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Propylene glycol monomethyl ether. A three-generation study of isomer ß effects on reproductive and developmental parameters in rats

Laboratoire de Toxicologie expérimentale, Institut National de l’Environnement Industriel et des Risques, INERIS DRC TOXI, Verneuil en Halatte, France, emmanuel.lemazurier{at}ineris.fr

Anthony Lecomte

Laboratoire de Toxicologie expérimentale, Institut National de l’Environnement Industriel et des Risques, INERIS DRC TOXI, Verneuil en Halatte, France

Franck Robidel

Laboratoire de Toxicologie expérimentale, Institut National de l’Environnement Industriel et des Risques, INERIS DRC TOXI, Verneuil en Halatte, France

Frédéric Y Bois

Laboratoire de Toxicologie expérimentale, Institut National de l’Environnement Industriel et des Risques, INERIS DRC TOXI, Verneuil en Halatte, France

Propylene glycol monomethyl ether (PGME) is widely used as a solvent in numerous commercial products. Its chemical synthesis leads to the formation of two isomers: a and b, the latter being usually present in the range of 0.5-1.5%. Isomer has been shown to be of low toxicity. Isomer ß raises concerns as to its reproductive and developmental effects. We evaluated the reproductive and developmental toxicity of two different commercial mixes of PGME (Mix A: 99% isomer and 0.5% isomer ß, Mix B: 98.5% isomer and 1.5% isomer ß) on Sprague-Dawley rats. The use of two mixes allowed us to differentiate between isomer and isomer ß effects. Male and female rats were exposed through drinking water to mixes A or B during a gametogenesis cycle (64 days for males and 15 days for females) to 0, 2, 5, 10 and 15% (v/v) of each mix. These animals (F₀) and the three following generations (F₁, F₂ and F₃) were followed. We observed a statistically significant decrease in the number of pups in isomer -treated animals of generation F₁ and a nondose-related variation of the sex ratio in F₁ and F₂ generations after PGME mix B treatment. The most important effect observed was a decrease in testicular and epididymal sperm counts in relation to PGME isomer ß in acute daily exposure, on the first parental generation. The effect evidenced on sex ratio needs further work in order to assay the potential persistent effects of PGME exposure.

Key Words: developmental toxicity • PGME isomers • reproductive toxicology

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