Effects of prenatal exposure to a low dose atrazine metabolite mixture on pubertal timing and prostate development of male Long-Evans rats

The present study examines the postnatal reproductive development of male rats following prenatal exposure to an atrazine metabolite mixture (AMM) consisting of the herbicide atrazine and its environmental metabolites diaminochlorotriazine hydroxyatrazine deethylatrazine and deisopropylatrazine Pregnant Long-Evans rats were treated by gavage with 0 09 0 87 or 8 73 mg AMM/kg body weight (BW) vehicle or 100 mg ATR/kg BW positive control on gestation days 15-19 Preputial separation was significantly delayed in 0 87 mg and 8 73 mg AMM-exposed males AMM-exposed males demonstrated a significant treatment-related increase in incidence and severity of inflammation in the prostate on postnatal day (PND) 120 A dose-dependent increase in epididymal fat masses and prostate foci were grossly visible in AMM-exposed offspring These results indicate that a short late prenatal exposure to mixture of chlorotriazine metabolites can cause chronic prostatitis in male LE rats The mode of action for these effects is presently unclear Published by Elsevier Inc