Reproductive and neurobehavioural toxicity study of chlorpropham in mice

Chlorpropham was given in the diet to provide levels of 0 (control), 500, 1,000, and 2,000 mg/kg from 5 weeks of age of the F0 generation to 9 weeks of age of the F1 generation in mice, and selected reproductive and neurobehavioural parameters were measured. There were no adverse effects of chlorpropham on either litter size or litter weight and sex ratio at birth. The average body weight of offspring was significantly reduced in the middle-dose group at postnatal days (PNDs) 0 and 4 in female offspring, and was significantly increased in the middle-dose group at PND 14 in male offspring. In neurobehavioural parameters, surface righting at PND 4 was significantly affected in a dose-related manner, and negative geotaxis at PND 4 was significantly accelerated in a dose-related manner in female offspring. In male offspring, surface righting at PND 7 was significantly depressed in the middle-dose group, and olfactory orientation at PND 14 was significantly affected in the low- and middle-dose groups. The dose levels of chlorpropham in the present study produced few adverse effects in reproductive and neurobehavioural parameters in mice.