Post-partum testosterone administration does not reverse the effects of perinatal exposure to cadmium on rat offspring development

This study investigated the effects of perinatal cadmium exposure on physical and reflexologic development of pup rats. It was examined if the immediate postpartum testosterone administration was able to reverse the toxic effects of the metal. Forty Wistar pregnant rats were divided into three groups: control and 10 and 20 mg kg−1 per day of cadmium chloride. These dams were treated from gestational days 18 to 21, and until the 7th lactation day. Immediately after birth, half of the offspring from the experimental and control groups received 50 µL of testosterone 0.2% i.p. The maternal body weight gain, food and water consumption were measured during the treatment period. In pups, the body weight, body length, physical landmarks, reflex development and the general activity were assessed. Results showed that: only 20 mg kg−1 cadmium induced maternal toxicity; pup body weight and body weight gain were reduced in all experimental groups; only the cadmium‐exposed offspring not treated with testosterone treatment showed a reduction in body length and body length gain; cadmium highest dose reduced the anogenital index in pups and delayed physical and reflexes development; and cadmium effects on the offspring, except in body length gain, were not reversed by testosterone. The results indicate that perinatal maternal exposure to cadmium promoted changes in the development of male rat offspring, reprogramming the pup's development. Testosterone administration was not able to reverse the cadmium effects, even on those parameters more directly related to the androgenic system as the testis descent and anogenital distance delays. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Perinatal high cadmium dose exposure from gestational days 18 to 21, and until the 7th lactation day, induced maternal toxicity and a delay in offspring physical and reflexes development. The immediate postpartum testosterone administration, except in body length gain, was not able to reverse toxic cadmium effects. These results indicate that perinatal cadmium promoted changes in the development of male rat offspring, reprogramming the pup's development and that testosterone administration was not able to reverse the cadmium effects.