Single-cell transcriptomics allows novel insights into the endocrine-disrupting chemicals induced mammalian reproductive disorder

Prenatal exposure to Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and high-fat diet synergistically disrupts gonadal function in male mice†

Prenatal exposure to Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) impairs the reproductive system and causes fertility defects in male offspring. Additionally, high-fat (HF) diet is a risk factor for reproductive disorders in males. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to a physiologically relevant dose of DEHP in conjunction with HF diet synergistically impacts reproductive function and fertility in male offspring. Female mice were fed a control or HF diet 7 days prior to mating and until their litters were weaned on postnatal day 21. Pregnant dams were exposed to DEHP or vehicle from gestational day 10.5 until birth. The male offspring's gross phenotype, sperm quality, serum hormonal levels, testicular histopathology, and testicular gene expression pattern were analyzed. Male mice born to dams exposed to DEHP + HF had smaller testes, epididymides, and shorter anogenital distance compared with those exposed to HF or DEHP alone. DEHP + HF mice had lower sperm concentration and motility compared with DEHP mice. Moreover, DEHP + HF mice had more apoptotic germ cells, fewer Leydig cells, and lower serum testosterone levels than DEHP mice. Furthermore, testicular mRNA expression of Dnmt1 and Dnmt3a was two to eight-fold higher than in DEHP mice by qPCR, suggesting that maternal HF diet and prenatal DEHP exposure additively impact gonadal function by altering the degree of DNA methylation in the testis. These results suggest that the combined exposure to DEHP and high-fat synergistically impairs reproductive function in male offspring, greater than exposure to DEHP or HF diet alone.

20 years of polybrominated diphenyl ethers on toxicity assessments

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) serve as brominated flame retardants which continue to receive considerable attention because of their persistence, bioaccumulation, and potential toxicity. Although PBDEs have been restricted and phased out, large amounts of commercial products containing PBDEs are still in use and discarded annually. Consequently, PBDEs added to products can be released into our surrounding environments, particularly in aquatic systems, thus posing great risks to human health. Many studies and reviews have described the possible toxic effects of PBDEs, while few studies have comprehensively summarized and analyzed the global trends of their toxicity assessment. Therefore, this study utilizes bibliometrics to evaluate the worldwide scientific output of PBDE toxicity and analyze the hotspots and future trends of this field. Firstly, the basic information including the most contributing countries/institutions, journals, co-citations, influential authors, and keywords involved in PBDE toxicity assessment will be visualized. Subsequently, the potential toxicity of PBDE exposure to diverse systems, such as endocrine, reproductive, neural, and gastrointestinal tract systems, and related toxic mechanisms will be discussed. Finally, we conclude this review by outlining the current challenges and future perspectives in environmentally relevant PBDE exposure, potential carriers for PBDE transport, the fate of PBDEs in the environment and human bodies, advanced stem cell-derived organoid models for toxicity assessment, and promising omics technologies for obtaining toxic mechanisms. This review is expected to offer systematical insights into PBDE toxicity assessments and facilitate the development of PBDE-based research.