Induction of cleft palate in rats with antiinflammatory drugs

Pregnant Holtzman rats were injected subcutaneously with anti‐inflammatory drugs from days 12–15 of gestation. Daily doses producing significant frequencies of cleft palate in the offspring ranged from 0.1–0.8 mg/day for triamcinolone, betamethasone, and dexamethasone. Cleft palate was not induced by methylprednisolone, prednisolone, and cortisone, even by daily doses ranging from 8–75 mg. Similar experiments were performed on A/J mice. The possible significance of these experiments in relation to testing potential teratogens and to the mechanism of palate closure is discussed.