Developmental toxicity in rat fetuses exposed to the benzimidazole netobimin.

Netobimin (NTB) is a prodrug of albendazole (ABZ) and is used as a broad-spectrum anthelmintic both in human and veterinary medicine. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were treated po with 50, 59.5 and 70.7 mg/kg of NTB on Gestational Day (GD) 10. The results, observed on GD 20, demonstrated that NTB induced a significant increase of resorptions. Moreover, decreased fetal body weight and an increase in skeletal malformations were observed in treated groups. We report the first study in which vascular malformations are described in rats after the administration of a benzimidazole compound. An interesting relationship between intercostal vessel and rib malformations was found.

Injection technique and scanning electron microscopic study of the arterial pattern of the 20 gestation days (G20) rat fetus.

A technique to obtain microvascular corrosion casts of the G20 rat fetus and the normal pattern of the main arteries of the G20 rat fetus are described. The casts were studied by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The arterial pattern is similar to that described in the adult; however, several variations have been found. It is concluded that the use of vascular corrosion casts studied by SEM may be particularly helpful to observe the extremely small arteries of rat fetuses. Moreover, we suggest that this technique may be useful in practical teratological studies.