Testing of cigarette smoke inhalation for teratogenicity in rats

The effect of cigarette smoke inhalation on the developing rat embryo was studied. Female rats were exposed to smoke prior to and after mating at miximal tolerated doses. Male rats were ezposed to smoke to prior to mating to investigate the influence upon sperm. On the 21st day of gestation pregnant females of all groups were killed and implantations, litter sizes, foetal resorptions and abortion, foetal weight and length recorded: no significant differences were observed for these parameters between smoke-exposed and control animals. Total maternal wight gain during gestation was lower for smoke-exposed animals than for non-smoke-exposed animals. Examination of foetuses stained according to the method of Frohberg and Oettle resulted in normal variation in the skeletal development in smoke-exposed and control groups as well as in placebo groups. No skeletal malformations could be found.