Gestational atrazine exposure: Effects on male reproductive development and metabolite distribution in the dam, fetus, and neonate

Abstract

Few studies have investigated the long-term effects of atrazine (ATR) following in utero exposure. We evaluated the effects of gestational exposure of Sprague Dawley dams to ATR (0, 1, 5, 20, or 100 mg/kg-d) on the reproductive development of male offspring. We also quantified the distribution of ATR and its chlorinated metabolites in maternal, fetal, and neonatal fluid and tissue samples following gestational and/or lactational exposure. Dose-dependent levels of chlorotriazines, primarily diamino-s-chlorotriazine, were present in most samples analyzed, including fetal tissue. In utero exposure to 1–20 mg/kg-d ATR did not alter testosterone production, the timing of puberty, play behavior, or other androgen-dependent endpoints of male offspring. Significant maternal toxicity and postnatal mortality were observed at 100 mg/kg-d. We conclude that, although levels of chlorotriazines within the fetus were considerable, gestational exposures of 1–20 mg/kg-d do not lead to alterations in the measures of male development examined in this study.