The inhibition of the transplacental blastomogenic effect of nitrosomethylurea by postnatal administration of buformin to rats.

N-Nitrosomethylurea (NMU) (20 mg/kg) was i.p. administered to rats on the 21st day of pregnancy. A decrease of glucose utilisation in the oral glucose tolerance test was found in 3 month old female progeny of NMU-treated rats. The serum insulin level did not differ from control, but serum cholesterol level was higher in offspring of NMU-treated rats. The ability of diethylstilboestrol to inhibit compensatory ovarian hypertrophy was decreased in female hemicastrated 3 month old rats whose mothers were treated with NMU. Postnatal administration of the antidiabetic drug buformin decreased the malignant neurogenic tumor incidence 3.5 times (to rats transplacentally treated with NMU).