Effects of paternal subacute exposure to Tordon 202c on fetal growth and development in CD-1 mice

Male CD-1 mice were exposed to Tordon 202c (a picloram and 2,4-D combination herbicide) in the drinking water at concentrations of 0.21, 0.42, and 0.84% solutions for 60 days prior to mating with untreated females. Subsequently there was no exposure to Tordon 202c during gestation. Fetal weight and crown-rump length were reduced in the highest dosage group. The incidence of malformed fetuses (e.g., ablepharon, cleft palate, and unilateral agenesis of the testes) was increased in the middle dosage group while the incidence of fetuses with variants was increased in the lowest (e.g., an extra pair of ribs) and the highest dosage groups (e.g., incomplete ossification of the skeleton). The frequency of pregnancy failure was increased in the middle dosage group. Indices of paternal toxicity included increased lethality and decreased water consumption in the highest dosage group and increased relative spleen weights in the lowest and middle dosage groups. The results suggest paternally mediated reproductive toxicity.