Butylparaben (BP) is an antimicrobial agent utilized for decades as a preservative in numerous consumer products. The safety of parabens has recently come under scrutiny based on reports of estrogenic activity and suggested adverse effects upon the reproductive system. Due to the limited availability of studies that address the potential for BP exposure to induce reproductive toxicity, and clear evidence of human exposure, the National Toxicology Program conducted a multigenerational continuous breeding study to evaluate the impact of dietary BP-exposure at 0, 5000, 15,000, or 40,000 ppm on reproductive and developmental parameters in Hsd:Sprague Dawley SD rats. BP-exposure was not associated with adverse alterations of fertility, fecundity, pubertal attainment, or reproductive parameters in F0, F1, or F2 generations. Exposure-dependent increases in liver weights, and incidences of non-neoplastic liver lesions suggest the liver is a target organ of BP toxicity. No findings were observed that would support the purported mechanism of BP-induced endocrine disruption in perinatally-exposed rodents.

对羟基苯甲酸丁酯 (BP) 是一种抗菌剂，几十年来在众多消费品中用作防腐剂。对羟基苯甲酸酯的安全性最近根据雌激素活性的报告和对生殖系统的不利影响受到审查。由于解决 BP 暴露引起生殖毒性的可能性的研究有限，以及人类暴露的明确证据，国家毒理学计划进行了多代连续育种研究，以评估 0、5000 时饮食 BP 暴露的影响， Hsd:Sprague Dawley SD 大鼠的生殖和发育参数为 15,000 或 40,000 ppm。BP 暴露与 F0、F1 或 F2 代的生育力、繁殖力、青春期达到或生殖参数的不利变化无关。肝脏重量的暴露依赖性增加和非肿瘤性肝脏病变的发生率表明肝脏是 BP 毒性的靶器官。在围产期暴露的啮齿动物中，没有观察到支持 BP 诱导的内分泌紊乱的所谓机制的发现。