Abstract
The author investigated effects of the simultaneous application of folic acid upon the teratogenicity of mitomycin C in mice of the CF#1 strain. A group of mice given mitomycin C alone as well as a group of mice given folic acid alone were respectively set up as controls. Mitomycin C of 5 mg per kg body weight was given intravenously on the 12th day of gestation, and each 30 mg per kg body weight of folic acid was given three times: 30 minutes before, one hour after and two hours after the mitomycin injection. On the 19th day of gestation, pregnant mice were cesarean sectioned, and anomalies of the fetus were observed. In the mitomycin group (MC group), 19 out of 30 successful pregnancies had more than one anomalous baby (63 percent), totally 121 defected fetuses out of 270 live-borns (44.8 percent). Principal deformities were cleft palate, oligodactylia and polydactylia. Besides, there were mamy anomalies of the ossification center of the vertebral body and the sternebra. On the other hand, 28 out of 30 successful pregnancies (93 percent) had more than one anomalous baby, 213 defected fetuses out of 283 live-borns in the group treated with mitomycin and folic acid (FA-MC group). And in the folic acid group (FA group), 5 out of 30 successful pregnancies had more than one anomalous baby, 16 defected fetuses out of 280 live-borns. Characteristic feature in the FA group was of the occurrence of surplus deformities in type. Mean body weights of the fetus at the time of laparotomy were 1.107g in the FA group, 0.771g in the MC group and 0.572g in the FA-MC group, respectively. Among mean body weights of these three groups, there were significant differences at the probability level of less than 0.001. Increases of the maternal body weight during the period of pregnancy were 16.13g in the FA- group, 12.00g in the MC group and 8.98g in the FA- MC group, differences having been all significant at the probability level of less than 0.001. From the above-mentioned, the teratogenicity of mitomycin C is seemed to be accelerated by the simultaneous application of folic acid.
