Teratogenicity of cytochalasin D in the mouse.

Cytochalasin D, a mold metabolite identified in food, was injected intraperitoneally in doses of 0.4 to 0.9 mg per kilogram on gestational days 7 through 11 and produced evidence of teratogenicity in two out of three strains of mice. Exencephaly, hypognathia and axial skeletal defects were found in strains C57BL/6J and BALB/c while no increase in defects was observed in the Swiss Webster strain. In all three strains, a significantly increased resorption rate was found. Oral doses of approximately 7.0 mg per kg on days 7 through 11 in the BALB/c produced exencephaly in the offspring. Autoclaved cytochalasin D retained its teratogenic potential.