Developmental toxicology: status of the field and contribution of the National Toxicology Program

The NTP has conducted developmental toxicity studies on more than 50 chemicals, often in multiple species. Several chemicals caused developmental toxicity in the absence of any toxicity to the mother. Although hazard to humans is determined by the level of exposure to the chemical and its inherent toxicity, those agents that selectively disturb the development of the conceptus are of particular concern because other manifestations of toxicity would not warn the mother of overexposure. Whether the LOAEL (lowest-observed adverse effect level) for maternal toxicity was high or low did not correlate with the potential of chemicals to cause developmental toxicity. The form of developmental toxicity that determined the LOAEL most frequently was decreased body weight in mice and rats, but not rabbits, where the LOAEL was determined more often by an increase in resorptions. Several in vitro and short-term tests appear promising as screens to predict the outcome of developmental toxicity studies in mammals. However, the only screens that have undergone formal validation studies are those evaluated by the NTP. Improvements in our ability to predict risk to humans have been limited by our knowledge of the mechanisms by which agents cause developmental toxicity. Thus, future growth is dependent on a better understanding of the biological processes that regulate normal development, therein providing the necessary framework for understanding mechanisms of abnormal development.