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

VP 16-213 (etoposide, abbr. to VP), an oncostatic drug, was administered intravenously to female Crj: CD (Sprague-Dawley) rats from day 17 of gestation through postpartum day 20 at dose levels of 0.05, 0.2 and 0.8 mg/kg/day. The summarized results obtained are as follows: VP 0.2 and 0.8 mg/kg suppressed the body weight increase and brought thymic atrophy in dams. VP failed to affect the states of birth of newborns (F1). In F1 offspring, VP 0.8 mg/kg increased the days required for testicular descending and vaginal opening, and suppressed the body weight increase, but failed to affect the growth of genital organs, reproductive ability, learning ability, motility, motor activity or emotional development. 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. Based on these results, the no-effect dose level of VP under the present experimental condition was estimated to be 0.05 mg/kg/day against dams and 0.2 mg/kg/day against their offspring.