Fetal outcome following maternal treatment with prostaglandin E2.

Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were treated subcutaneously with PGE2 at doses of 50, 100 and 200 micrograms on gestational days 5 through 8. Control animals received physiological saline in a similar manner. On day 20 of gestation the animals were anaesthetized and fetuses were removed by hysterotomy. All fetuses recovered were alive and appeared normal. The incidence of fetal resorptions was not significantly increased. Visceral abnormalities and skeletal defects were not observed in the offspring. Also, the mean weight of treated fetuses was not significantly different from that of the corresponding controls.