Dietary influences on morphine-induced analgesia in rats

Morphine-induced analgesia was examined using a tail-flick apparatus in 36 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were given ad lib access to Purina Chow alone (N = 9) or given a choice of Purina Chow and either a 0.15% saccharin solution (N = 9), a 32% sucrose solution (N = 9), or hydrogenated vegetable fat (Crisco) (N = 9). Analgesic testing was conducted immediately preceding and at 30, 60 and 90 minutes following intraperitoneal administration of morphine sulfate (0.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg). No differences in analgesic responsiveness were observed as a function of diet preceding morphine administration. However, dietary variables did alter morphine-induced analgesia. At 30 minutes following injections of the highest dose of morphine, animals fed saccharin, sucrose or Crisco had significantly longer tail-flick latencies than rats given only Purina Chow. Sixty minutes following injections, rats fed Crisco continued to display a significantly longer tail-flick latency than rats fed only Chow. These data demonstrate that palatable substances can enhance the analgesic properties of exogenous opioids.     

Effects of pectin-containing diets on the hepatic macromolecular covalent binding of 2,6-dinitro-[3H]toluene in Fischer-344 rats

The influence of diets varying in pectin content on intestinal microfloral metabolic capacity of rats has been investigated as a possible mechanism for the alteration of toxicity of 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT) produced by these diets. Male F-344 rats were fed a purified diet (AIN-76A), AIN-76A plus 5% or 10% citrus pectin, or either of two cereal-based diets that vary in pectin content, NIH-07 or Purina Chow 5002. After 28 days, rats were given tritium-labeled 2,6-DNT (10 or 75 mg/kg po) and killed 12 hr later. Total hepatic macromolecular covalent binding (CVB) was determined by exhaustive extraction. The CVB of 2,6-DNT was found to be independent of diet at 10 mg/kg. However, at 75 mg/kg CVB was increased 40% by feeding 5% pectin in the purified diet and 90% by feeding 10% pectin in the purified diet. Animals fed Purina 5002 and NIH-07 had 135 and 150% higher CVB, respectively, than animals fed the purified diet alone and significantly greater CVB than animals fed the pectin supplemented diets. Elevated (two- to threefold) β-glucuronidase and nitroreductase activities, microfloral enzymes proposed to be involved in the activation of 2,6-DNT to a toxicant, were found in the cecal contents of animals fed the pectincontaining diets which correlated with a two- to threefold increase in total number of cecal anaerobes. These results suggest that pectin-induced changes in microflora may enhance hepatoxicity after high doses of 2,6-DNT.     

Potentiation of the teratogenic effects and altered disposition of diphenylhydantoin in mice fed a purified diet

The effect of a standardized purified diet (AIN-76) on the teratogenic response to diphenylhydantoin (DPH) was studied in mice. Mice were fed either the purified diet or Purina Rodent Laboratory Chow for 2-4 weeks prior to mating, and were treated with either saline or 50 mg/kg of DPH on Days 12, 13, and 14 of gestation (copulatory plug = Day 0). The teratogenic response to DPH was found to be markedly potentiated in mice fed the purified diet (75% cleft palate) as compared to mice fed rodent chow (21% cleft palate). The potentiated teratogenic response to DPH correlated with markedly higher plasma DPH levels in pregnant mice fed the purified diet, indicating that the disposition of DPH was impaired. These effects were attributed to a decreased basal level of drug-metabolizing enzymes in mice fed the purified diet, as indicated by markedly prolonged hexobarbital sleeping times. Modifications of the purified diet, which included the replacement of soluble carbohydrate (50% sucrose) in the purified diet with either cornstarch or casein, did not alter the high incidence of cleft palate. A reduction in the incidence of cleft palate was observed, however, when corn oil in the purified diet was replaced with linseed oil. The replacement of corn oil with linseed oil in the purified diet also restored the hexobarbital sleeping times to those observed in mice fed rodent chow. It is concluded that mice fed purified diets have decreased basal levels of drug-metabolizing activity that alter the disposition of DPH and, as a consequence, potentiate its teratogenic effects.     

Elimination of PBBs in rats. Effect of mineral oil and/or feed restriction.

