The cytostatic agent hydroxyurea (HU) has proven to be beneficial for a variety of conditions\nin the disciplines of oncology, hematology, infectious disease and dermatology. It disrupts the S phase\nof the cell cycle by inhibiting the ribonucleotide reductase enzyme, thus blocking the transformation\nof ribonucleotides into deoxyribonucleotides, a rate limiting step in DNA synthesis. HU is listed as an\nessential medicine by the World Health Organization. Several studies have indicated that HU is well\ntolerated and safe in pregnant women and very young pediatric patients. To our knowledge, only a\nfew controlled studies on the adverse effects of HU therapy have been done in humans. Despite this,\nthe prevalence of central nervous system abnormalities, including ischemic lesions and stenosis have\nbeen reported. This review will summarize and present the effects of HU exposure on the prenatal\nand perinatal development of the rat cerebellar cortex and deep cerebellar nuclei neurons. Our results\ncall for the necessity to better understand HU effects and define the administration of this drug to\ngestating women and young pediatric patients.
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