Embryotoxicity in chick embryo of thalidomide hydrolysis products following metabolic activation by rat liver homogenate.

Three and four-day-old chick embryos were exposed to thalidomide as well as to its hydrolysis products before and after in vitro biotrasformation of these compounds with rat liver homogenate. Significant embryotoxic effects of 30 and 100 micrograms doses per embryo encountered only in the case when the products of alkaline hydrolysis of thalidomide were pretreated with rat liver homogenate.