Acrolein and embryogenesis: an experimental study

The effects of acrolein were studied on the chick embryos of 48 and 72 hr of incubation. Acrolein was dissolved in physiological saline and injected into the air sacs of the eggs at doses ranging from 0.001 to 0.1 mg per egg. The controls received and equal amount of saline only (0.1 ml per egg). All the embryos including controls were examined at Day 13. In all, 600 eggs were utilized for this investigation. At 48 hr incubation, the percentage survival ranged from 80 to 0 as the dosage of acrolein was increased. Embryonic mortality following 72 hr incubation did not increase significantly at any dose level. Gross malformations such as short and twisted limbs, everted viscera, microphthalmia, short and twisted neck, and hemorrhage over the body were observed. The frequency and the types of gross abnormalities did not vary much in the 48- or 72-hr-treated groups. The incidence of malformation in the controls was low. The results of this study indicate that acrolein is embryotoxic at higher doses and moderately teratogenic to chick embryogenesis.