title: Effects of 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl on foetal germ cells in two mouse strains after repeated treatment of the dams during and after pregnancy.
abstract: Female mice from the C57/B1- and CBA/S-strain, respectively, were administered 3,3'4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl once a week for two weeks prior to mating, during mating, gestation and lactation, altogether at seven weekly occasions. The orally administered amounts were 9 or 15 mg/kg b.wt. per occasion. Male and female offspring (F1), exposed in utero were collected for histological analysis of the testes and ovaries. Other C57/B1-females (F1) were tested for their reproductive capacity. In the C57/B1-males tetrachlorobiphenyl only had a temporary effect on germ cell numbers, and spermatogenesis was normal again at 56 days after birth. In the ovaries 28 days after birth, an increased number of oocytes and follicles were observed, the effect being more pronounced in the C57/B1-strain. The reproductive capacity expressed as mean litter size seemed not to be affected by the histologically observed changes. Concerning the number of litters per female there were indications of an enhanced productivity in tetrachlorobiphenyl-exposed F1-females. Malformations of any kind were not observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radioecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rönnbäck
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: de Rooij
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology
chemical_list: D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; C028451:3,4,3',4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl