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Alterations of sexual behavior and plasma concentrations of pituitary/gonadal hormones after early-life exposure of mice to cypermethrin

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Neurophysiology Aims and scope

Early-life environmental exposure to pesticides can cause reproductive, behavioral, and neurochemical defects in adulthood. Cypermethrin is a pyrethroid widely used throughout the world. Our study was aimed at elucidation of the effects of early-life exposure to cypermethrin on sexual behavior and plasma levels of pituitary/gonadal hormones in adult male mice. Cypermethrin in doses of 5, 10, or 15 mg/kg was i.p. administered to male pups from the 5nd to 10th postnatal day (PND). At PND 70, sexual behavioral phenomena (sniffing, following, mounting, and coupling) of adult male mice were tested using receptive female mice. After behavioral assessment, the animals were sacrificed, and plasma concentrations of testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were measured using the ELISA technique. Our results showed that cypermethrin-treated groups exhibited significantly suppressed sexual behavior (all assessed manifestations) and noticeably lower serum concentrations of testosterone and LH, when compared with the control group. The FSH level underwent insignificant changes.

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  1. Department of Biology, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

    J. Solati

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Solati, J. Alterations of sexual behavior and plasma concentrations of pituitary/gonadal hormones after early-life exposure of mice to cypermethrin. Neurophysiology 44, 229–233 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11062-012-9291-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11062-012-9291-z

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