Acrylamide causes preimplantation abnormalities in embryos and induces chromatin-adducts in male germ cells of mice

Acrylamide, a known male postmeiotic germ cell mutagen, caused a dose-depen dent increase in the frequency of morphologic abnormalities in preimplantat ion embryos. Single-cell eggs, growth retardation, and blastomere lysis wer e detected after paternal treatment with acrylamide (10 to 50 mg/kg, 5 d). The major effects were seen at weeks 1 to 3 after male treatment, with the highest level of abnormalities at the first week (>90% vs. 5% in control). The frequency of abnormal four-day embryos was similar to preimplantation l oss assessed at 15 to 16 d p.c. A > 100-fold elevation of chromatin adducts in sperm was observed during 1st and 2nd week after treatment, after which adduct levels decreased to baseline level. However, morphologic defects in embryos are not fully explained by the spermatid adduct curve. These findi ngs demonstrate the effects of paternal exposure to acrylamide on preimplan tation development and indicate a potential risk to the offspring of men ex posed to acrylamide. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.