Teratogenicity of intrauterine copper wire in mice. A histopathological study

Immediately after the implantation of the fertilized ovum, on the 6th day of pregnancy a copperwire was placed in the right hand uterine section on pregnant C3H mice. The left section was similarly surgically traumatized in order to serve as a control. The mice were killed with chloroform on the 19th day of pregnancy and by means of a special histological screening technique the fetuses were examined with special reference to growth reduction, intrauterine fetal death and microscopic malformations. Differences in intrauterine fetal death were shown not to exist, nor was there any significant growth retardation in the copperwire containing uterine section. Certain microscopic defects were found with slightly increased incidence in the copper containing section, but the differences were not statistically significant.