[Effect of phenethyl isothiocyanate given at different duration of gestation on the outcome of pregnancy in rats]

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effect of phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) on fetal development and embryotoxicity in rats.

Methods: Acute oral toxicity was conducted by Horn method. PEITC suspended in Tween-80 water was administered orally once a day to pregnant rats in the gestation day 0 -6 (pre-implantation) and 7 - 16 (post-implantation) at the doses of 15, 60 and 120 mg/kg, respectively. On the gestation day 16 or 21, the number of live fetuses, reabsorbed fetuses and implanted sites were counted. The placental weights, fetal weights and organ weights were also recorded.

Results: The LD50 of PEITC for female rats was 1.47 g/kg. The maternial body weight gain and the number of implanted and live fetuses were decreased with the increase of PEITC dosage given during pre-implantation period. There was also a dose-dependent effect of PEITC given during post-implantation period on fetal weight/growth and placental weight. No toxicity on the organ weight of pregnant rats was observed.

Conclusion: Phenethyl isothiocyanate given at different duration of gestation exhibited some embryo-toxicity on pregnant rats, and the no observable adverse effect level was 15 mg/kg.