Safety assessment of the pyridoindole derivative SMe1EC2: developmental neurotoxicity study in rats

The present study deals with effect of prenatal and neonatal administration of the synthetic pyridoindole derivative SMe1EC2 (2-ethoxycarbonyl-8-methoxy-2,3,4,4a,5,9b-hexahydro-1H-pyrido-[4,3b] indolinium chloride) on postnatal and neurobehavioral development of the rat offspring. The substance tested was administered to pregnant rats orally in the doses 5, 50 and 250 mg/kg from day 15 of gestation to day 10 post partum (PP). From the day 4 PP, the postnatal development and neurobehavioral characteritics of offspring were evaluated. The following variables were observed: body weight, pinna detachment, incisor eruption, ear opening, eye opening, testes descent and vaginal opening, righting reflex, negative geotaxia, startle reflex, dynamic air righting and exploratory behavior in a new environment. No maternal death, abortion or dead fetuses occurred either in the control or SMe1EC2 groups. Dynamic righting reflex was delayed one day in the groups of animals treated via their mothers with 5 and 50 mg/kg SMe1EC2. The delay in the development of this reflex was only transient. On day 20 PP, all pups tested had a positive score of the reflex. Administration of SMe1EC2 did not reveal any significant changes in other variables of somatic growth and maturation, reflex and neuromotor development and exploratory behavior, either of young or adult animals of both genders, assessed by analysis of variance.