title: The problem of maternal toxicity in developmental toxicity studies.
abstract: Guidelines for developmental toxicity studies require that the highest dose(s) should induce some signs of maternal toxicity. However, the interpretation of the results is often difficult when developmentally toxic effects are recorded only at maternotoxic doses, as it is impossible to ascertain whether the developmental effects are maternally mediated or not. In order to avoid this source of misinterpretation we suggest to use in developmental toxicity tests for environmental chemicals the maximum dose unable to produce maternal toxic effects extrapolated by previous short term toxicity studies.
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Milano, Department of Biology, Via Celoria, 26 I-20133 Milano, Italy. erminio.giavini@unimi.it
authors.forename: Erminio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giavini
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Menegola
mesh_terms: D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations