Teratogenic effects of mescaline, epinephrine, and norepinephrine in the hamster

Abstract

Mescaline was administered orally at doses of 16 and 32 mg/kg on the seventh through tenth days of gestation to pregnant cream-strain hamsters. This treatment resulted in a dose-dependent effect on reproductive success and skeletal ossification. The effect of mescaline on reproductive success included an increased number of resorptions resulting in a decreased litter size. The 32 mg/kg dose of mescaline caused 48.8% resorptions, while 16 mg/kg and control animals had 12.0% and 6.4% resorptions, respectively. Litter size was decreased from 12.0 pups in controls to 10.3 (16 mg/kg) and 6.5 (32 mg/kg) pups per litter in treated groups. No gross abnormalities were observed at necropsy; there was, however, a dose-dependent increased delay in the ossification of the skull, sternum, and metatarsals. Both epinephrine and norepinephrine caused a decrease in reproductive success when administered at 500 micrograms/kg. Epinephrine appeared to cause a trend toward preimplantation wastage as indicated by an increased corpora lutea to implantation site ratio (from 1.3-1.9). Norepinephrine, however, caused an increased number of resorptions (29.1% in controls). Both norepinephrine and epinephrine produced similar delays in ossification.