title: The toxicology of chemical interactions during pregnancy in the mouse: caffeine and phenytoin.
abstract: The toxic interaction of caffeine and phenytoin during pregnancy was investigated in mice of the ICR strain on E10 of gestation. Caffeine, over a range of dosages, showed limited embryotoxic activity. Phenytoin was also weakly teratogenic and dosages needed to elicit embryotoxicity were accompanied by a significant increase in maternal lethality. Pretreatment with caffeine enhanced phenytoin-induced toxicity and teratogenicity and these observations confirm that caffeine has the ability to function as a co-teratogen. Pretreatment with phenytoin produced a significant increase in maternal lethality following caffeine administration but no co-teratogenic effect. It is suggested that these results are the consequence of a yet undefined interaction at critical receptor sites in the maternal-embryo unit.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002110:Caffeine / Q000633:toxicity*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000139:chemically induced; D005327:Fetal Resorption / Q000139:chemically induced; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013723:Teratogens
chemical_list: D013723:Teratogens; D002110:Caffeine; D010672:Phenytoin