Teratogenic effects of insulin: An experimental study on developing chick embryo

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to observe the effect of insulin on chick embryos with reference to their growth and developmental defects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An experimental study was performed to assess any abnormal growth pattern caused by insulin. For this, two batches of 100 fertilized eggs were utilized. One batch of 50 was used as a control group and other as an experimental group. Insulin (2 IU) was injected on day 2 of incubation. Chicken eggs were dissected out on day 19 of incubation and were carefully observed for any congenital abnormalities. The embryos thus dissected out were subjected to measurement of crown-rump length (CRL), changes in weight of egg, volume of embryos were compared in two groups. The embryos were also examined for any congenital anomalies. RESULTS: No major malformations were observed. Decrease in weight and CRLs was lower in the experimental group as compared to their control counterparts. Values for volume of the embryo were similar in two groups. CONCLUSION: No obvious teratogenic effects are observed with insulin in the dose use for the study.