Effect of short-term exposure to five industrial metals on the embryonic and fetal development of the mouse.

An increase is expected in the world's industrial use of several metals, Al, Co, Mo, V, and W, among others. Very little is known about their possible effects on early mammalian development. Groups of mice were injected with compounds of these metals either before implantation or at early organogenesis. None of the metal compounds showed any interference with implantation, but all of them significantly affected fetal development: Al caused an increased frequency of fetal internal hemorrhage, Mo inhibited fetal normal weight gain, W increased the frequency of resorptions, and Al, Co, Mo, and V all interfered with fetal skeletal ossification.