EGMME severely affected fertility and reproduction in C3H mice when administered to adults at 0.3% in drinking water (none of the breeding pairs were fertile). At necropsy, body weights for both sexes, and seminal vesicles, right testis, right cauda and right epididymis weights in males were significantly decreased in the 0.3% dose group. The right ovary weight was relatively high. Sperm motility, sperm density and the incidence of abnormal sperm were also severely affected at 0.3% level.
EGMME at 0.1% levels had less severe but still significant reproductive effects in the parental generation. These pairs showed decreased live pups per litter, proportion of pups born alive, and male pup weight during nursing. Furthermore, in the For females right ovary and liver weights were significantly higher than the control group. All second generation pairs receiving 0.1% EGMME were infertile. Thus, O.1% EGMME was shown to have greater effects on the second generation than on the parental generation. In the F1 male mice, the seminal vesicles, right cauda, right testis and right epididymis weights were significantly decreased. In the F1 females, terminal body liver and kidney weights were significantly decreased.
There was no apparent effect on fertility or reproduction in F0 or F1 C3H mice at 0.03% level. Parental generation females in the 0.03% dose group showed slightly increased liver weights. In second generation animals, there was no effect with respect to terminal body or organ weights at the 0.03% level.
NTIS# PB88192240