PERINATAL AND POSTNATAL STUDY OF CEFPIOME SULFATE IN RATS

A perinatal and postnatal study was performed in rats by intraperitoneal administration of cefpirome sulfate (CPR) at dose levels of 0 (control), 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg/day to dams from day 17 of pregnancy to day 21 after delivery. Twenty one or twenty two dams in each group were allowed to deliver for the postnatal examination of their offsprings. No animal died. Loose feces were observed in the 800 mg/kg/day group. Body weight gain of the dams was retarded in the 800 mg/kg/day group in the early stage of treatment. Food intake was reduced simultaneously in the 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg/day groups. Autopsy revealed the enlargement of caecum in the 800 mg/kg/day. The adrenal weight was increased in the 400 and 800 mg/kg/day groups, and the kidney weight was increased in the 800 mg/kg/day group. The body weight of pups at birth in the 800 mg/kg/day group was slightly lower than that in the control group. The body weight of male pups in the 800 mg/kg/day group decreased transiently during rearing period. However, CPR had no adverse effects on the postnatal development such as viability, differentiation, emotionality, learning ability or reproductive performance. The results suggest that the non-effective dose level of CPR is lower than 200 mg/kg/day for general toxicity, 800 mg/kg/day for reproductive ability in maternal animals and 400 mg/kg/day in offsprings respectively.