Toxicological studies of the false morel (Gyromitra esculenta): Embryotoxicity of monomethylhydrazine in the rat

Abstract

The embryotoxic and teratogenic potential of monomethylhydrazine (MMH), a toxic component of the widely consumed false morel (Gyromitra esculenta), was studied in rat. Groups of pregnant Sprague‐Dawley rats received MMH as a constant i.v. infusion via implanted osmotic minipumps (1.2, 3.0, 4.2, 6.0, 9.0 or 13.2 mg MMH /kg bw/day) on days 6–13 of pregnancy, or as a single intragastric bolus (1 mg MMH/kg/bw or 5 mg MMH/kg/bw) on day 6 of pregnancy. Controls received corresponding amounts of saline. The average maternal serum concentrations, measured during the infusion treatment with a sensitive HPLC method, ranged from 0.072 μg MMH/ml (lowest dose) to 0.60 μg MMH/ml (highest dose). The average serum levels measured 45 min after the intragastric application (peak levels) were 0.28 μg MMH/ml and l.6 μg MMH/ml, respectively. Serum concentrations of MMH corresponding to those measured in the lower dose groups in this study were seen in pilot studies after a single mushroom meal in human volunteers. A dose‐dependent, statistically significant increase in the number of resorptions was seen in all but the lowest dose group after the infusion of MMH. In addition, except for the two lowest doses, there was a dramatic, dose‐dependent decrease in the pregnancy rate as compared to controls, with no pregnancies occurring at the two highest dose level groups. The decreased pregnancy rate was probably due to preimplantation loss which was shown to occur after a single intragastric bolus dose of MMH (5 mg/kg bw). No significant differences in the incidences of external and skeletal malformations and in fetal body weights were seen between the treated groups and controls in the two experiments. The results of the present study seem to warrant caution concerning the consumption of the false morel in women desiring pregnancy.

Keywords:

• false morel
• toxicity
• monomethylhydrazine
• embryotoxicity