[Studies on acetamides and formamides for embryotoxic and teratogenic activities in the rabbit (author's transl)]

The acid amides acetamide, monomethylacetamide, dimethylacetamide, formamide, monoethylformamide and dimethylformamide were investigated for prenatal and teratogenic effects in rabbits. The compounds were administered by stomach tube to the animals as aqueous solutions from the 6th to the 18th day post insemination. In rabbits monomethylformamide caused the most serious teratogenic effect. A teratogenic effect was also caused by monomethylacetamide. Formamide showed an embryotoxic and weak teratogenic effect when it was given in a non-toxic maternal dosage whereas acetamide and dimethylacetamide had an embryolthal effect only in toxic maternal dosages. The rabbit seems to be more sensitive to dimethylformamide than are other animal species because foetuses with anomalies were already seen when the substance was given in non-toxic dosages.