Reproductive and developmental toxicity to male offspring rats with utero and lactational exposure to DEHP.

Objective To observe the reproductive and developmental toxicity of phthalate (2-ethylhexyl) ester (DEHP) to male offspring. Methods The perinatal toxicity tests were used as research methods. SD rats were randomly divided into negative control group (corn oil) and four DEHP exposure groups (125,250,500 and1 000 mg/kg),and exposed to DEHP through gavage during the period of intra-uterine and breast-feeding. The male offspring's anogenital distance,the weight of body,testis and epididymis were measured at different developmental stages ,as well as the epididymal sperm number,sperm motility rate and the number of sperm abnormality at the 50th day after birth (PND50). Result The body weights of offspring increased with the exposure doses at different developmental stages among the DEHP exposure doses of 125-500 mg/kg,the body weight of 500 mg/kg group was higher at PND21 compared with the control group significantly (P0.01),the body weight of 1 000 mg/kg group were lower than the same developmental stage of the control group,and showed significant difference (P0.05) compared with control group at PND21. The testis weight of offspring at different developmental stages in 1 000 mg/kg group was significantly lower compared with the control group (P0.01),epididymal weight compared with the control group had no significant difference (P0.05). Four days after birth,the anogenital distance reduced at different degree,in addition to 125 mg/kg group,the rest groups showed significant differences compared with control group (P0.01). At PND50,the total number of sperm and sperm motility of male offspring reduced to varying degrees,sperm deformity rate increased to varying degrees,1 000 mg/kg group had a significant difference compared with the control group (P0.05). Conclusion Female rats exposed to DEHP during pregnancy and lactation can affect the growth and reproductive development of male offspring,this may be one of the causes leading to the adult male infertility.