Phencyclidine during pregnancy: fetal brain levels and neurobehavioral effects.

Either phencyclidine (PCP) (5, 10, or 20 mg/kg) or saline was administered SC to pregnant CF-1 mice during either MID (E6-E15) or LATE (E12-E18) gestation. Because of the reported prolonged persistence of PCP in adult tissues we first determined its half-life in fetal brain for both treatment periods. PCP appeared rapidly in fetal tissues after maternal administration but was not detected after 8 hours. Then, other treated and control litters were fostered to untreated controls, growth determined and the ontogeny of isolation-induced aggressive behavior examined. Subteratogenic doses of PCP produced mild maternal toxicity without lethality. There was an apparent selective embryolethal effect on males but PCP did not produce an effect on postnatal growth. Prenatal PCP did not alter the ontogeny or intensity of isolation-induced aggressive behavior in male offspring. The results are discussed in relation to other prenatal studies of PCP toxicity and teratogenicity.