Teratological study of etoperidone in the rat and rabbit

Etoperidone was administered to pregnant rats and rabbits during the period of organogenesis. The oral doses were 100 and 300 mg/kg in the rat and 5, 25 and 50 mg/kg in the rabbit. In the rat the dose of 300 mg/kg produced toxic effects on the mother, consisting mainly of behavioural changes and death in some cases; a slight increase in embryofetal mortality was also observed. The dose of 100 mg/kg still produced behavioural changes in the mother, but had no effect on the product of conception. Chlorcyclizine, on the other hand, used as a reference drug in the rat produced fetal malformations at a dose devoid of any toxic activity on the maternal organism. The doses studied in the rabbit were shown to be pharmacologically active in the mothers, producing sedation. No effect, however, was observed on embryofetal development.