Effect on bone ash weights of long-term treatment of mice with oral promethazine HCl.

Ten and 18-month-old female B6D2F1 mice were given promethazine HCl in their drinking water (2.0-4.0 mg/dl and 1.0 mg/dl, respectively) and age, sex and weight matched controls were given acidified tap water. The surviving mice were killed when they were 30.5 months old and femur, ilium and sacrum ash weights were determined. It was found that promethazine HCl effectively prevented age-related mineral loss at the higher does level. There was no evidence of excess morbidity or mortality among the mice given promethazine.