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Vallée A, Ceccaldi PF, Carbonnel M, Feki A, Ayoubi JM. Pollution and endometriosis: A deep dive into the environmental impacts on women's health. BJOG 2024; 131:401-414. [PMID: 37814514 DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.17687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The interaction between pollution and endometriosis is a pressing issue that demands immediate attention. The impact of pollution, particularly air and water pollution, or occupational hazards, on hormonal disruption and the initiation of endometriosis remains a major issue. OBJECTIVES This narrative review aims to delve into the intricate connection between pollution and endometriosis, shedding light on how environmental factors contribute to the onset and severity of this disease and, thus, the possible public health policy implications. DISCUSSION Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in pollutants dysregulate the hormonal balance, contributing to the progression of this major gynaecological disorder. Air pollution, specifically PM2.5 and PAHs, has been associated with an increased risk of endometriosis by enhancing chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormonal imbalances. Chemical contaminants in water and work exposures, including heavy metals, dioxins, and PCBs, disrupt the hormonal regulation and potentially contribute to endometriosis. Mitigating the environmental impact of pollution is required to safeguard women's reproductive health. This requires a comprehensive approach involving stringent environmental regulations, sustainable practices, responsible waste management, research and innovation, public awareness, and collaboration among stakeholders. CONCLUSION Public health policies have a major role in addressing the interaction between pollution and endometriosis in a long-term commitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Vallée
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Foch Hospital, Suresnes, France
| | - Pierre-François Ceccaldi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, Foch Hospital, Suresnes, France
- Medical School, University of Versailles, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), Versailles, France
| | - Marie Carbonnel
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, Foch Hospital, Suresnes, France
- Medical School, University of Versailles, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), Versailles, France
| | - Anis Feki
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Marc Ayoubi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, Foch Hospital, Suresnes, France
- Medical School, University of Versailles, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), Versailles, France
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2
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De La Torre KM, Lee Y, Safar A, Laws MJ, Meling DD, Thompson LM, Streifer M, Weis KE, Raetzman LT, Gore AC, Flaws JA. Prenatal and postnatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls alter follicle numbers, gene expression, and a proliferation marker in the rat ovary. Reprod Toxicol 2023; 120:108427. [PMID: 37400041 PMCID: PMC10528725 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2023.108427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were used in industrial applications until they were banned in the 1970s, but they still persist in the environment. Little is known about the long-term effects of exposure to PCB mixtures on the rat ovary during critical developmental periods. Thus, this study tested whether prenatal and postnatal exposures to PCBs affect follicle numbers and gene expression in the ovaries of F1 offspring. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with vehicle or Aroclor 1221 (A1221) at 1 mg/kg/day during embryonic days 8-18 and/or postnatal days (PND) 1-21. Ovaries from F1 rats were collected for assessment of follicle numbers and differential expression of estrogen receptor 1 (Esr1), estrogen receptor 2 (Esr2), androgen receptor (Ar), progesterone receptor (Pgr), and Ki-67 (Ki67) at PNDs 8, 32, and 60. Sera were collected for measurement of estradiol concentrations. Prenatal exposure to A1221 significantly decreased the number of primordial follicles and the total number of follicles at PND 32 compared to control. Postnatal PCB exposure borderline increased Ki67 gene expression and significantly increased Ki67 protein levels (PND 60) compared to control. Combined prenatal and postnatal PCB exposure borderline decreased Ar expression (PND 8) compared to control. However, PCB exposure did not significantly affect the expression of Pgr, Esr1, and Esr2 or serum estradiol concentrations compared to control at any time point. In conclusion, these data suggest that PCB exposure affects follicle numbers and levels of the proliferation marker Ki67, but it does not affect expression of some sex steroid hormone receptors in the rat ovary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathy M De La Torre
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Yuna Lee
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Adira Safar
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Mary J Laws
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Daryl D Meling
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Madeline Streifer
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Karen E Weis
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Lori T Raetzman
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jodi A Flaws
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA.
