Postnatal exposure to octylphenol decreases semen quality in the adult ram

The aim of this experiment was to determine if maternal exposure to octylphenol pre- and/or postnatally influenced FSH concentrations and semen quantity and quality in postpubertal rams. Rams were born to ewes that received twice-weekly s.c. injections of octylphenol equivalent to 1000 μg/kg/day for one of the following periods: (1) day 70 of gestation (D70) to weaning (at 20 weeks postnatally; n = 4); (2) D70 to birth (n = 6); (3) birth to weaning (n = 7), controls received corn oil from D70 to weaning (n = 5). Rams were blood-sampled weekly and semen characteristics were evaluated at 1 year of age. Maternal exposure to octylphenol, pre- and/or postnatally did not affect FSH concentrations, semen volume, concentration, percentage live, motility or IVM/IVF characteristics. However, exposure to octylphenol from birth to weaning increased the number of morphologically abnormal sperm cells in the ejaculates of these rams.