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Teratogenicity and Embryotoxicity of Orally Administered Fenchlorphos in Blue Foxes

Teratogenitet og embryotoksisitet av fenklorfos etter oral administra-sjon til blårev

Abstract

Pregnant blue foxes (Alopex lagopus) were administered fenchlorphos (0-0-dimethyl-0-(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl) phos-phorothioate) orally at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day in different periods of gestation. The dose chosen represents the therapeutic dose for the treatment of parasitic lesions. At term the mean number of whelps were recorded, and they were killed and examined for external, visceral and skeletal malformations. Of 19 medicated vixens the mean number of live whelps at term was 1.2 per vixen versus 9.5 in the control group. There was an evident predominance of males in the medicated groups. Several malformations of the head were registered, among them incomplete ossification of the skull bones, cleft palate, hydrocephalus internus and externus. Minor malformations like extra ribs or missing ribs occurred in the medicated groups. Congenital alopecia, hypoplastic kidneys, and hydronephrosis were observed in all the whelps in 1 medicated group. No significant difference in total brain weight, cerebellum weight or the cerebellum-to-total-brain weight was observed.

Histological examination of the cerebellum showed a narrowing or absence of the granular and the molecular layers of the cortical zone.

Sammendrag

Fenklorfos (0-0-dimetyl-0- (2,4,5-triklorof enyl) f osf orothioat), 100 mg/kg/dag, ble administrert oralt til drektige blårever (Alopex lago-pus) i ulike deler av drektighetsperioden. Doseringen som ble valgt. representerer den terapeutiske dose ved behandling av Sarcoptes skabb hos blårev. Ved fødsel ble antall valper registrert, avlivet og undersøkt for eventuelle misdannelser. Av 19 rever i forsøksgruppene ble det født gjennonisnitlig 1,2 valper pr. dyr. Tilsvarende tall i kon-trollgruppa var 9,5 valper. Det var en signifikant overvekt av hann-valper i forsøksgruppene. Misdannelser og defekter i form av ufull-stendig ossifikasjon av hodeknoklene, ganespalte, hydrocephalus internus og hydrocephalus eksternus ble registrert hos forsøksdyrene. Ulike mindre defekter som overtallige/undertallige ribben ble obser-vert i forsøksgruppene. Kongenital alopeci, hypoplastiske nyrer og hydronefrose ble registrert hos alle valpene i en forsøksgruppe. Ingen signifikant forskjell mellom gruppene ble registrert med hensyn til vekten av hjernen, cerebellum eller forholdet mellom cerebellum- og hjernevekt. Histologiske undersøkelser viste hypoplasi av granular-og molekularlaget i lillehjernebarken.

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This work was supported by grants from the Norwegian Agricultural Research Council and The Norwegian Furbreederes Association.

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Berge, G.N., Nafstad, I. Teratogenicity and Embryotoxicity of Orally Administered Fenchlorphos in Blue Foxes. Acta Vet Scand 24, 99–112 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03546761

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