Prenatal effects of the cancer chemotherapeutic drug ICRF 159 in mice, rats, and rabbits.

The antimitotic, anticancer drug ICRF 159 [(plus or minus)-1,2,'bis(3,5'dioxopiperazine-l-yl)propane] when given to pregnant BALB/c mice, Sprague-Dawley and Wistar rats, and New Zealand white rabbits had mainly embryolethal effects; the margin between no apparent activity and total embryolethality was narrow. A small percentage of fetuses were malformed and some exhibited retarded development. In all three species the time of maximum sensitivity to the drug was early in gestation, between days 6-10 in mice, 6-8 in rats, and 7-10 in rabbits.