Induction of supernumerary ribs with sodium salicylate

Although many chemical agents induce supernumerary ribs (SNR), few efforts have been published examining the induction of SNR in the presence or absence of maternal toxicity and the effect of dose on SNR length. A single administration of sodium salicylate on Day 9 of pregnancy at different dose levels (120, 180, 240, and 300 mg/kg) was used to induce SNR in the thoracolumbar region. At 180, 240, and 300 mg/kg, body weight loss was observed for dams following the administration, associated with reduced food consumption. The mean litter incidence of SNR in the control groups ranged between 0 and 17.1% and in the treated groups (from 180 to 300 mg/kg) between 50.5 and 88.6%. At 120 mg/kg, no adverse effects were noted in dams and the incidence of SNR was in the range of the control groups. Furthermore, in the three highest dose groups, increased incidences of 27 presacral vertebrae (PSV) were noted. In most instances, fetuses with 27 PSV had extra ribs whereas fetuses with 26 PSV tended to have rudimentary ribs. The distinction of SNR between rudimentary and extra ribs is usually based on a ratio of the length of 14th to 13th rib of 0.50. However, this value does not reflect the separation of the apparent bimodal distribution of SNR induced by sodium salicylate. A ratio of 0.35, which corresponds to the superior limit of the SNR of control fetuses, seemed to better define the two populations of SNR.