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REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS OF THE WATER DISINFECTANT BYPRODUCT BROMOCHLOROACETIC ACID (BCA) IN ADULT AND JUVENILE MALE C57BL/6 MICE
Citation:
Rockett, J C., J B. Garges, AND D J. Dix. REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS OF THE WATER DISINFECTANT BYPRODUCT BROMOCHLOROACETIC ACID (BCA) IN ADULT AND JUVENILE MALE C57BL/6 MICE. Presented at Society of Toxicology, San Francisco, CA, March 25 - 29, 2001.
Description:
REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS OF THE WATER DISINFECTANT BYPRODUCT BROMOCHLOROACETIC ACID (BCA) IN ADULT AND JUVENILE MALE C57BL/6 MICE.
JC Rockett, JC Luft, JB Garges and DJ Dix. Reproductive Toxicology Division, USEPA, RTP, NC, USA.
Sponsor: G Klinefelter
The development of water disinfection processes has been one of the major advances in safeguarding public health. However, there is evidence that disinfection byproducts, formed through reaction of disinfectants with naturally occurring organic compounds in the water, can produce toxicological effects. One such byproduct, BCA, has been shown to produce adverse reproductive effects in adult rats. We investigated the effect of BCA on the fertility of adult and juvenile male mice. Adult mice were gavaged for 14 days with 0,8,24,72 or 216mg/kg/day BCA. Mating studies were begun immediately after and continued for 40 days. Coital plug+ females were replaced daily and harvested 14 days later. Uteri were dissected to evaluate the number and quality of fetuses. Reproductive organs were extracted from males before and after mating and checked for adverse effects. BCA produced no systemic toxicity, behavioral effects or effects on reproductive organ weight. However, concentrations of 72 & 216mg/kg/day resulted in significantly lower numbers of litters and fetuses sired by matings in the 10 days following treatment. These results indicate BCA adversely affects spermatids and spermatozoa. Juvenile mice, starting at 7 days postnatal, were gavaged for 14 days with 0,8,24,72,216 or 648mg/kg/day BCA. 648mg/kg/day BCA produced 50% mortality by 8 days. 216mg/kg/day BCA led to a significant decrease in the rate of weight gain over the treatment period, but weight was no longer reduced at 9 weeks old. When the mice reached 14 weeks, the same mating assay was performed. There was no difference in the size or quality of litters sired by males treated as juveniles versus their controls. In summary, these data show that short-term exposure to BCA causes transient subfertility in adult mice, but that long-term adverse reproductive effects are not apparent in mice exposed as either adults or juveniles. (This is an abstract of a proposed presentation and does not necessarily reflect EPA policy)