Postnatal development of progeny after 5-HT and/or 32P treatment of mice on the first day of gestation

C57B mice were injected intraperitoneally with 5-HT (serotonin-creatinine sulphate) in a dose of 40 mg/kg body weight and/or radioactive P in the form of Na2H32PO4 in a dose of 1 μCi/g body weight, on the first day of gestation. Litter size of newborns, and growth and mortality of progeny during the postnatal thirty days were determined. As compared with controls, the litter size of newborns was smaller in mice treated with 32P or 5-HT; the smallest one was found among those injected with 5-HT and 32P. The sex ratio of newborns was disturbed only in animals treated with 5-HT. The mortality of progeny occurred only in mice treated with 32P. Body weight in relation to controls was lower in mice injected with both 5-HT and 32P, and also in those receiving 32P only but it was greater during lactation in those treated with 5-HT. Under these experimental conditions, 5-HT did not show a radioprotective role. (author)