Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology
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Comparative Study
In utero exposure to 1R4F reference cigarette smoke: evaluation of developmental toxicity.
The potential developmental effects of 1R4F reference cigarette smoke were examined using Sprague-Dawley rats exposed for 2 h/day, 7 days/week, by nose-only inhalation at target mainstream smoke concentrations of 150, 300, and 600 mg/m3 total particulate matter (TPM). Males were exposed 4 weeks prior to and during mating, with females exposed 2 weeks prior to mating and during mating, and through gestation day (GD) 20. Sham controls received filtered air to simulate nose-only exposure, while cage controls were maintained untreated. ⋯ Skeletal examinations revealed delayed ossification (supra occipital and sternebrae) in fetuses from dams exposed to 300 or 600 mg TPM/m3 smoke. High concentrations of 1R4F cigarette smoke were not teratogenic. The methodology used for this study was able to detect a decrease in fetal birthweight and this approach may be a useful tool for cigarette evaluation.