Systemic effects of orally administered p, p′-DDE on immature male Wistar rats during pubertal period

Systemic effects of p, p′-DDE (1, 1-dichloro-2, 2 bis (p-chlorophenyl) ethylene; DDE) on immature male rats were investigated in pubertal Wistar rats after oral administration of DDE. Special rat chow containing 125 ppm DDE (approximately 10 mg/kg DDE) had been administered daily for 42 d since 6 wk of age and its effects had been observed until 12 wk of age. The administration of DDE did not produce any overt signs of toxicity. Neither physical development nor sexual maturation was affected, and serum biochemistry was not impaired at the dose used in this experiment. Moreover, the male reproductive organs and epididymal sperm count were not affected by the administration of DDE during the pubertal period. Our results showed that even immature male rats were resistant to DDE exposure at the daily dose of ca. 10 mg/kg, but metabolic and immunological changes still remained uncertain. Further investigation should be conducted to reveal all the effects of DDE on immature male rats.