The effects of five weeks treatment with dinitro-o-cresol- or trifluralin-containing pesticides on the germ cells of male mice.

The effects of two pesticides, the insecticide-herbicide Krezonit E, which contains 50% dinitro-o-cresol, and the herbicide Olitref, which contains 26% trifluralin (2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-4-trifluoromethylaniline), on the gonads and germ cells of male mice were studied. The pesticides were given twice a week for 5 weeks in i.p. doses of 0.6 mg kg-1 for Krezonit E and 6.0 mg kg-1 for Olitref. These doses are 1% of the i.p. LD50. Cytogenic analysis of germ cells carried out from 3 weeks onwards after the last treatment day showed that Olitref significantly increased the frequency of germinal chromosomal abnormalities at 6-7 weeks after treatment. This pesticide increased the frequency of autosomal univalents X/Y separations at meiotic metaphase and multivalent configurations. Krezonit E did not increase significantly the number of chromosomal abnormalities, although there was some increase at 3 weeks, mainly in the form of autosomal univalents.