Rats were fed polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) at 0.1 to 100.0 ppm for 14 d and then treated to hasten the removal of PBBs with 0, 5, or 10% mineral oil (MO) and/or 0, 15, 30, or 45% feed restriction (FR) for 21 d. PBB body burdens were determined at d 14 and expressed on a log-log basis by Y = 0.91X + 2.179 (r2 = 0.974), where X = log of PBB concentration in diet (ppm) and Y = log of PBB body burden (micrograms). After 21 d withdrawal, body burdens were expressed by the equation Y = 0.787X + 2.218 (r2 = 0.95). The most effective withdrawal treatment was 10% MO + 45% FR producing a reduction of body burdens inversely related to prior body burdens (69% at 0.1 ppm to 23% at 100 ppm). Body weights and fat content were significantly (p less than or equal to .05) reduced by feed restriction, with fat content only 39% of controls at 21 d off. Mortality averaged 0, 13.6, and 35.8% for rats fed 0, 5, or 10% MO, and 25, 15, 8.6, and 3.7% for rats feed restricted at 0, 15, 30, and 45%, respectively. Histopathology of the dead and moribund rats indicated that the clinical signs were not characteristic of PBB toxicity. In a second experiment, safflower oil at 3.5% or excess vitamins prevented the mortality and clinical signs associated with MO during withdrawal from 100 ppm PBBs. Based on these data and those in the literature, PBBs interfere with vitamin utilization.     

Quantification of nuclear pores in tumor promoter-induced hepatic nodules in rats: a freeze-fracture study

Twelve-week-old outbred female Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 190-210 g were partially hepatectomized and given diethylnitrosamine intraperitoneally (10 mg/kg) 24 h later. Thirty days later, rats were fed a diet containing tumor-promoting doses of two polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) congeners for 140 d. Rats were then maintained on diets free of PBBs until d 480, at which time they were killed and necropsied. Sections of liver containing hepatic nodules as well as nonnodular sections of liver were freeze-fractured and examined with transmission electron microscopy to quantify nuclear pores. Numbers of nuclear pores per square micrometer in sections of hepatic nodules were not significantly different from those in nonnodular liver. It is concluded that there are minimal quantitative differences in the numbers of nuclear pores in PBB-induced hepatic nodules when compared to nonnodular hepatic tissue from the same animal.     

Studies on the use of activated charcoal and cholestyramine for reducing the body burden of polybrominated biphenyls

Weanling male rats were exposed to a polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) mixture (Firemaster FF-1) in their diet so that they received 1 mg/kg/day for 6 months. They were then fed a normal diet for 4 months. Following this they were placed on diets containing either activated charcoal (AC) or cholestyramine (CSA) for 6 months to evaluate the usefulness of these compounds in reducing the body burdens of the retained PBBs. Periods of restricted caloric intake were also used in an effort to mobilize PBBs stored in fat. Neither compound nor restricted caloric intake was found to be effective in reducing tissue bromine levels but CSA proved useful in preventing the progression of chronic progressive nephropathy, a spontaneous lesion of aging rats.     

Procedures to enhance withdrawal of xenobiotics from chickens

Egg- and meat-type chickens were fed diets containing 1 or 10 ppm of fireMaster (FF-1), a commercial mixture of polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), predominantly 2,4,5,2',4',5'-hexabromobiphenyl (6BB-4) and 2,3,4,5,2',4',5'-heptabromobiphenyl (7BB-8). These congeners account for approximately 65 and 14%, respectively, of the total mix. In three experiments, colestipol hydrochloride, a bile acid-binding resin, and mineral oil, alone or in combination with restricted feeding, were examined as procedures to enhance the removal of the PBBs. The combination of 50% dietary restriction plus a 10% dietary concentration of colestipol or mineral oil reduced body burdens of PBBs about 70% within 21 d for chickens previously fed 10 ppm PBBs. The use of feed restriction, colestipol, or mineral oil produced only borderline effects for hastening withdrawal. Chickens not treated showed only a 3% loss of PBBs during the withdrawal period. Colestipol at 2.5% in the diet in combination with feed restriction was not consistently effective in removing body burdens of PBB from chickens previously fed 1 or 10 ppm PBBs, indicating a dose-response effect. Chickens previously fed 1 ppm eliminated up to 40% of the PBBs in 21 d without any treatment, as compared to the 3% loss occurring after feeding with 10-ppm concentrations.     

