Postnatal development of progeny after 5-HT and/or 32P treatment of mice on the first day of gestation.

C57B mice were injected intraperitoneally with 5-HT (serotonin-creatinine sulphate) in a dose of 40 mg/kg body weight and/or radioactive phosphorus in the form of natrium orthophosphate Na2H32PO4 in a dose of 1 microCi/g body weight, on the first day of gestation. Litter size of newborns as well as growth and mortality of progeny during the postnatal thirty days were determined. As compared with controls, the litter size of newborns was smaller in mice treated with 32P or 5-HT; the smallest one was found in those injected with 5-HT and 32P. The sex ratio of newborns was disturbed only, in animals treated with 5-HT. The mortality of progeny during the postnatal thirty days occurred only in mice injected with 32P. Body weight of the progeny throughout this period, in relation to the controls, was lower in mice injected with 5-HT and 32P, and also in those treated with 32P only, but greater during lactation in those treated with 5-HT. Under these experimental conditions, 5-HT did not show a radioprotective role.