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Reproductive function in male rats after brief in utero exposure to diethylstilboestrol
G H Behrens1, P M Petersen, T Grotmol
1Andrology Laboratory, Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, National Hospital, University of Oslo, N-0027 Oslo, Norway. g.h.g.behrens@klinmed.uio.no
Abstract:
Long-term effects of brief in utero exposure to diethylstilboestrol (DES) during a foetal period known to be critical for gonadal development were evaluated. Rats were exposed to DES (100 microg/kg body-weight) from day 17 to 19 of pregnancy. All of the DES-treated pregnant rats (11/11) ate parts or whole of their offspring during the first day after birth (p=0.03). Surviving male offspring were examined on day 63 post-partum. DES induced a reduction in weight of the testis (p=0.06) and ventral prostate (p=0.07), even after this short exposure. DES tended to reduce the number of Sertoli cells (p=0.13). Our findings indicate that even a short in utero exposure of rats to DES during a critical period for gonadal development results in cannibalism and reduced testis and ventral prostate weight.