Effects of Methyl Mercury on the Development of Rat Offspring / 环境与健康杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the effect of methyl mercury on the development of rat offspring. Methods The male Wistar rats were divided into four groups randomly, each group was administrated methyl mercury by gavage every two days for two months, then, the rats were mated with healthy female rats. The development, growth and behaviors of offspring were investigated. Results Compared with the control, the body weights of offspring in groups of 1.170 mg/kg and 0.580 mg/kg were less and the development was tardy. The indexes that can reflect the level of development showed that the behaviors of offspring in experimental groups were damaged. Conclusion The male rats exposed to methyl mercury may produce an adverse effect on the development, growth and behaviors of their offspring.