Use of Acetaminophen During Pregnancy May Affect Masculinity of Son

[Jinzang]

If you want an alternative explanation of why America is going to hell, blame it on acetaminophen. A study of pregnant mice given acetaminophen showed that male children showed less typically male behaviors in mice:

Previous research has already indicated that acetaminophen can suppress the development of testosterone in male fetuses, potentially leading to developmental changes in the reproductive system and the brain.
The researchers evaluated the male rodents' behavior, looking at their aggressiveness toward other males and their ability to mark their territory, as well as their ability to mate. Prenatal exposure to acetaminophen resulted in alterations in the adults' urinary marking behavior. The rodents were also less aggressive toward males invading their territory. The mice also had "reduced intromissions and ejaculations" during mating.
The behavioral changes noticed by the researchers were also backed up by investigations into the mice's brains. The researchers found that the number of neurons had significantly decreased in the brain region that controls sex drive.

 

[Vince]

I rarely use Tylenol, I never knew how much trouble it can cause. Thanks for another informative post.

 

[Jinzang]

The author of the study is interviewed here.

[FONT=&quot]We have demonstrated that a reduced level of testosterone during fetal life by paracetamol means that male characteristics do not develop as they should. This also affects sex drive. In the trial, mice exposed to paracetamol at the foetal stage were simply unable to copulate in the same way as our control animals. Male programming had not been properly established during their foetal development and this could be seen long afterwards in their adult life. Moreover, the area of the brain that controls sex drive – the sexual dimorphic nucleus – had half as many neurons in the mice that had received paracetamol as the control mice. [/FONT]