Reproductive toxicity studies with cis-(-)-2,3,4,4a,5,9b-hexahydro-2,8-dimethyl-1H-pyrido-[4,3-b]indole dipalmitate in rats.

cis-(-)-2,3,4,4a,5,9b-Hexahydro-2,8-dimethyl-1H-pyrido-[4,3-b]indole dipalmitate (stobadin dipalmitate; in the following briefly called STB) a new prospective cardioprotective drug, was evaluated for effects on fertility, general reproductive performance, prenatal and peri-postnatal development in the rat. Doses of 5, 15 and 50 mg/kg/d were administered orally in aqueous suspension to rats in all studies. Daily treatment of male rats for 70 days before mating and female rats for 14 days before mating and during gestation and lactation had no adverse effects on fertility, survival rate and weight gains of parental animals or on prenatal and postnatal development of pups. There was only evidence of slight adult toxicity late in the experiment, significant increase of anomalous foetuses in both the 15 and 50 mg/kg/d doses and decreased body weight of the young at 50 mg/kg/d on day 21 post partum. Daily oral treatment of pregnant rats with STB throughout organogenesis (day 4 to 16) had no overt effects on dams or on embryo-foetal development, except of increased incidence of some skeletal variations in all treated groups. In the peri-postnatal toxicity study treatment of pregnant dams with STB continuously from day 15 of gestation through parturition and lactation had no adverse effects on reproductive parameters of dams or on survival and development of F1 offspring at any dose used. There were only signs of slight maternal toxicity at 50 mg/kg/d, which consisted of sedated behaviour, reduced liver weight and reversible histopathological changes in kidney tissue. The results of these studies did not reveal serious developmental hazard potentials of STB administered to rats in doses up to 50 mg/kg/d.