Embryonic co-exposure to methoxychlor and Clophen A50 alters sexual behavior in adult male quail.
Embryonic exposure to estrogens and estrogenic pollutants is known to demasculinize sexual behavior in adult male Japanese quail. In the present study, we administered the insecticide methoxychlor to quail eggs at a dose of 150 microg/g egg and then studied sexual behavior and other reproductive variables in adult males. In a second experiment we administered the same dose of methoxychlor together with 10 microg/g egg of the commercial polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture Clophen A50 (CA50) and also CA50 alone. Neither methoxychlor nor CA50 had any significant effects by themselves, but when they were administered together a significant reduction in male sexual behavior was observed. It seems likely that induction of biotransformation enzymes in the embryos by CA50 resulted in increased conversion of methoxychlor to the more estrogenic metabolite 2,2-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane (HPTE).
Halldin
Krister
K
Department of Environmental Toxicology, Centre for Reproductive Biology in Uppsala, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden. Krister.Halldin@ebc.uu.se
Axelsson
Jeanette
J
Brunström
Björn
B
D000818:Animals; D002988:Cloaca / Q000378:metabolism; D003370:Coturnix; D004347:Drug Interactions; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D008731:Methoxychlor / Q000633:toxicity*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000633:toxicity*; D011784:Quail / Q000502:physiology*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D007306:Insecticides; D013739:Testosterone; C025647:clophen A50; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; D008731:Methoxychlor