Stunted growth, increased mortality, and liver tumors in offspring of polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) dosed sherman rats

Firemaster FF-1, a polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) mixture, was dissolved in corn oil and given as a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight to Sherman rats on d 7 and 14 of pregnancy. Control rats received equivalent doses of corn oil alone. Selected pups and all dams were killed 1 mo after pups were weaned. A total of 50 male and 50 female offspring per group were followed until they were 2 yr old. The livers of offspring killed at the ages of 2 mo and 2 yr had PBB levels of 2,4 (SD 1.2) and 0.8 (SD 0.65) mg/kg for females and 3.0 (SD 1.6) and 0.6 (SD 0.37) mg/kg for males, respectively. The incidence of hepatocellular carcinomas was 3/51 (5.9%) and 4/41 (9.6%) after 2 yr in females and males, respectively. Hepatocellular carcinomas were not observed among the controls. Neoplastic (hyperplastic) nodules of the liver were present in 9/51 (17.6%) and 2/41 (4.9%) of exposed females and males, respectively, whereas only 2/48 (4.2%) of control females and no control males had neoplastic (hyperplastic) nodules. Body weights were lower in PBB-exposed rats at ages 1, 6, 12, and 24 mo. Survival rates from birth to weaning were lower in PBB-exposed pups (89%) than in controls (98%). Mortality was two times higher in PBB-exposed males (64%) than in control males (32%) after 2 yr. Transplacental PBB exposure and exposure through milk resulted in PBB body burdens in the offspring still measurable at the end of their lifespan. These offspring had increased mortality rates and lower body weights than controls, and they developed hepatocellular carcinomas.     

Effects of dietary fat on pain threshold, thermoregulation and motor activity in rats

Groups of young male Sprague-Dawley (albino) or Long-Evans (hooded) rats were fed the same semi-purified diets containing 20% (w/w) fat in the form of soybean oil vs. lard, or a reference diet of standard Purina Chow (4.5% mixed fats) for 21 days. Behavioral testing after this time revealed that albino rats fed the diet containing soybean oil had increased paw-lick latencies on a 58 degrees C hot plate compared to chow-fed rats. In addition, both strains fed the diet containing soybean oil were protected from hypothermia induced by placing animals in a 4 degrees C cold room for 60 min following systemic injection of 10-15 mg/kg d-amphetamine. Rats of both strains fed the lard diet displayed paw-lick latencies similar to those shown by rats fed chow and hypothermic changes intermediary to those shown by rats fed soybean oil vs. chow diets. Horizontal crossings as well as rearings in a 15 min test of open field activity were the same for all diet groups within strains. No substantial differences were observed in the number of calories consumed, amount of body weight gained or basal colonic temperatures across diet conditions. The results suggest that a soybean oil-based diet can alter physiological mechanisms which mediate these indices of pain perception and thermoregulation. More generally, they indicate that qualitative changes in dietary fat content may be capable of altering certain behavioral states.     

Effects of dietary fat and aflatoxin B1 on microsomal monooxygenase activity

An acute experiment was conducted to determine the short-term effect of an LD₅₀ dose of AFB₁ on rats fed a diet containing either 30% corn oil (unsaturated) or 28% beef fat (saturated) for 3 weeks. The male weanling Wistar rats weighing 50–65 g were fed the respective dietary fats for 2 weeks and then given a single dose of AFB₁ (7 mg/kg body weight) dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide by gastric intubation. One week later they were sacrificed and assays for p-nitroanisole demethylase and benzpyrene hydroxylase were performed on liver microsomes to determine the activity associated with the two types of dietary fat. The rats fed corn oil or unsaturated fat had lower total liver fat and a lower mortality rate than those fed beef fat. The basal levels of liver microsomal oxidase activity were higher in rats fed the corn oil diet than in those given the beef fat diet.Dedicated to Professor Dr. med. Herbert Remmer on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Increased carbohydrate consumption by rats as a function of 2-deoxy-D-glucose administration

