Embryolethality of butyl benzyl phthalate during early pregnancy in rats

Determination of phthalic acid esters in Chinese white spirit using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction coupled with sweeping β-cyclodextrin-modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography

A simple method that consumes low organic solvent is proposed for the analysis of phthalic acid esters in Chinese white spirit using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction coupled with sweeping-micellar electrokinetic chromatography. Tetrachloromethane and white-spirit-containing ethanol were used as the extraction and dispersing solvents, respectively. The electrophoresis separation buffer was composed of 5 mM β-cyclodextrin, 50 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate and 25 mM borate buffer (pH 9.2) with 9% acetonitrile, enabling the baseline resolution of the analytes within 13 min. Under the optimum conditions, satisfactory linearities (5-1000 ng/mL, r ≥ 0.9909), good reproducibility (RSD ≤ 6.7% for peak area, and RSD ≤ 2.8% for migration time), low detection limits (0.4-0.8 ng/mL) and acceptable recovery rates (89.6-105.7%) were obtained. The proposed method was successfully applied to 22 Chinese white spirits, and the content of dibutyl phthalate in 55% of the samples exceeded the Specific Migration Limit of 0.3 mg/kg established by the domestic and international regulations.

Reproductive and developmental effects of phthalate diesters in females

Phthalate diesters, widely used in flexible plastics and consumer products, have become prevalent contaminants in the environment. Human exposure is ubiquitous and higher phthalate metabolite concentrations documented in patients using medications with phthalate-containing slow release capsules raises concerns for potential health effects. Furthermore, animal studies suggest that phthalate exposure can modulate circulating hormone concentrations and thus may be able to adversely affect reproductive physiology and the development of estrogen sensitive target tissues. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of the epidemiological and experimental animal literature examining the relationship between phthalate exposure and adverse female reproductive health outcomes. The epidemiological literature is sparse for most outcomes studied and plagued by small sample size, methodological weaknesses, and thus fails to support a conclusion of an adverse effect of phthalate exposure. Despite a paucity of experimental animal studies for several phthalates, we conclude that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that phthalates are reproductive toxicants. However, we note that the concentrations needed to induce adverse health effects are high compared to the concentrations measured in contemporary human biomonitoring studies. We propose that the current patchwork of studies, potential for additive effects and evidence of adverse effects of phthalate exposure in subsequent generations and at lower concentrations than in the parental generation support the need for further study.

Lack of modifying effects of 4-ter t-octylphenol and benzyl butyl phthalate on 3,2-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl-induced prostate carcinogenesis in rats

The modifying effects of dietary feeding of two estrogenic compounds, 4-tert-octylphenol (tOP) and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), on 3,2-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenol (DMAB)-induced prostatic carcinogenesis were investigated in male F344 rats. We also assessed the effects of the test compounds on the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) index in induced neoplasms, prostatic intra-epithelial neoplasm (PIN), and non-lesional glands in the prostate. To induce prostatic neoplasms, rats were given subcutaneous injections of DMAB (25 mg/kg body weight) every other week, 10 times in total. They also received the experimental diet containing 10 or 100 ppm tOP and BBP for 40 weeks, starting 1 week after the last dosing of DMAB. DMAB exposure produced prostatic adenocarcinoma with an incidence of 41.2% at the end of the study (week 60). Dietary administration of tOP and BBP did not affect the incidence of prostatic adenocarcinoma: 43.8% in the DMAB --> 10 ppm tOP group; 25.0% in the DMAB --> 100 ppm tOP group; 43.8% in the DMAB --> 10 ppm BBP group; and 43.8% in the DMAB --> 100 ppm BBP group. The PCNA indices in adenocarcinomas, PIN, and non-lesional glands in rats treated with DMAB and tOP or BBP were slightly lower than that of the DMAB alone group, but the differences were not statistically significant. These results might suggest that dietary feeding of the estrogenic compounds tOP and BBP did not modulate DMAB-induced prostatic carcinogenesis in rats.

Effects of monobutyl phthalate on reproductive function in pregnant and pseudopregnant rats

The effects of monobutyl phthalate (MBuP) on reproductive function were determined in pregnant and pseudopregnant rats. Rats were given MBuP by gastric intubation at 250, 500, 750, or 1000 mg/kg on days 0 to 8 of pregnancy and pregnancy outcome was determined on day 20 of pregnancy. The effects of MBuP on the uterine function, as a cause of early embryonic loss, were also determined in pseudopregnant rats, with an induced decidual cell response. The same doses of MBuP were given to pseudopregnant rats on days 0 to 8 of pseudopregnancy and the uterine weight on day 9 served as an index of uterine decidualization. MBuP at 1000 mg/kg caused significant increases in the incidences of preimplantation loss in females successfully mated and of postimplantation loss in females having implantations. Uterine decidualization in pseudopregnant rats was significantly decreased at 1000 mg/kg. These findings suggest that early embryonic loss due to MBuP is mediated, at least in part, via suppression of uterine decidualization, an impairment of uterine function.

