Decreased superovulation in adult mice following neonatal exposures to technical methoxychlor.

To examine the effects of technical methoxychlor (MXC) on superovulation, neonatal mice received intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of either sesame oil, 10 micrograms of estradiol 17 beta, or 0.1, 0.5, or 1 mg of technical MXC. At 2 and 4 months, half of the mice received a superovulatory regimen of 10 IU pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin followed by 10 IU human chorionic gonadotropin. The mice were sacrificed 15 to 20 h later, the number of ovulated oocytes were counted, and the ovaries were removed for histology. In the lowest MXC dose, the ovaries appeared normal and at 2 months, ovulated the same number of oocytes as controls. Estradiol or the highest two MXC doses induced ovarian atrophy. Following gonadotropin injections, these ovaries also ovulated oocytes. However, the number of oocytes recovered from experimental mice exhibited a time- and dose-dependent decline, and by 4 months, their number was significantly reduced. Neonatal exposures to MXC reduces ovulatory rates and ovarian functions in adults.