[Reproduction studies of VP 16-213 (IV)--Oral administration to rats during the perinatal and lactation periods].

VP 16-213 (etoposide, abbr. to VP), an oncostatic drug, was administered orally to female Crj: CD (Sprague-Dawley) rats from day 17 of gestation through postpartum day 20 at dose levels of 1, 3 and 10 mg/kg/day. The summarized results obtained are as follows: VP 10 mg/kg induced thymic atrophy in dams. VP failed to affect the parturition of dams. VP 10 mg/kg lowered the viability of newborns (F1) on postpartum day 3 and increased the days required for descending of testes, but failed to affect the growth of genital organs, learning ability, motility motor activity or emotional development. VP 10 mg/kg brought a transient suppression of body weight increase in pregnant F1 rats, but failed to affect their reproductive ability and parturition. F2 newborns derived from F1 rats whose dams had ever received VP during the prenatal and lactation periods showed no changes in observation items at birth. Long-term rearing F1 rats derived from VP-treated dams manifested no delayed toxicity including carcinogenicity. Based on these results, the no-effect dose level of VP under the present experimental condition was estimated to be 3 mg/kg/day against dams and their offspring.