Levels of 5-Bromo-2′-deoxyuridine and Its Metabolites During Continuous Infusion Paradigms in a Transplacental System

Abstract

The levels of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdUrd) (a teratogen and mutagen) and its metabolites were measured using the hplc in maternal and fetal blood at 20–21 days of gestation in Sprague-Dawley derived CD rats during continuous infusion paradigms which are used in visualization of sister chromatid exchanges. The time course of the maternal values following a dose of 1 g/kg body weight was determined by sampling with an aortic catheter. Fetal levels were taken after a 2-hour intraperitoneal infusion of BrdUrd into the mother. It was found that the maternal level of BrdUrd plateaued at 0.4 mg%, while the level of metabolites gradually increased with time for both techniques. Also, although the overall amount of radioactivity indicated that approximately 40% of the total maternal dose reached the fetus, the fetal concentration of BrdUrd was less than one-seventh the maternal one.