Dietary self-selection was examined following the administration of the glucoprivic agent, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), in adult male rats given access to separate sources of the three macronutrients, protein, fat and carbohydrate. All animals received injections (IP) of saline, 250, 500 and 750 mg/kg 2-DG with nutrient intakes measured at 2, 4, 6 and 24 hrs following injections. Animals consumed significantly more carbohydrate at 4, 6 and 24 hrs after injections of 500 and 750 mg/kg 2-DG than after saline injections. In contrast, fat intake was significantly suppressed by all three doses of 2-DG at 2 hr, by 250 and 750 mg/kg 2-DG at 4 and 6 hrs, and by 750 mg/kg 2-DG at 24 hr after injections. Protein intake was significantly decreased by all three doses of 2-DG at 2 hr after injections. As a result of the increase in carbohydrate intake and complimentary decrease in fat intake following 2-DG injections, total caloric intake of animals given the self-selection regime was not modified as a function of drug administration. In comparison, rats given a single nutritionally complete diet (ground Purina Laboratory Chow) consumed significantly more calories following 2-DG administration than following saline injections. The ability of animals to make appropriate modifications in nutrient selection following regulatory challenges is discussed.     

Effect of oral dosing vehicles on the acute hepatotoxicity of carbon tetrachloride in rats

Although carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is of concern as a drinking water contaminant, it has been necessary in most oral toxicity studies to give CCl4 in an oil vehicle due to its limited water solubility. The primary objective of our study was to assess the influence of dosing vehicles on the acute hepatotoxicity of CCl4. Fasted 200- to 230-g rats were generally found to be more susceptible to CCl4 hepatotoxicity than fasted 300- to 330-g rats. A time-course study revealed that corn oil did not delay the onset or time of maximal liver injury by an oral 100 mg/kg dose of CCl4, but did reduce the extent of injury relative to that when the chemical was given undiluted or as an aqueous emulsion. Fasted 200- to 230-g male Sprague-Dawley rats were given 0, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, or 1000 mg CCl4/kg body wt by gavage: in corn oil; as an aqueous emulsion; as the undiluted chemical; and in the 10 and 25 mg/kg doses only, in water. Blood and liver samples were taken 24 hr after dosing for measurement of serum and microsomal enzymes. Pathological examination of liver samples was also conducted. Dose-dependent increases in serum enzyme levels and pathological changes and dose-dependent decreases in microsomal P450 and glucose-6-phosphatase activity were observed in each vehicle group. Both the 10 and 25 mg/kg oral doses of CCl4 in water caused significant elevations in serum enzymes and hepatic centrolobular vacuolation. The study revealed that acute hepatotoxicity was less pronounced at each dosage level in rats given CCl4 in corn oil than in other vehicle groups. These findings demonstrate that dosing vehicles can significantly influence the acute hepatotoxicity of CCl4 in rats and are a cause for additional consideration and review of the practice of routinely using vegetable oils as a diluent in studies of volatile organic compound (VOC) toxicity. The use of aqueous Emulphor emulsions appears more appropriate in acute toxicity studies of VOC drinking water contaminants such as CCl4, in that the emulsion did not substantially alter the toxicity of CCl4 from that of undiluted CCl4 or CCl4 ingested in water.     

Behavioral effects of drugs as a function of maternal polybrominated biphenyl body burden

Prior to breeding, female rats were dosed orally for 20 days with either 0.5 mg/kg polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), 5.0 mg/kg PBB, or the lecithin liposome vehicle. Male offspring of these 3 treatment groups did not differ with respect to the learning of an operant discrimination task. However, administration of phenobarbital or d-amphetamine impaired the behavior of the offspring of low-dose PBB dams less than that of the offspring of controls. The behavioral effects of the drugs were generally inversely related to levels of liver PBB and activities of liver aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH).     

Short-term oral administration of polybrominated biphenyls enhances the development of hepatic enzyme-altered foci in initiated rats

FireMaster BP-6 (FM), a commercial mixture of polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), has been shown to act as a tumor promoter in hepatocarcinogenesis assays in rats. Most hepatic tumor promoters must be administered for many weeks or months. Because FM is highly persistent in animal tissues, it was hypothesized that very short-term administration of FM would result in tumor promotion. Female Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 185-215 g were initiated by a two-thirds partial hepatectomy followed by 10 mg diethylnitrosamine/kg body weight (BW) 24 h later. Thirty days later, rats were gavaged with FM in corn oil, at total doses of 0, 13, or 130 mg FM/kg BW. Half the dose was given on d 30, and the remaining half was given 24 h later. At 120 d after gavage the rats were killed and necropsied. Five liver sections from each animal were histochemically stained for gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-positive enzyme-altered foci (EAF). EAF were significantly increased over control values in initiated rats given 130 mg FM/kg. In animals given 13 mg FM/kg, EAF were increased to a lesser extent but not significantly above controls. Enhancement of these EAF in initiated rats reflects tumor-promoting activity. In this study, 24-h administration of FM in initiated rats was sufficient to enhance hepatic EAF measured 120 d later in an rats was sufficient to enhance hepatic EAF measured 120 d later in an initiation-promotion protocol, and a dose of 13 mg FM/kg was apparently close to a possible no-effect threshold level for enhancement of EAF.     

