[Teratogenic effects of acetazolamide in mouse embryos]

The observations gathered in mouse embryos collected 4, 24 and 48 hours after the administration of a teratogenic doses of acetazolamide to their pregnant mothers strongly suggest that the resulting postaxial defects in the anterior limbs can be the result of a selective perturbation of the inductive process responsible for the genesis of the apical ectodermal ridge, probably secondary to a transient acidosis. The vascular stasis provoked by the treatment provides an explanation for the selective localization of the injury in the forelimb buds and even for its preferential occurrence on the right side.