Environmental Profiles of Chemical Flame-Retardant Alternatives for

Prenatal Developmental Toxicity Study (OPPTS Harmonized Guideline 870.3700; OECD
Guideline 414)
Type: Prenatal developmental toxicity
Species, strain, sex, number: Rat, Wistar, 15 pregnant females at the highest dose, 23-24
pregnant females in controls and other dose groups.
Purity: not reported
Doses: 0, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg/day
Vehicle: Olive oil
Exposure duration, frequency: Once by oral gavage daily on gestational days (GD) 7-19.
Method: Body weight, food consumption, clinical signs, pregnancy rates, and necropsy of dams,
kidney weight; uterine contents (including implants and resorption) at day 20 of gestation,
corpora lutea; fetal viability, sex ratio and weight, crown-rump length, and external and skeletal
abnormalities.
Seven dams from each of the control and #200 mg/kg/day groups were permitted to litter
normally and evaluated for implantation sites, delivery index, number of live offspring at birth
and survival on PND 4, at 4 th week, and at 10 th week. Litters were culled to 10 offspring on
postnatal day 4 (PND 4) and subjected to behavioral tests (open field, water maze, rota rod,
inclined screen, pain reflex and Preyer’s reflex). Absolute organ weights of 10 organs plus
testis, uterus and ovary were measured in offspring.
Results: Maternal mortality occurred only at 400 mg/kg/day: 11/15 died. Food consumption
was suppressed at 400 mg/kg/day and slightly at 200 mg/kg/day. At 400 mg/kg/day, mean body
weight loss occurred during GD 7-15, resulting in significantly (p