Adult Rats Exposed to Low-Doses of Di-n-Butyl Phthalate During Gestation Exhibit Decreased Grooming Behavior

Developmental neurotoxicity of low-dose di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) to rats was studied. Pregnant rats were orally given DBP at doses less than 1.0 mg/kg/day during gestation period. The body weight of all dams and their offspring as well as the offspring's motor function showed no significant adverse effect. At 21 weeks, behaviors of male rats were examined by placing into a test cage. The rats born from dams exposed to 10 mu g DBP/kg/day exhibited a significant decrease of grooming. This indicates low-dose DBP adversely affects emotional stability in a novel environment.