Olanzapine treatment of lactating females causes testicular atrophy in prepuberal rat offspring

ABSTRACT

The antipsychotic drug, olanzapine, is prescribed for postpartum psychosis. Possible adverse effects on fertility of offspring are unclear. We investigated the effects of administering olanzapine via lactation on testicular development and endocrine function of prepuberal male rats. Olanzapine was administered to mothers at 2.5, 5 or 10 mg/kg. We found in male offspring increased body weight, decreased gonadosomatic index, testicular weight and epididymal weight. The volume of seminiferous tubules, seminiferous epithelium, Leydig cells, intertubule tissue and lymphatic space was reduced in rat pups exposed to olanzapine. Tubule diameter and length, seminiferous epithelium height, Leydig cell size and nuclear diameter also were reduced. Testosterone levels were reduced in the groups exposed to olanzapine, while prolactin levels were increased. We observed histopathology in testes of animals whose mothers had been treated with 2.5 mg/kg olanzapine; more severe pathology was observed in offspring whose mothers were administered higher doses. Administration of olanzapine to mothers during lactation produced testicular and endocrine pathology in prepuberal rats in a dose-dependent manner.

KEYWORDS:

• Antipsychotic
• hormones
• lactation
• olanzapine
• puberty
• rats
• testis development

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil; and Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.