Distribution of 14C-labelled ochratoxin A in pregnant mice.

Autoradiography was used to study the distribution of 14C-labelled ochratoxin A for up to 4 hr after its iv administration to mice at various stages of pregnancy. The highest 14C concentration was consistently found in the bile throughout the experimental period. The concentration of radioactivity in the tissues was found, in decreasing order, in the liver, kidney, blood, salivary glands, large vessels, brown fat, myocardium, uterus and lymphatic tissues. The toxin was shown to cross the placental barrier on day 9 of pregnancy, at which time it is most effective in producing foetal malformations.