Reproductive effects of butyl benzyl phthalate in pregnant and pseudopregnant rats

In our previous studies, butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) was found to be embryolethal and teratogenic in rats. In this study, the reproductive effects of BBP were investigated in pregnant and pseudopregnant rats. Rats were given BBP by gastric intubation at 0, 250, 500, 750, or 1000 mg/kg on Days 0 to 8 of pregnancy and the pregnancy outcome was determined on Day 20 of pregnancy. The same doses of BBP were given to pseudopregnant rats, with an induced decidual cell response on Days 0 to 8 of pseudopregnancy, and the uterine weight on Day 9 served as an index of the uterine decidualization. BBP caused significant increases in the incidences of preimplantation loss in females successfully mated at 1000 mg/kg and of postimplantation loss in females having implantations at 750 mg/kg and above. Uterine decidual growth in pseudopregnant rats was significantly decreased at 750 mg/kg and above. These findings suggest that early embryonic loss due to BBP may be mediated, at least in part, via the suppression of uterine decidualization, an impairment of uterine function.