Effects of prenatal exposure to a low dose atrazine metabolite mixture on pubertal timing and prostate development of male Long-Evans rats

• Published in: Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2010-12, Vol.30 (4), p.540-549
• Main Authors: Stanko, Jason P., Enoch, Rolondo R., Rayner, Jennifer L., Davis, Christine C., Wolf, Douglas C., Malarkey, David E., Fenton, Suzanne E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue, White - drug effects; Adipose Tissue, White - pathology; Adiposity - drug effects; Animals; Atrazine; Atrazine - administration & dosage; Atrazine - analogs & derivatives; Atrazine - metabolism; Atrazine - toxicity; BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Biological and medical sciences; Development; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Embryology: invertebrates and vertebrates. Teratology; Epididymis; Female; Foreskin - drug effects; Foreskin - growth & development; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE; Gestational Age; HERBICIDES; Herbicides - administration & dosage; Herbicides - metabolism; Herbicides - toxicity; INFLAMMATION; Male; MALES; Medical sciences; METABOLITES; Mixture; MIXTURES; No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; Pesticide Residues - toxicity; Pesticides, fertilizers and other agrochemicals toxicology; Pregnancy; PRENATAL EXPOSURE; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; PROSTATE; Prostate - drug effects; Prostate - growth & development; Prostate - pathology; Prostatitis - chemically induced; Prostatitis - pathology; Prostatitis - physiopathology; Puberty; Rat; Rats; Rats, Long-Evans; Severity of Illness Index; Sexual Maturation - drug effects; Teratology. Teratogens; Toxicity Tests, Acute; Toxicology
• ISSN: 0890-6238; 1873-1708
• DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2010.07.006

The present study examines the postnatal reproductive development of male rats following prenatal exposure to an atrazine metabolite mixture (AMM) consisting of the herbicide atrazine and its environmental metabolites diaminochlorotriazine, hydroxyatrazine, deethylatrazine, and deisopropylatrazine. Pregnant Long-Evans rats were treated by gavage with 0.09, 0.87, or 8.73 mg AMM/kg body weight (BW), vehicle, or 100 mg ATR/kg BW positive control, on gestation days 15–19. Preputial separation was significantly delayed in 0.87 mg and 8.73 mg AMM-exposed males. AMM-exposed males demonstrated a significant treatment-related increase in incidence and severity of inflammation in the prostate on postnatal day (PND) 120. A dose-dependent increase in epididymal fat masses and prostate foci were grossly visible in AMM-exposed offspring. These results indicate that a short, late prenatal exposure to mixture of chlorotriazine metabolites can cause chronic prostatitis in male LE rats. The mode of action for these effects is presently unclear.