Atrazine exposure during puberty causes long-lasting neurochemical alterations and sex-dependent sexual behavior deficits in rats.

Atrazine is one of the most used pesticides worldwide. It is detected in surface and groundwater, together with its active metabolite. In animals, atrazine's toxic effects are neuroendocrine, behavioral, and developmental alterations, in both males and females. However, there are few studies on the effects of atrazine on an adult animal exposed during puberty. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the behavioral and neurochemical effects of atrazine exposure during puberty on adult male and female rats' sexual behavior sphere. Wistar rats were exposed to different doses of atrazine (10, 30, or 100 mg/kg) by oral gavage from postnatal day 22-41 (period equivalent to human adolescence). The behavioral and neurochemical evaluation were conducted by analyzing body weight gain, as well as water and food intake during treatment; male sexual behavior through gait test, sexual motivation test, penile erection test, and sexual behavior test; female sexual behavior through sexual behavior test and estrous cycle evaluation; and dopaminergic and serotoninergic systems. Results showed 1) few alterations in body weight gain, as well as water and food intake during treatment in both males and females; 2) males had few alterations in sexual behavior (increase in the latency for first erection and lower number of post-ejaculatory intromissions); 3) females had no alterations of sexual behavior; and 4) both male and female had alterations in the brain dopaminergic and serotoninergic systems, with males being more responsive. Taking together these data suggests that atrazine causes long-lasting adverse effects that can affect a rat's sexual performance.