Mustard teratogenic effects

The subcommittee considered other possible studies, such as those of Hackett et al. (1987) and McNamara et al. (1975). The study by Hackett et al. (1987) was a teratology study in which rats and rabbits were intragastrically intubated with sulfur mustard. For rats, maternal toxicity and teratogenic effects were observed at all doses tested (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/kg per day) for rabbits, there was no evidence of teratogenic effects at any of the doses tested (0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 mg/kg per day) but maternal toxicity was observed at the two highest doses. Dosing lasted only a few days (10 days for rats or 14 days for rabbits) in the Hackett et al. (1987) study compared with the 21 weeks in the Sasser et al. (1989a) study. 

Bone marrow toxicity is the major side effect of chlorambucil. Nausea is uncommon or mUd, and hair loss does not occur. Chlorambucil shares the immunosuppressive, teratogenic, and carcinogenic properties of the nitrogen mustards. 

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