Long-term consequences of neonatal exposure to chlordecone.

Neonate, female rats pups were injected with varying doses of chlordecone in cotton seed oil or with 1 mg chlordecone in dimethylsulfoxide. The effects of these neonatal treatments on vaginal opening, persistent vaginal estrus and adult sexual behavior were examined. Females treated with chlordecone showed earlier onset of vaginal opening and developed persistent vaginal estrus in adulthood. Sexual behavior of intact adult females was irregular but after ovariectomy and estrogen plus progesterone hormonal priming, chlordecone treated females showed normal lordosis responding. Females did not appear to have been defeminized by the neonatal chlordecone. After treatment with testosterone in adulthood, chlordecone treated females exhibited high levels of mounting behavior indicating that the neonatal treatments may have masculinized the developing hypothalamus. No significant effects of the vehicle were detected.