title: Sows exposed to octylphenol in early gestation: no estrogenic effects in male piglets, but increased rate of stillbirth.
abstract: Octylphenol is an industrial chemical with estrogenic effects both in vitro and in vivo. In this study the effects of short-term intramuscular exposure to 0.1 mg/kg of body weight and 1.0 mg/kg of body weight in early gestation were evaluated in pregnant sows with respect to reproductive parameters in the newborn male piglets, as compared with male piglets from unexposed control sows. The male piglets were examined immediately after birth with respect to the macroscopic appearance of the reproductive organs and testosterone concentration in serum. It was not possible to identify any estrogenic effects in the newborn male piglets. However, in the sows exposed at the highest level of octylphenol, there was an increased number of stillborn piglets and an increased proportion of sows with stillborn piglets in the litter (P < 0.05). This was an unexpected finding which has not been reported previously.
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproduction, Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gralén
authors.forename: Weethima
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Visalvethaya
authors.forename: Kalle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ljungvall
authors.forename: Wichai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tantasuparuk
authors.forename: Leif
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Norrgren
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Magnusson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010636:Phenols / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D050497:Stillbirth / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004967:Estrogens; D010636:Phenols; C474055:octylphenol; D013739:Testosterone