Maternal-Fetal Distribution of Radioactive Cortisol and Its Correlation with Teratogenic Effect

Abstract

Summary The distribution of ¹⁴C-labeled cortisol was determined in the fetuses of AJAX and CBA strains of mice following a single injection of the radioisotope combined with a teratogenic amount of ‘cold’ cortisol on day 11 of pregnancy. Uptake of the radioisotope was similar but the cleft-palate sensitive strain (AJAX) retained a significantly greater amount of the drug during the 120 min following administration. This suggests that genetic differences in metabolism and/or tissue binding are responsible for the observed differences in retention.