Effect of Maternal Administration of Dimethyl Sulfoxide on the Development of Rat Fetuses

Abstract

Subcutaneous injection of 31 Sprague-Dawley rats with 10.25 g DMSO [dimethyl sulfoxide]/kg body weight/day on day 8, days 8 and 9, or days 8, 9 and 10 of gestation did not significantly influence the body weight gain of the mothers during pregnancy or of the live young obtained on day 19. The incidence of resorptions among mothers given 3 injections of DMSO was significantly increased over control values, but with the exception of 2 slight umbilical hernias in the middle group, no gross or skeletal malformations were noted among the 338 live fetuses recovered from the females that received DMSO.