Vinclozolin—No transgenerational inheritance of anti-androgenic effects after maternal exposure during organogenesis via the intraperitoneal route

The goal of this study was to examine the potential transgenerational inheritance of anti-androgenic effects induced by Vinclozolin administered intraperitoneally to pregnant Wistar rats (Crl:WI[Han]). Dams were dosed with Vinclozolin at 0, 4 or 100mg/kg bw/d on gestation days 6–15. Male offspring of F1–F3 generations were bred with untreated females to yield F2–F4 offspring. No evident anti-androgenic effects were observed at 4mg/kg bw/d, but a case of hypospadias as well as delayed sexual maturation in F1 male offspring was observed as a sign of anti-androgenicity at 100mg/kg bw/d. However, F1–F3 males developed normally to sexual maturity and were able to mate and to generate healthy progeny. Sperm count, morphology and motility were not affected in F1–F4 generation male offspring. In conclusion, transgenerational inheritance of Vinclozolin's anti-androgenic effects was not evident in outbred Wistar rats.