[Reproductive and developmental toxicity studies of prulifloxacin (NM441)(4)--A perinatal and postnatal study in rats...

A peri- and postnatal study of prulifloxacin, a new antibacterial agent, was conducted in Sprague-Dawley rats. Female rats were given prulifloxacin orally at dose levels of 0 (control), 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg from day 17 of pregnancy to day 21 after delivery. All pregnant rats were allowed to deliver naturally for postnatal examination of their offspring. Food consumption in the period of pregnancy decreased in the dams given 100 and 300 mg/kg, and food and water consumption during lactational period increased in the dams given 300 mg/kg. The weight of the cecum of the dams increased in 100 and 300 mg/kg groups, and these doses caused enlargement of the cecum. Prulifloxacin had no effects on general sign, delivery, nursing, body weight gain, and kidney. Prulifloxacin also did not affect the number of live newborns and birth index, and have any adverse effects on the postnatal development of the first generation offspring (F1) such as differentiation, functional development, emotionality, motor ability, learning ability and reproductive performance. Prulifloxacin also had no adverse effects on the second generation offspring (F2). These results show that the NOAEL of prulifloxacin are 30 mg/kg for general toxicity in mother animals, 300 mg/kg for pregnancy and delivery of mother animals and development of their offspring.