Effects of in utero and lactational exposure to SbV on rat neurobehavioral development and fertility

•SbV drugs administered to pregnant rats decrease the birth weights and the numbers of viable newborns.•Sb from SbV leishmanicidal drugs is transferred via the placenta to the fetuses.•Sb of SbV leishmanicidal drugs is transferred via the maternal milk to the suckling pups.•Sb transferred via the placenta and milk does not affect rat reproductive performance.•SbV administered to lactating rats causes only minor weight gain deficits in the offspring.

Meglumine antimoniate (MA) is a pentavalent antimony drug used to treat leishmaniases. We investigated the neurobehavioral development, sexual maturation and fertility of the offspring of MA-treated rats. Dams were administered MA (0, 75, 150, 300 mg SbV/kg body wt/d, sc) from gestation day 0, throughout parturition and lactation, until weaning. At the highest dose, MA reduced the birth weight and the number of viable newborns. In the male offspring, MA did not impair development (somatic, reflex maturation, weight gain, puberty onset, open field test), sperm count, or reproductive performance. Except for a minor effect on body weight gain and vertical exploration in the open field, MA also did not affect the development of female offspring. Measurements of the Sb levels (ICP-MS) in the blood of MA-treated female rats and their offspring demonstrated that Sb is transferred to the fetuses via the placenta and to the suckling pups via milk.