Preliminary evaluation of maternotoxic effect of Ascaris alpha-chymotrypsin inhibitor in mice.

Administration intraperitoneally of the Ascaris alpha-chymotrypsin inhibitor (40-300 mg/kg/day) at a late stage of organogenesis (8-12 days of gestation) disturbed course of mouse pregnancy. The low doses of alpha-chymotrypsin inhibitor (40-80 mg/kg/day) significantly decreased the number of live fetuses per litter, increased the number of fetal resorptions. The symptoms of maternal toxicity that occurred after administration of the highest doses of the inhibitor (80-300 mg/kg/day) to pregnant mice included: decreased body weight gain as compared to control, vaginal hemorrhage, intrauterine resorption of litters, abortions, altered behaviour of animals immediately after injection and death. There is a linear interrelationship between the logarithm of the doses of the inhibitor and mortality of pregnant mice. The DL50 value of the inhibitor for female was 116 mg/kg/day (confidence interval: 95.5-140.0 mg/kg/day).