Neonatal toxicity in rats following in utero exposure to chlorphentermine or phentermine.

Abstract

The administration of chlorphentermine (30 mg/kg) to pregnant rats during the last 5 days of gestation resulted in the development of a phospholipidosis in the lungs of the dams. The disorder developed in utero, as the phospholipidosis was evident in the lungs of the neonates when examined at 12 h postpartum. In contrast, a phospholipidosis was not observed in the lungs of the dams or neonates following phentermine treatment (30 mg/kg). Concurrently, neonates of the chlorphentermine-treated dams displayed a significant decrease in body weight in comparison to controls. Between 16 h and 24 h postpartum, 83% of the neonates of chlorphentermine-treated dams died. Cross-fostering and starvation experiments revealed that the lethality was not due to aberrant maternal behavior by the chlorphentermine-treated dams or malnutrition of the neonates. Histological examinations revealed endothelial and septal alterations in the lungs of neonates from chlorphentermine-treated dams. No signs of toxicity, as evidenced by the maintenance of body weight, or lethality were observed in the neonates of the phentermine-treated dams.

• Authors: D Thoma-Laurie, E R Walker, M J Reasor
• Journal: Toxicology (Toxicology) Vol. 24 Issue 1 Pg. 85-94 ( 1982) ISSN: 0300-483X [Print] Ireland
• PMID: 7135406 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Phospholipids
• Phentermine
• Chlorphentermine

Topics

• Animals
• Animals, Newborn (physiology)
• Body Weight (drug effects)
• Chlorphentermine (toxicity)
• Female
• Lung (pathology)
• Lung Diseases (chemically induced, metabolism)
• Maternal-Fetal Exchange
• Phentermine (analogs & derivatives, toxicity)
• Phospholipids (metabolism)
• Pregnancy
• Rats
• Starvation (physiopathology)