Effects of prenatal exposure to the environmental pollutant 2-bromopropane on embryo-fetal development in rats.
2-Bromopropane (2-BP), a halogenated propane analogue, is a substitute for chlorofluorocarbones. The present study was carried out to investigate the potential adverse effects of 2-BP on pregnant dams and embryo-fetal development after maternal exposure on gestational days (GD) 6 through 19 in Sprague-Dawley rats. The test chemical was administered subcutaneously to pregnant rats at dose levels of 0, 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg per day. All dams were subjected to caesarean section on GD 20 and their fetuses were examined for external, visceral and skeletal abnormalities. In the 1000 mg/kg group, maternal toxicity included an increase in the incidence of abnormal clinical signs, a suppression in the body weight and body weight gain, and a decrease in the food intake. Developmental toxicity included an increase in the fetal deaths, a decrease in the litter size, and a reduction in the fetal body weight. In addition, an increase in the incidence of fetal external, visceral, and skeletal abnormalities was seen. In the 500 mg/kg group, minimal developmental toxicity including decreased fetal body weight and increased fetal ossification delay was observed. There were no adverse effects on either pregnant dams or embryo-fetal development in the 250 mg/kg group. These findings suggest that a 14-day subcutaneous dose of 2-BP is embryotoxic and teratogenic at a maternally toxic dose (i.e., 1000 mg/kg per day) and is minimally embryotoxic at a nonmaternally toxic dose (i.e., 500 mg/kg per day) in Sprague-Dawley rats. In the present experimental conditions, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of 2-BP is considered to be 500 mg/kg per day for dams and 250 mg/kg per day for embryo-fetal development.
Kim
Jong-Choon
JC
Department of Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, South Korea. toxkim@chonnam.ac.kr
Kim
Sung-Ho
SH
Shin
Dong-Ho
DH
Ahn
Tae-Ho
TH
Kim
Hyoung-Chin
HC
Kim
Yun-Bae
YB
Jiang
Cheng-Zhe
CZ
Han
Junghee
J
Chung
Moon-Koo
MK
D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002585:Cesarean Section; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D012869:Skin Absorption
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; D009153:Mutagens; C103736:2-bromopropane