Table 1.

Cycle phases and all cycle lengths following oral, subchronic CdCl₂, or 17β-estradiol (positive control) exposure and 90- and 180-day postexposure periods in comparison to controls.

Treatment	Dose (mg/kg b.w.)	Phase length (days)				Cycle length (days)	No. of extended cycles
		Proestrus	Estrus	Metaestrus	Diestrus
Group A (90-day exposure)
Pure control	0	1.8 ± 0.1	2.8 ± 0.2	2.6 ± 0.1	4.7 ± 0.2	4.3 ± 0.1	0
Cd	0.09	1.2±0.1a	4.6 ± 1.0a	1.9 ± 0.3a	4.6 ± 0.7	5.4 ± 0.8a	4
Cd	0.9	1.8 ± 0.2	2.9 ± 0.2	2.2 ± 0.2	5.1 ± 0.2a	4.7 ± 0.2a	3
Cd	1.8	1.8 ± 0.2	3.4 ± 0.2a	2.3 ± 0.2	4.4 ± 0.2	4.9 ± 0.3a	3
Cd	4.5	1.4 ± 0.1a	2.8 ± 0.2	2.6 ± 0.1	5.2 ± 0.2a	4.5 ± 0.3	4
Oil control	0	2.3 ± 0.1	2.6 ± 0.1	2.9 ± 0.2	4.3 ± 0.2	3.9 ± 0.2	0
Positive control	0.03	1.4 ± 0.1a	4.6 ± 0.4a	2.3 ± 0.2	3.7 ± 0.3a	5.6 ± 0.3a	5
Group B (90-day exposure and 90-day postexposure periods)
Pure control	0	1.7 ± 0.1	2.3 ± 0.1	2.8 ± 0.2	4.3 ± 0.2	3.8 ± 0.1	0
Cd	0.09	1.7 ± 0.1	1.9 ± 0.3a	2.6 ± 0.3	4.8 ± 0.4	4.8 ± 0.5a	2
Cd	0.9	1.6 ± 0.1	2.9 ± 0.2a	2.2 ± 0.2a	4.0 ± 0.2	4.1 ± 0.1	0
Cd	1.8	1.6 ± 0.1	2.6 ± 0.2	2.6 ± 0.1	4.1 ± 0.1	4.0 ± 0.1	0
Cd	4.5	1.8 ± 0.2	2.4 ± 0.2	2.8 ± 0.2	4.0 ± 0.2	3.9 ± 0.1	0
Oil control	0	1.6 ± 0.1	2.3 ± 0.2	2.9 ± 0.2	4.1 ± 0.2	4.0 ± 0.1	0
Positive control	0.03	1.6 ± 0.1	2.2 ± 0.1	2.7 ± 0.2	4.4 ± 0.1	4.1 ± 0.1	0
Group C (90-day exposure and 180-day postexposure periods)
Pure control	0	1.6 ± 0.1	2.8 ± 0.1	3.1 ± 0.3	4.4 ± 0.1	4.1 ± 0.1	0
Cd	0.09	1.5 ± 0.3	4.9 ± 0.9a	2.7 ± 0.3	2.9 ± 0.4a	5.3 ± 0.9a	3
Cd	0.9	1.6 ± 0.2	4.1 ± 0.6a	2.8 ± 0.2	3.5 ± 0.3a	4.3 ± 0.3	1
Cd	1.8	1.6 ± 0.1	2.8 ± 0.1	3.4 ± 0.1	4.2 ± 0.1	4.0 ± 0.1	0
Cd	4.5	1.8 ± 0.1	2.8 ± 0.1	3.6 ± 0.3	3.9 ± 0.3	4.2 ± 0.1	0
Oil control	0	1.4 ± 0.1	2.8 ± 0.1	3.2 ± 0.2	4.7±0.2	4.1 ± 0.1	0
Positive control	0.03	1.4 ± 0.1	2.9 ± 0.1	3.3 ± 0.2	4.1 ± 0.2	4.3 ± 0.2	1

All values are expressed as means ± SEM (n = 8). ^aSignificantly different from pure control (p ≤ 0.05).