Lack of effect of dietary diethylstilbestrol on reproductive performance

Groups of male or female mice were pretreated for 2 wk and 1 wk, respectively, with flesh (liver or muscle) diets prepared from steers. In one experiment diethylstilbestrol (DES) was added to the diet at 0.5 or 5.0 ppb. In a second experiment diets prepared from DES-implanted steer flesh (liver or muscle) were fed. Tissues used in the control diet and DES-added diets were from DES-free steers. The animals were allowed to mate and diets continued until the first litter was delivered. Increasing DES levels in either liver or muscle diets or flesh from DES-implanted steers resulted in no significant differences either in litter size or in the number of fertile male or female mice between the control group and experimental groups. The offspring from each litter were mated and showed no significant difference in their reproductive performance. No abnormalities were noted in any offspring.