A comparison of the in vivo and in vitro response of rat embryos to 5-fluorouracil.
This study serves to further define the capabilities of the whole embryo culture system using the well-known teratogen, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), an antineoplastic agent. An initial in vivo study was performed whereby pregnant rats were injected intraperitoneally with 10-30 mg/kg 5-FU on day 9 of gestation. On day 20 of gestation, the effects of this drug on the growth and development of embryos were evaluated. The number of externally malformed fetuses increased in a dose-related manner, and the most common defect was micro-/anophthalmos in fetuses of dams treated with 5-FU. Growth retardation was also noted in the 5-FU treated groups. An in vitro study was performed in which drug concentrations were varied (0.15-0.30 microg/ml). Externally abnormal embryos were observed in whole embryo culture system from embryonic day 9 to 11. The most common defect was hypoplastic optic vesicles. In the whole embryo culture system, crown-rump length, somite number, protein contents, and morphological score were decreased in a dose-dependent fashion. Finally, histological evaluation and observation of the pattern of cell death of the optic vesicle of 11-day-old embryos in in vivo and in vitro were performed. These parameters revealed no differences in response between in vivo and in vitro embryos treated with 5-FU, suggesting that the whole embryo culture system was an appropriate model for developmental toxicity studies of 5-FU.
Kuwagata
M
M
Laboratory of Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology, Hatano Research Institute, Food and Drug Safety Center, Hadano, Kanagawa, Japan.
Takashima
H
H
Nagao
T
T
D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced; D000818:Animals; D000853:Anophthalmos / Q000139:chemically induced; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000139:chemically induced; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000633:toxicity*; D005865:Gestational Age; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D005472:Fluorouracil