Absence of neurotoxicity with medicinal grade terbutaline in the rat model

To evaluate neurological effects of terbutaline, rats were injected with saline, terbutaline (Sigma or American Pharmaceutical Partners (APP™)) at 0.5 mg/kg-d or 10 mg/kg-d between postnatal days (PND) 2–5 or 11–14. Brains collected 24 h after last injection were used to determine corpus-callosum thickness, Purkinje cell and neuronal number in the cerebellum. Ambulation, distance traveled, resting time and time on rotarod were analyzed. Terbutaline (both doses/grades at PND 11–14) decreased corpus-callosum thickness. Ambulation time was significantly decreased in the 10 mg/kg-d (Sigma) and 0.5 mg/kg-d of terbutaline (APP™) (PND 2–5) juvenile-rats and 10 mg/kg-d-Sigma adult-rats, 0.5 mg/kg-d APP™ (PND 11–14) adult-rats. Resting time was increased in both doses of APP™ (PND 2–5) in juvenile-rats, 10 mg/kg-d Sigma adult-rats. 10 mg/kg-d-Sigma (PND 2–5) decreased distance traveled in adult-rats. 0.5 mg/kg-d-Sigma (PND 2–5 and PND 11–14) decreased the time spent on rotarod (30 RPM) in adult-rats. Sigma terbutaline Sigma had 2× as much free base compared to APP™. In conclusion, APP™ terbutaline did not have a deleterious effect on the developing rat brain.