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3
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Weis KE, Thompson LM, Streifer M, Guardado I, Flaws JA, Gore AC, Raetzman LT. Pre- and postnatal developmental exposure to the polychlorinated biphenyl mixture aroclor 1221 alters female rat pituitary gonadotropins and estrogen receptor alpha levels. Reprod Toxicol 2023; 118:108388. [PMID: 37127253 PMCID: PMC10228234 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2023.108388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated-biphenyls (PCBs) are industrial compounds, which were widely used in manufacturing of electrical parts and transformers. Despite being banned in 1979 due to human health concerns, they persist in the environment. In humans and experimental model systems, PCBs elicit toxicity in part by acting as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Aroclor 1221 (A1221) is a weakly estrogenic PCB mixture known to alter reproductive function in rodents. EDCs can impact hormone signaling at any level of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, and we investigated the effects of A1221 exposure during the prenatal and postnatal developmental periods on pituitary hormone and steroid receptor expression in female rats. Examining offspring at 3 ages, postnatal day 8 (P8), P32 and P60, we found that prenatal exposure to A1221 increased P8 neonate pituitary luteinizing hormone beta (Lhb) mRNA and LHβ gonadotrope cell number while decreasing LH serum hormone concentration. No changes in pituitary hormone or hormone receptor gene expression were observed peri-puberty at P32. In reproductively mature rats at P60, we found pituitary follicle stimulating hormone beta (Fshb) mRNA levels increased by prenatal A1221 exposure with no corresponding alterations in FSH hormone or FSHβ expressing cell number. Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) mRNA and protein levels were also increased at P60, but only following postnatal A1221 dosing. Together, these data illustrate that exposure to the PCB A1221, during critical developmental windows, alters pituitary gonadotropin hormone subunits and ERα levels in offspring at different phases of maturation, potentially impacting reproductive function in concert with other components of the HPG axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Weis
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, United States
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | - Madeline Streifer
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | - Isabella Guardado
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, United States
| | - Jodi A Flaws
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, United States
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | - Lori T Raetzman
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, United States.
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4
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Morin SM, Majhi PD, Crisi GM, Gregory KJ, Franca R, Schalet B, Mason H, Casaubon JT, Cao QJ, Haddad S, Makari-Judson G, Jerry DJ, Schneider SS. Interindividual variation contributes to differential PCB 126 induced gene expression in primary breast epithelial cells and tissues. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 241:113722. [PMID: 35724515 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
PCB 126 is a pervasive, dioxin-like chemical pollutant which can activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Despite being banned from the market, PCB 126 can be detected in breast milk to this day. The extent to which interindividual variation impacts the adverse responses to this chemical in the breast tissue remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact of 3 nM PCB 126 on gene expression in a panel of genetically diverse benign human breast epithelial cell (HBEC) cultures and patient derived breast tissues. Six patient derived HBEC cultures were treated with 3 nM PCB 126. RNAseq was used to interrogate the impact of exposure on differential gene expression. Gene expression changes from the top critical pathways were confirmed via qRT-PCR in a larger panel of benign patient derived HBEC cultures, as well as in patient-derived breast tissue explant cultures. RNAseq analysis of HBEC cultures revealed a signature of 144 genes significantly altered by 3 nM PCB 126 treatment. Confirmation of 8 targets using a panel of 12 HBEC cultures and commercially available breast cell lines demonstrated that while the induction of canonical downstream target gene, CYP1A1, was consistent across our primary HBECs, other genes including AREG, S100A8, IL1A, IL1B, MMP7, and CCL28 exhibited significant variability across individuals. The dependence on the activity of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor was confirmed using inhibitors. PCB 126 can induce significant and consistent changes in gene expression associated with xenobiotic metabolism in benign breast epithelial cells. Although the induction of most genes was reliant on the AhR, significant variability was noted between genes and individuals. These data suggest that there is a bifurcation of the pathway following AhR activation that contributes to the variation in interindividual responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Morin
- Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute, Springfield, MA 01199, United States; Dept of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
| | - Prabin Dhangada Majhi
- Dept of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
| | - Giovanna M Crisi
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School-Baystate, Department of Pathology, Springfield, MA 01199, United States
| | - Kelly J Gregory
- Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute, Springfield, MA 01199, United States
| | - Renata Franca
- Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute, Springfield, MA 01199, United States
| | - Benjamin Schalet
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School-Baystate, Department of Surgery, Springfield, MA 01199, United States
| | - Holly Mason
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School-Baystate, Department of Surgery, Springfield, MA 01199, United States
| | - Jesse Thomas Casaubon
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School-Baystate, Department of Surgery, Springfield, MA 01199, United States
| | - Qing Jackie Cao
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School-Baystate, Department of Pathology, Springfield, MA 01199, United States
| | - Sandra Haddad
- Dept of Science, Bay Path University, Longmeadow, MA 01106, United States
| | - Grace Makari-Judson
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School-Baystate, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Springfield, MA, United States
| | - D Joseph Jerry
- Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute, Springfield, MA 01199, United States; Dept of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
| | - Sallie S Schneider
- Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute, Springfield, MA 01199, United States; Dept of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, United States; University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School-Baystate, Department of Surgery, Springfield, MA 01199, United States.
