Chronic Atrazine Exposure Beginning Prenatally Impacts Liver Function and Sperm Concentration With Multi-Generational Consequences in Mice

Abstract

Atrazine is a commonly used herbicide frequently detected in waterways and drinking water around the world. Worryingly, atrazine is an endocrine and metabolic disruptor but there is a lack of research regarding the effects of long-term exposure beginning in utero. In this study we investigated how chronic exposure to atrazine (5 mg/kg bw/day) in drinking water from E9.5 until 12 or 26 weeks of age affected metabolic and reproductive characteristics in male mice. We then examined whether mating these males to unexposed females altered in vitro embryo characteristics. Atrazine exposure caused a decrease in liver weight and changes in both liver and testis gene expression, specifically in genes involved in lipid uptake and fatty acid metabolism in the liver, as well as androgen conversion in the testis. Notably, atrazine exposure decreased epididymal sperm concentration and subsequent embryo cell numbers generated from the 12-week cohort males. Collectively, these data suggest that atrazine exposure, beginning prenatally, affects both metabolic and reproductive characteristics, and highlights the importance of assessing atrazine effects at different life stages and over multiple generations. The continued widespread use of atrazine warrants further studies, as it is essential to understand the health risks for all species, including humans.