Fetal morphology in mice exposed to halothane.

The teratogenic potential of subanesthetic and anesthetic exposure to halothane was studied in Swiss/ICR mice. Two treatment regimens were employed: daily exposure of males and females for nine weeks prior to conception and on days 1 through 17 of pregnancy; and exposure of females only on days 6 through 15 of pregnancy. Mice were exposed to subanesthetic concentrations of halothane for 0.025, 0.1, 0.4, and 1.2 MAC hours/day; anesthetic exposure was 4.0 MAC hours/day. Fetal morphologic development was normal at the two lowest exposures. Exposures of 0.4 MAC hours/day and more were associated with decreased fetal ossification. At the 1.2 MAC hour/day exposure, renal pelvic masturation was retarded and the incidence of skeletal variants was increased. The incidences of major malformations and minor anomalies were not increased following exposure to subanesthetic concentrations of halothane. Anesthetic exposure to 4.0 MAC hours/day was lethal to both dams and embryos, and resulted in major developmental malformations in surviving fetuses. These effects were probably due to altered maternal physiologic status. It is concluded that exposure of mice to subanesthetic concentrations of halothane does not result in important morphologic abnormalities in their offspring.