title: Role of structure in diphenyl ether teratogenesis.
abstract: The fetotoxicity of nitrofen and 5 analogous diphenyl ethers was compared in mice, using survival on postnatal day 5 to evaluate prenatal and perinatal toxicity. The effect of each chemical on the Harderian gland weight of surviving pups was also assessed, since decreased Harderian gland weight is seen in nitrofen-exposed pups at levels of treatment that do not cause mortality. All treatments were percutaneous. 2,4,5-Trichlorophenyl 4'-nitrophenyl ether was significantly more fetotoxic than nitrofen, but 2,4,6-trichlorophenyl 4'-nitrophenyl ether (CNP) was not fetotoxic at the doses used. Neither of the 2 monochlorinated 4'-nitrophenyl ethers nor the unchlorinated 4'-nitrophenyl ether were fetotoxic at the doses tested. Absent Harderian glands resulted only from exposure to nitrofen (71% of litters) or to 2,4,5-trichlorophenyl 4'-nitrophenyl ether (22% of litters), which were also the only compounds to decrease Harderian gland weight significantly.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D009153:Mutagens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010647:Phenyl Ethers / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens; D010647:Phenyl Ethers; C010422:2,4,6-trichlorophenyl 4-nitrophenyl ether; C031538:phenyl ether; C007350:nitrofen