title: Effects of subcutaneously injected graded doses of all-trans retinoic acid and all-trans retinoyl beta-glucuronide on the outcome of pregnancy in Sprague-Dawley rats.
abstract: The effects of single subcutaneous injections (s.c.) of graded doses (20, 40, 80, 160, 320, and 480 mumol/kg body weight (BW) of all-trans retinoic acid (RA) and all-trans retinoyl beta-glucuronide (RAG) on day 8.5 of gestation on the outcome of pregnancy in Sprague-Dawley rats was studied. At dose levels of 20, 40, and 80 mumol/kg BW, neither RA nor RAG showed any adverse maternal or fetal effects. However, at dose levels of 160, 320, and 480 mumol/kg, RA was found to be much more toxic than RAG to both mother and fetus. Fetuses of animals receiving a 160 mumol/kg BW dose of RA were significantly reduced in weight and length, while animals receiving the same dose of RAG had fetuses of normal size. RA doses of 320 and 480 mumol/kg BW resulted in symptoms of maternal toxicity and even death. In contrast, RAG at these high levels produced no signs of maternal toxicity. RAG doses of 320 and 480 mumol/kg BW were also less toxic to fetuses. RA doses of 320 mumol/kg BW resulted in only 8% live births, while animals treated with an equivalent amount of RAG experienced 95% live births. Animals receiving a dose of 480 mumol/kg BW of RA had no live births, but similar doses of RAG resulted in 28% live births and pups of normal size.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ueltschy
authors.forename: Desiree B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Gunning
authors.forename: Arun B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Barua
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Olson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: C026787:retinoyl glucuronide; D014212:Tretinoin