Effects of endocrine-disrupting contaminants on amphibian oogenesis: methoxychlor inhibits progesterone-induced maturation of Xenopus laevis oocytes in vitro

There is currently little evidence of pollution-induced endocrine dysfunction in amphibia, in spite of widespread concern over global declines in this ecologically diverse group. Data regarding the potential effects of endocrine-disrupting contaminants (EDCs) on reproductive function in amphibia are particularly lacking. We hypothesized that estrogenic EDCs may disrupt progesterone-induced oocyte maturation in the adult amphibian ovary, and tested this with an in vitro germinal vesicle breakdown assay using defolliculated oocytes from the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. While a variety of natural and synthetic estrogens and xenoestrogens were inactive in this system, the proestrogenic pesticide methoxychlor was a surprisingly potent inhibitor of progesterone-induced oocyte maturation (median inhibitive concentration, 72 nM). This inhibitory activity was specific to methoxychlor, rather than to its estrogenic contaminants or metabolites, and was not antagonized by the estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780, suggesting that this activity is not estrogenic per se. The inhibitory activity of methoxychlor was dose dependent, reversible, and early acting. However, washout was unable to reverse the effect of short methoxychlor exposure, and methoxychlor did not competitively displace [3H]progesterone from a specific binding site in the oocyte plasma membrane. Therefore, methoxychlor may exert its action not directly at the site of progesterone action, but downstream on early events in maturational signaling, although the precise mechanism of action is unclear. The activity of methoxychlor in this system indicates that xenobiotics may exert endocrine-disrupting effects through interference with progestin-regulated processes and through mechanisms other than receptor antagonism.

Reproductive effects of butyl benzyl phthalate in pregnant and pseudopregnant rats

In our previous studies, butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) was found to be embryolethal and teratogenic in rats. In this study, the reproductive effects of BBP were investigated in pregnant and pseudopregnant rats. Rats were given BBP by gastric intubation at 0, 250, 500, 750, or 1000 mg/kg on Days 0 to 8 of pregnancy and the pregnancy outcome was determined on Day 20 of pregnancy. The same doses of BBP were given to pseudopregnant rats, with an induced decidual cell response on Days 0 to 8 of pseudopregnancy, and the uterine weight on Day 9 served as an index of the uterine decidualization. BBP caused significant increases in the incidences of preimplantation loss in females successfully mated at 1000 mg/kg and of postimplantation loss in females having implantations at 750 mg/kg and above. Uterine decidual growth in pseudopregnant rats was significantly decreased at 750 mg/kg and above. These findings suggest that early embryonic loss due to BBP may be mediated, at least in part, via the suppression of uterine decidualization, an impairment of uterine function.

Pre-implantation embryonic loss induced by tributyltin chloride in rats

The effect of tributyltin chloride (TBTCl) administered during early pregnancy on pregnancy maintenance was evaluated in rats. Inseminated females were orally administered TBTCl at a dose of 0, 8.1, 12.2 or 16.3 mg/kg on day 0 through day 7 of pregnancy. Females were sacrificed on day 20 of pregnancy and pregnancy outcome was determined. Pregnancy failure, which was evidenced by absence of implantation sites, was found in 0 of the 10, in 2 of the 11, in 10 of the 14 and in 10 of the 13 females at 0, 8.1, 12.2 and 16.3 mg/kg, respectively. The rate of pregnancy failure was significantly higher in the 12.2 and 16.3 mg/kg groups than that in the control group. In females with successful pregnancy, the numbers of corpora lutea, implantations and post-implantation loss per litter were comparable across all groups. No increase in the incidence of malformed fetuses was found in any TBTCl-treated groups. Thus it appears that TBTCl causes pregnancy failure after administration during very early pregnancy.

Characterization of developmental toxicity of mono-n-benzyl phthalate in rats

The objective of this study was to characterize the developmental toxicity of mono-n-benzyl phthalate (MBeP), which is one of the major metabolites of n-butyl benzyl phthalate. Pregnant rats were given MBeP by gastric intubation at 250, 375, 500, or 625 mg/kg on days 7 to 9, 10 to 12, or 13 to 15 of pregnancy. A significantly increased incidence of postimplantation loss was found at 500 mg/kg and above regardless of the days of administration. While administration of MBeP on days 7 to 9 or 13 to 15 at 375 mg/kg and above was significantly teratogenic, no evidence of teratogenicity was detected when MBeP was given on days 10 to 12. Deformity of the vertebral column and ribs and dilation of the renal pelvis were frequently observed after administration on days 7 to 9. Cleft palate and fused sternebrae were exclusively found after administration on days 13 to 15. These findings indicate that the susceptibility and spectrum of the developmental toxicity of MBeP vary with the developmental stages at the time of administration.