Effect of pretreatment with some mixed-function oxidase enzyme inducers on the acute hepatotoxicity of coumarin in the rat

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with saline, corn oil, sodium phenobarbitone (PB) (100 mg/kg body weight/day), 20-methylcholanthrene (20 MC) (20 mg/kg body weight/day) or Aroclor 1254 (ARO) (100 mg/kg body weight/day) by daily ip injections for 5 days. Animals were then given single oral doses of either 250 or 500 mg coumarin/kg body weight and hepatotoxicity was assessed after 24 hr. Coumarin produced hepatotoxicity, which comprised hepatocyte necrosis and elevation of plasma alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities, in all pretreated groups. Hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 levels were reduced after coumarin administration. In rats pretreated with saline, corn oil or PB, coumarin produced centrilobular hepatic necrosis, whereas in rats pretreated with 20 MC or ARO, coumarin produced periportal hepatic necrosis. These results demonstrate that mixed-function oxidase enzyme inducers can modulate acute coumarin-induced hepatotoxicity in the rat. As coumarin is known to be bioactivated by cytochrome P-450-dependent enzymes, the change in the lobular distribution of toxicity after pretreatment with 20 MC or ARO is presumably due to the induction of particular cytochrome P-450 isoenzymes in periportal hepatocytes.     

The effect of dietary lipids and antioxidants on the activity of epoxide hydratase in the rat liver and intestine

The effect of varying the fatty acid composition of the lipid components of the diet on the activity of epoxide hydratase in the rat liver and intestinal mucosa has been studied. Feeding a 10% cod liver oil diet (containing 18% C20:5 and 11% C22:6) resulted in a 3-fold increase in epoxide hydratase activity in the liver and a 1.6-fold increase in the intestine compared to rats fed a fat-free diet. The activity of epoxide hydratase in rats fed a cod liver oil diet was significantly greater than that for the group fed a lard diet (containing mainly saturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids) containing the same quantity of vitamin E. Thus, the enhancing effect of the cod liver oil diet was due to the polyunsaturated fatty acids in this oil. Dietary corn oil (58% C18:2) also stimulated epoxide hydratase activity in the liver but not in the intestine. Vitamin E levels of up to 500 mg/kg diet were ineffective at inducing epoxide hydratase activity in both the liver and intestine. Significant changes in the fatty acid composition of hepatic and intestinal microsomes took place when rats were fed diets of different fatty acid composition. These changes were such that the proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the microsomal fractions reflected the amounts of these fatty acids in the dietary fat. Hepatic epoxide hydratase activity was found to be positively correlated to the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the microsomal fractions of the liver.     

Hepatic changes in rats following subchronic administration of FYROL 6, an organophosphorus ester flame retardant

This study conducted to evaluate the subchronic toxicity of FYROL 6 [diethyl N,N-bis-(2-hydroxyethyl)aminomethylphosphonate] in rats demonstrated an hepatic effect not commonly reported for related compounds. Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes were gavaged daily with 0, 10, 100, or 500 mg/kg FYROL 6 in corn oil for 13 wk. No treatment-related mortality and few signs of toxicity were noted during the study. Fyrol 6 did not inhibit plasma, erythrocyte, or brain cholinesterase activities. Treatment-related necropsy and microscopic alterations were restricted to the liver. Increased liver weights, hepatocellular hypertrophy, and eosinophilia of centrilobular hepatocytes were evident in 100-mg/kg females and in both sexes at 500 mg/kg. Morphometric analysis revealed a 40% increase in cross-sectional area of individual hepatocytes in 500-mg/kg males, compared to controls. There was no morphologic evidence of hepatic necrosis or clinical evidence of liver dysfunction. This study demonstrated low toxicity for FYROL 6 and treatment-related changes restricted to the liver suggestive of an adaptive response to FYROL 6.     

