Search

Female mice were treated with triethyl lead chloride orally on Days 3–5 after mating. Decreased frequencies of pregnancy were observed at doses of 3.0 (p < 0.0005) and 2.2 mg/kg body wt (p < 0.025). Animals given 1.5 mg/kg showed a decreased frequency of implanted ova (p < 0.0005). No effects upon the percentage of viable embryos were observed at doses of 0.5 and 1.5 mg/kg.

In order to study the effect of organolead on the placental transfer of amino acids, triethyl lead chloride was administered by i.p. injections to pregnant guinea-pigs. The following day, the fetal part of the placenta was perfused in situ during i.v. infusion of α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) to the dam. It was found that triethyl lead treatment (2.5 mg/kg body wt) decreased the AIB-concentration in perfusion media compared with that of the control group. Treatment with 1 mg/kg body wt has no effect. It was also shown that the placental uptake of AIB in animals receiving 2.5 mg/kg body wt is significantly reduced compared with that of the control group. No such effect was obtained in animals receiving 1 mg/kg body wt. It is suggested that triethyl lead may inhibit placental Na+-K+-adenosinetriphosphatase, an enzyme involved with placental amino acid transport. Another possible explanation is a reduction in maternal placental blood flow.

Female mice were injected intraperitoneally with triethyl lead chloride (3.0 or 6.0 mg/kg body weight, respectively) once a day on days 3–4 after mating. At the time of blastocyst implantation the plasma level of progesterone was significantly lower in females given 3.0 mg/kg body weight and the plasma levels of 17β-oestradiol and progesterone were significantly lower in females given 6.0 mg/kg body weight than in control females.