Effect of Maternal Administration of Dimethyl Sulfoxide on the Development of Rat Fetuses

Abstract

Subcutaneous injection of 31 Sprague-Dawley rats with 10.25 g DMSO/kg body weight/day on Day 8, Days 8 and 9, or Days 8, 9 and 10 of gestation did not significantly influence the body weight gain of the mothers during pregnancy or of the live young obtained on Day 19. A significant decrease in the average number of fetuses per litter and a corresponding increase in the number of resorptions was obtained from mothers given 3 injections of DMSO. With the exception of 2 slight umbilical hernias in the middle dose group, no gross or skeletal malformations were obtained among the 338 live fetuses recovered from the mothers that received DMSO.