Assessment of Ante- and Postnatal Development of the Offspring of Male Rats Crossed in Delayed Periods after Treatment with Methotrexate in Low Doses.

Abstract

We studied ante- and postnatal development of the offspring of intact female rats crossed with males injected with low doses of methotrexate 3 and 6 months before mating. The time of crossing corresponded to the manifestation of the cytostatic effect on spermatogonial stem cells. The offspring of methotrexate-treated males was characterized by increased preimplantation losses and fetal growth restriction in the antenatal period and inhibition of physical development, delayed formation of sensory-motor reflexes, and impaired learning abilities in the postnatal period.