Embryo culture as an early screen for teratogenic potential. II. Thalidomide

In this study the effects on 10-day rat embryos incubated with thalidomide in vitro were examined after 48-hours' incubation with and without the addition of a metabolic activating system. A positive teratogenic response to thalidomide has been demonstrated in the rat. The systems affected included the heart and the nervous and optic systems. The present findings, together with those from other studies using positive teratogens, serve to increase the confidence in the technique as an early screening method for the evaluation of the teratogenicity of new compounds.