A mixture of the "antiandrogens" linuron and butyl benzyl phthalate alters sexual differentiation of the male rat in a cumulative fashion.

Abstract Prenatal exposure to environmental chemicals that interfere with the androgen signaling pathway can cause permanent adverse effects on reproductive development in male rats. The objectives of this study were to 1) determine whether a documented antiandrogen butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) and/or linuron (an androgen receptor antagonist) would decrease fetal testosterone (T) production, 2) describe reproductive developmental effects of linuron and BBP in the male, 3) examine the potential cumulative effects of linuron and BBP, and 4) investigate whether treatment-induced changes to neonatal anogenital distance (AGD) and juvenile areola number were predictive of adult reproductive alterations. Pregnant rats were treated with either corn oil, 75 mg/kg/day of linuron, 500 mg/kg/day of BBP, or a combination of 75 mg/kg/day linuron and 500 mg/kg/day BBP from gestational Day 14 to 18. A cohort of fetuses was removed to assess male testicular T and progesterone production, testicular T concentrations, and w...