Pubertal benzpyrene exposition decreases durably the sexual activity of the adult male and female rats.

Single benzpyrene treatment of 5 week old male and female rats significantly decreased their sexual activity at 3 months of age. Among the hormone preparations used nandrolone was comparatively practically ineffective, while estradiol decreased the lordosis quotient of females. In males benzpyrene produced a total failure of ejaculation. These results draw attention to the wide time-scale of receptorine and behavioral effects of the aromatic hydrocarbon, benzpyrene. These effects are detectable following fetal, neonatal or pubertal treatments, especially in females. In males, the negative effect was manifested after neonatal and pubertal treatments only. The experiments suggest that in some cases hormonal imprinting does not develop solely in the perinatal period but it might develop later.