ORAL TOXICITY OF BIS(2-ETHYLHEXYL) PHTHALATE DURING PREGNANCY AND SUCKLING IN THE LONG-EVANS RAT

Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a compound widely used in plasti cs technology to impart flexibility to rigid polymers. We sought to de termine whether the. oral exposure of female rats to DEHP during gesta tion and suckling produces alterations in the litter. Female rats were exposed to different concentrations of DEHP suspended in drinking wat er (32.5 and 325 mu l/litre) from day 1 of pregnancy to day 21 after d elivery. Pup body weight gain and kidney, liver and testes weight was measured at different times (21, 28, 35, 42 and 56 days) after birth. Plasma concentrations of DEHP and histopathological alterations in kid neys, liver and testes were also studied. In addition, the ability of female pups (1 month of age) to perform a learned avoidance test, the 'beam walking' test, was evaluated. Perinatal exposure to DEHP produce d no statistically significant changes in the body weight gain of offs pring. Conversely, it produced a significant decrease in kidney and te stes relative weight (organ/body weight) with a significant increase i n relative liver weight. Signs of histological damage in kidneys, live r, and particularly testes, were observed. Pups exposed perinatally to the highest concentration of DEHP elicited a significant increase in the time necessary to perform the beam walking test. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.