Short-term chlordecone toxicity in rats including effects on reproduction, pathological organ changes, and their reversibility

Abstract

Chlordecone was fed to male and female adult Sherman strain rats at concentrations of 0 and 25 ppm for 3 months. Following this, all rats were fed control diet for 4.5 months. During this recovery period they were bred twice. Immediately after exposure was discontinued, reproduction in the females was completely inhibited; this was coupled with hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex. Two months after exposure was discontinued, reproductive ability was partially restored. Reproduction in males was not affected at any time at this dose. Following the 4.5-month recovery period, the adrenals in the previously exposed females had returned to normal size; however, their livers were still enlarged and continued to show some morphologic changes. Although the experimental rats gained less weight during exposure than the controls, the body weights of control and experimental rats following the 4.5 month recovery period were the same.