The teratogenic activity of a thalidomide analogus EM12 in rats on a low‐zinc diet

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Abstract
The relationship between the teratogenicity of EM12, 2‐(2,6‐dioxopiperiden‐3′‐yl) phthalimidine, a stable analogue of thalidomide, and zinc status in the maternal animal was investigated using pregnant rats on a low‐zinc diet (1 ppm zinc, days 0–14 gestation) as the experimental model.Previous studies with this compound in rats fed a commercial diet at oral doses up to 250 mg/kg per day for three days and intravenous doses up to 10 mg/kg per day for three days failed to produce “typical” thalidomide malformations. However, when a dose of 150 mg/kg was given intraperitoneally to rats on a low‐zinc diet, typical thalidomide malformations occurred with an incidence of 57.5%.