possible teratogenic effects of Miconazole on mice fetus brain tissue using FTIR-Microspectroscopy. The mice were injected with Miconazole (60 mg/Kg) on gestation day 9. Fetuses were dissected on day 15 of gestation and morphological and histological studies on the fetus were carried out. Sections (10 mm) of control and Miconazole treated fetus brain tissue were used for FTIR measurement in the mid- infrared region. The results were shown by spectra 2nd derivative and also subtracting from control spectra. A lower intensity in the lipid (2800-3000 cm-1) and amid I (1600-1800 cm-1) regions of Miconazole treated mice fetus brain tissue was observed compared to the control mice fetus brain tissue. No major spectral shifting was observed at amide I band, amide II band and nucleic acid regions. As a conclusion, FTIR-Microspectroscopy can be a useful tool for teratogenic measurement with a unique ability to identify the modified bimolecular structures in mice fetus tissues.

Researchers have found a big interest in biological application of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Evaluating many diseases, staging them and studying the chemical structures of different formed compounds in diseases are some of the research applications of FTIR. Cancer is also one of these diseases. Researchers are trying to set up FTIR methods to detect and diagnose cancer cells and follow up the treatment steps using FTIR. In this regard, cancer cells and tissues are under investigation. In order to study cancer cells in lab, it is important to find out the proper cell density on the disk, at the first step. In this regard, the effect of different densities and positioning of cancer cells on FTIR supporting disk are studied in the present project. At the first step calibration of the instrument is checked using bovine serum albumin (BSA). Cancer cells were collected from culture dishes and washed with normal saline, twice. Different concentrations of cells (10000-320000 cells/uL) were located on ZnSe disks and dried prior to spectroscopy. The samples were scanned in the mid-infrared range of 4000-400 cm-1, with the resolution of 2 cm-1. Each spectrum was collected by 100 sample scans. Microscopic images of the disk were also taken to find out the distribution of the cells on the disk. The results of this study showed that the right amount of cell number and positioning on the disk is a very important parameter in bio-spectroscopic quality for biological purposes.

Metronidazole is used to treat trichomoniasis, bacterial vaginosis, and other diseases. There are controversy aspects about its teratogenicity. A teratogenic agent can alter morphology or subsequent function of the fetus. The aim of this study was to examine an alternative method for the recognition of the mechanism or the bimolecular potential changes in mice fetus caused by Metronidazole using FTIR micro spectroscopy. The mice were injected with metronidazole (60 mg/Kg) on gestation day 9. Fetuses were dissected on day 15 of gestation and morphological and histological studies on the fetus were carried out. Serial sectioning (10 mm) of normal and metronidazole-treated brains and livers were used for FTIR measurement in the wave number region of 600- 3600 cm-1.The results showed that there were some variations between the fetus of normal and treated brain and liver. The band intensities in fetus brain and liver of test animals were reduced and shifted at 707 cm-1, 1155 cm-1, 1054 cm-1, 1256 cm-1 and 1219 cm-1, 1453 cm-1and 1525 cm-1, 1622 cm-1, 1645 cm-1 and 2944 cm-1, while the band intensities were increased and shifted at 879 cm-1, 810 cm-1, 1223 cm-1, 1256 cm-1 1360 cm-1, 1723 cm-1. It was concluded that most of variations in brain and liver of Metronidazole treated fetuses are in amid bands, nucleic acid and carbohydrate related bands. Based on these findings FTIR spectroscopy can be a useful tool for bio diagnostic.

Phenobarbital is a phenobarbiturate used as a sedative, anticonvulsant or hypnotic with the doses prescribed and can cause teratogenic effects. The goal of this study was to examine an alternative method for the recognition of the mechanism or the bimolecular potential changes in mice fetus caused by Phenobarbital using FTIR micro spectroscopy. The mice were injected with Phenobarbital (120 mg/Kg) on gestation day 9. Fetuses were dissected on day 15 of gestation and morphological and histological studies on the fetus were carried out. Sections (10 μ m) of normal and Phenobarbital treated fetus brains and livers were used for FTIR measurement in the wave number region of 400-4000 cm. The results were shown by 2 derivatization of spectra and also subtracting from control spectra. In liver, the intensity at 1054 cm, 1155 cm, 1353 cm, 1453cm, 1645 cm, 1622 cm, 2944 cm, 2913 cm and 2845 cm were shifted and increased. In the brain, the intensity at 879 cm, 911 cm, 955 cm, 1223 cm, 1256 cm, 1304 cm, 1360 cm, 1453 cm, 1529 cm, 1636 cm, 2845 cm, 2915 cm and 2950 cm were increased and shifted. The most important changes of the fetus brain tissue are on the β structure of proteins due to the amide I bands at 1636 cm, while extensive effects on the DNA structure were obvious for the Phenobarbital treated liver tissues. As a conclusion, FTIR spectroscopy might well be assumed as a potentially powerful teratogenic measurement instrument with a unique ability to identify the modified bimolecular structures.