Biochemical and pathological changes in the heart and liver of rats given brominated cottonseed oil

Groups of young male rats were given daily po doses of brominated cottonseed oil (BCO) for 3 days. Control animals were given corn or cottonseed oil. The heart and liver were then removed and homogenized, and the ability of the homogenates to metabolize pyruvate and palmitate was studied. The capacity of the heart and liver of rats given 400 or 1000 mg BCO/kg for 3 days to metabolize pyruvate was similar to controls. The liver but not the heart of rats given 2500 mg/kg for 3 days had a reduced capacity to decarboxylate pyruvate. The heart but not the liver of rats given 400–2500 mg/kg showed a dose-dependent reduction in palmitate utilization. The reduction in palmitate utilization was accompanied by a morphologically apparent accumulation of lipid in the heart muscle. Additional studies indicated that the reduction in cardiac palmitate utilization could be overcome by the addition of ATP, dl-carnitine, and CoA to the medium.     

Metabolic effects of acarbose administration in normal and diabetic rats

The effect of acarbose on cardiac and hepatic metabolism was investigated in normal and diabetic rats. Groups of rats were fed one of the three following diets for 7 days: (1) ground Purina chow, (2) ground Purina chow fortified with raw corn starch and sucrose, and (3) the above high carbohydrate diet, with added acarbose (40 mg/100 g food). At the end of the dietary period the rats were decapitated, and a sample of liver tissue was removed and frozen in liquid nitrogen. The heart was extirpated for subsequent perfusion by the Langendorff technique. Increases in liver and heart glycogen produced by the high carbohydrate diet in the normal rats were prevented completely when acarbose was incorporated into the food. In diabetic animals, liver glycogen was uniformly lower than normal, irrespective of the diet or the presence of acarbose. With animals fed the control diet, cardiac glycogen was higher in diabetic than in normal rats. The high carbohydrate diet caused a lowering of heart glycogen in diabetic rats and this reduction in glycogen content was reversed by including acarbose in the diet. Effects of isoproterenol on myocardial phosphorylase a activity were determined in hearts from normal and diabetic rats given one of the three diets. The high carbohydrate diet decreased the enzymatic response to the catecholamine in hearts from both normal and diabetic animals, and this phenomenon was prevented by the presence of acarbose in the diet. In diabetic rats fed any of the three diets, the activation of cardiac phosphorylase by isoproterenol was greatly accentuated. Measurements of heart uridine kinase showed that the activity of this enzyme was lower than normal in hearts from diabetic rats given either the control or the high carbohydrate diet. The presence of acarbose in the latter diet resulted in a significant decrease in cardiac uridine kinase activity in hearts from normal rats. The results of this study demonstrate the effectiveness of acarbose in modulating tissue metabolism in normal and diabetic animals.     

Phenylsilsesquioxane fluid: developmental toxicity studies in rats and rabbits following oral administration

Phenylsilsesquioxane fluid (PSF) is used widely in the personal care industry and is a common component of skin and oral care products. The potential developmental toxicity of PSF was evaluated in rats and rabbits. Groups of 25 sperm-positive Sprague-Dawley rats (Taconic Farms) and 15 sperm-positive New Zealand White rabbits (HRP) were administered dose levels of 50, 500, or 1000 mg/kg PSF in corn oil. Vehicle control groups of equal size were administered corn oil alone. Rats were dosed daily (5 ml/kg) on gestation d 6-15 and sacrificed on gestation d 20, while rabbits were dosed daily (1.5 ml/kg) on gestation d 6-18 and sacrificed on gestation d 29. The fetuses were removed by cesarean section and examined for gross external, visceral, cephalic, and skeletal anomalies. No treatment-related clinical signs of toxicity were observed. No marked effects upon maternal food consumption, body weight, body weight gain, or uterus or liver weight were detected. Fetal viability and body weight, as well as developmental endpoints, were unaffected by treatment. Accordingly, exposure of pregnant rats or rabbits to 50, 500, or 1000 mg/kg of PSF during the period of major organogenesis did not result in any biologically significant adverse or teratogenic effects in the dams or fetuses.