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Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on May 15, 2008
Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/humrep/den100
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Effects of the aromatase inhibitor letrozole on in utero development in rats

G.M. Tiboni1,3, F. Marotta1, C. Rossi2 and F. Giampietro1

1 Sezione di Ostetricia e Ginecologia, Dipartimento di Medicina e Scienze dell’Invecchiamento, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università "G. d’Annunzio", Chieti-Pescara, Ospedale Clinicizzato "SS. Annunziata", Via dei Vestini, 66013 Chieti, Italy 2 Centro Scienze dell'Invecchiamento (Ce.Si.), Università degli Studi "G. d’Annunzio", Chieti-Pescara, Via Colle dell'Ara, 66013, Chieti, Italy

3 Correspondence address. Tel: +39-0871-540034; Fax: +39-0871-540037. E-mail: tiboni{at}unich.it

BACKGROUND: The aromatase inhibitor letrozole has recently been identified as a promising ovulation-inducing agent. As information regarding possible adverse effects on gestation outcome is limited, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the developmental toxicity potential of letrozole in the rat.

METHODS: Pregnant Sprague–Dawley rats were exposed via drinking water to letrozole at 0 (control group), 0.01, 0.02, or 0.04 mg/kg during the period of organogenesis. Developmental endpoints, including intrauterine mortality, fetal growth and incidence of structural abnormalities, were evaluated near the end of gestation.

RESULTS: Major treatment-related effects included: (i) a dose-dependent increase in post-implantation loss, which reached 47.2% following exposure to 0.04 mg/kg letrozole; (ii) minor vertebral anomalies affecting 32.2, 29.3 and 42.2% of fetuses exposed to 0.01, 0.02 and 0.04 mg/kg, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Gestational exposure to doses of letrozole that are equal to or lower than the daily recommended human dose has toxic effects on prenatal development in rats.

Key words: letrozole/rat/developmental toxicity

Submitted on November 2, 2007; resubmitted on February 25, 2008; accepted on March 4, 2008.


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