Prenatal deltamethrin low dose effects on physical development of rats

ABSTRACT

The present study investigated the relationship between deltamethrin (DTM) maternal exposure and the occurence of prenatal and postnatal physical alterations when this pesticide is ingested during the organogenic period in rats. Female rats were treated once a day from gestation day (GD) 6 to GD 15 with 0.08 mg/lg of DTM or DTM vehicle (1 mL/kg), 150 solution w/v). Half of female rats of both groups were submitted to cesarean before birth and pups skeletal and visceral studies were performed. The other dams were lead pregnancy at a term and their pups development examined. Results showed no skeletal and visceral interferences induced by the pyrethroid prenatal treatment. However, eye opening retardation and vaginal opening improvement were observed in pups development. Since both parameters depends on epidermal growth factor (EGF) and DTM is reported as an enzymatic EGF inducer, it is possible that this mechanism is underlying the developmental effects of prenatal exposure to the low DTM dose employed.