The disrupting effect of chlormequat chloride on growth hormone is associated with pregnancy.

Since chlormequat chloride is widely applied as a plant growth regulator in agriculture and horticulture, its exposure through food consumption is common. We demonstrated previously that chlormequat chloride exposure during pregnancy led to embryos with bigger sizes associated with higher levels of growth hormone (GH) on gestation day 11 (GD11). However, the dose-effect relationship of chlormequat chloride at a lower dose range was not established, and the underlying mechanisms of its promoting effects on embryonic growth and development were not fully elucidated.

Effects of prenatal chlorocholine chloride exposure on pubertal development and reproduction of male offspring in rats.

Chlorocholine chloride (CCC) promote plant growth as a regulator. Emerging evidence by our group showed that CCC might restrain the puberty onset and impair the reproductive functions in male rats through HPT axis. In this study, we further investigated the effects of prenatal CCC exposure on pubertal development, reproduction of male offspring in rats and explored the underlying mechanisms.

Chlormequat chloride promotes rat embryonic growth and GH-IGF-1 axis.

Chlormequat chloride, a plant growth regulator, is widely applied in agriculture because it can promote sturdier growth of the crops. In this research, we found that rat embryo growth on GD11 was inhibited in vitro at 50 μg/ml but promoted in vivo at 75 mg/kg.bw by maternal oral exposure.

Effects of chlorocholine chloride on pubertal development and reproductive functions in male rats.

Chlorocholine chloride (CCC), a plant growth retardant, may act as an endocrine disruptor. Our previous study showed that pubertal CCC exposure in rats might decrease testosterone (T) synthesis. This study observed the changes in pubertal development and reproduction of male rats exposed to CCC and its underlying mechanisms.

Chlormequat chloride retards rat embryo growth in vitro.

Chlormequat chloride is the most widely used plant growth regulator in agriculture to promote sturdier growth of grain crops by avoidance of lodging. Therefore, human exposure to chlormequat chloride is very common, but its developmental toxicity has not been studied. Thus, we investigated the developmental toxicity of chlormequat chloride by applying rat whole embryo culture (WEC) model, limb bud micromass culture and 3T3 fibroblast cytotoxicity test.