Effect of perinatal administration of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene on the later response to a subcutaneous teflon implant.

Abstract

The possible effect of the exposure of mice during the perinatal period to minute doses of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) on the response to a subcutaneous implantation later in life of a teflon disc was investigated. The present results indicate that the prenatal or neonatal exposure to DMBA had no effect on the incidence of tumors occurring around the teflon implant nor on the average age at death of mice bearing tumors at the site of the teflon implant. The incidence of tumors occurring at various sites was higher in the descendants of females given 400 μg DMBA during the late period of pregnancy than in offspring of untreated mothers which were given 0.1 μg DMBA at birth.