Lack of adverse effects in the F1 offspring maternally exposed to genistein at human intake dose level

Recently there has been growing concern about endocrine disrupters (ED) derived from synthetic and natural chemicals. It has been argued that ED might cause developmental disorders in the next generations of animals and humans; however, this is still unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether maternal exposures to genistein (GEN) during gestation and lactation alter reproductive organs in the F1 offspring compared with those in 17β-estradiol (E2)-maternally exposed F1 offspring. Pregnant Sprague–Dawley rats were treated orally with 0.4 mg/kg, 4.0 mg/kg GEN or 10 μg/kg E2. Maternal or neonatal effects on the number of live pups, implantation sites, sex ratio, anogenital distance, eyelid opening/vaginal opening and body weight of live pups were not altered by GEN or E2. The weights of reproductive organs at the adult stage F1 offspring were not altered by maternal exposure to GEN, except for the ventral prostate. However, the weight of the seminal vesicle was significantly decreased from postnatal day (PND) 21 to PND 70 in E2-treated offspring. Sperm analyses, cell count in seminiferous tubules and follicular development in the ovary were not altered by maternal exposure to GEN. Taken together, these results suggest that maternal exposure of GEN might not have adverse effects on the reproductive organs in the F1 offspring at the human intake dose level.