Teratogenic assessment of carbadox in rats

Abstract Carbadox was administered by gavage once daily to pregnant rats at doses of 0 (control), 10, 25, 50 or 100 mg/kg on days 8 through 15 of pregnancy. The dams were killed on day 21 and the number of implantation sites, resorptions and live fetuses were counted. A significant dose-related decrease in maternal body weight gains during treatment (days 8 through 15 of pregnancy) occurred at doses of 10 mg/kg and above. There was a dose-related decrease in fetal body weights which was statistically significant at 25 mg/kg and above. This compound showed not only embryolethal but teratogenic effect. Resorption rates were 81.8% at 100 mg/kg, occurring complete resorptions in five dams, compared with 3.4% resorption rate in the control. In fetal examinations, a significant increase in the incidence of external, skeletal and internal malformations occurred at 100 mg/kg, where the surviving fetuses born to dams with 40–93% resorptions had any malformations, short tail; kinky tail; brachygnathia or ectrodactyly.