Effects in the mouse and rat of prenatal exposure to arsenic.
Initial experiments involving mouse development employed single IP injections of 45 mg/kg sodium arsenate on one of days 6-12 of gestation and produced a spectrum of developmental defects. Embryotoxicity was indicated by high prenatal mortality and decreased fetal weights. A chelating agent, 2,3-dimercaptopropanol (BAL), was then employed in an attempt to alleviate the adverse effects of prenatal arsenate. BAL was administered 4 hr before, concurrently with, or 4 hr after arsenate. All BAL treatments diminished arsenate-induced gross malformations and growth retardation; the concurrent treatment alleviated skeletal malformation. Injection of rats IP with arsenate has also been reported to result in teratogenicity, including renal agenesis. Further reports indicated that 40 mg/kg arsenate administered to mice by gavage on days 9-11 increased prenatal mortality, reduced fetal weights, and was associated with minor malformations. According to our recent work, however, single oral doses of arsenate must be around 120 mg/kg to cause prenatal toxicity. Multiple doses of 60 mg/kg on 3 days had little effect. Sodium arsenite has also been found to be fetotoxic and teratogenic. Such effects were seen at IP doses of 10-12 mg/kg.
D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced; D000818:Animals; D001151:Arsenic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004112:Dimercaprol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000209:etiology; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000139:chemically induced; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice / Q000196:embryology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats / Q000196:embryology; D013723:Teratogens; D013997:Time Factors
D013723:Teratogens; D004112:Dimercaprol; D001151:Arsenic