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5
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Ullah S, Ahmad S, Guo X, Ullah S, Ullah S, Nabi G, Wanghe K. A review of the endocrine disrupting effects of micro and nano plastic and their associated chemicals in mammals. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1084236. [PMID: 36726457 PMCID: PMC9885170 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1084236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the years, the vaste expansion of plastic manufacturing has dramatically increased the environmental impact of microplastics [MPs] and nanoplastics [NPs], making them a threat to marine and terrestrial biota because they contain endocrine disrupting chemicals [EDCs] and other harmful compounds. MPs and NPs have deleteriouse impacts on mammalian endocrine components such as hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, testes, and ovaries. MPs and NPs absorb and act as a transport medium for harmful chemicals such as bisphenols, phthalates, polybrominated diphenyl ether, polychlorinated biphenyl ether, organotin, perfluorinated compounds, dioxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organic contaminants, and heavy metals, which are commonly used as additives in plastic production. As the EDCs are not covalently bonded to plastics, they can easily leach into milk, water, and other liquids affecting the endocrine system of mammals upon exposure. The toxicity induced by MPs and NPs is size-dependent, as smaller particles have better absorption capacity and larger surface area, releasing more EDC and toxic chemicals. Various EDCs contained or carried by MPs and NPs share structural similarities with specific hormone receptors; hence they interfere with normal hormone receptors, altering the hormonal action of the endocrine glands. This review demonstrates size-dependent MPs' bioaccumulation, distribution, and translocation with potential hazards to the endocrine gland. We reviewed that MPs and NPs disrupt hypothalamic-pituitary axes, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid/adrenal/testicular/ovarian axis leading to oxidative stress, reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, cytotoxicity, developmental abnormalities, decreased sperm quality, and immunotoxicity. The direct consequences of MPs and NPs on the thyroid, testis, and ovaries are documented. Still, studies need to be carried out to identify the direct effects of MPs and NPs on the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Ullah
- Centre of Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Shahid Ahmad
- School of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Xinle Guo
- Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, College of Life Sciences, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, China
| | - Saleem Ullah
- Centre of Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Sana Ullah
- Department of Zoology, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ghulam Nabi
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
- *Correspondence: Ghulam Nabi, ; Kunyuan Wanghe,
| | - Kunyuan Wanghe
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Laboratory of Plateau Fish Evolutionary and Functional Genomics, Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, Xining, China
- *Correspondence: Ghulam Nabi, ; Kunyuan Wanghe,
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6
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Tam N, Lai KP, Kong RYC. Comparative transcriptomic analysis reveals reproductive impairments caused by PCBs and OH-PCBs through the dysregulation of ER and AR signaling. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 802:149913. [PMID: 34474298 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Reports have highlighted the presence of PCBs and their metabolites, OH-PCBs, in human serum as well as their endocrine-disrupting effects on reproductive function through direct interactions with the androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptor (ER). However, the molecular mechanisms directly linking the actions of PCBs and OH-PCBs on the AR and ER to induce reproductive impairment remain poorly understood. In this study, we characterized the cellular response to PCBs and OH-PCBs acting on AR and ER transactivation at the transcriptome level coupled with bioinformatics analysis to identify the downstream pathways of androgen and estrogen signaling that leads to reproductive dysfunction. We first confirmed the agonistic and antagonistic effects of several PCBs and OH-PCBs on AR- and ER-mediated reporter gene activity using the androgen-responsive LNCaP and estrogen-responsive MCF-7 cell lines, respectively. Anti-estrogenic activity was not detected among the tested compounds; however, we found that in addition to anti-androgenic and estrogenic activity, PCB 28 and PCB 138 exhibited androgenic activity, while most of the tested OH-PCBs showed a synergistic effect on DHT-mediated transactivation of the AR. Bioinformatics analysis of transcriptome profiles from selected PCBs and OH-PCBs revealed various pathways that were dysregulated depending on their agonistic, antagonistic, or synergistic effects. The OH-PCBs with estrogenic activity affected pathways including vitamin metabolism and calcium transport. Other notable dysregulated pathways include cholesterol transport in response to androgenic PCBs, thyroid hormone metabolism in response to anti-androgenic PCBs, and antioxidant pathways in response to androgen-synergistic OH-PCBs. Our results demonstrate that PCBs and OH-PCBs directly alter specific pathways through androgen- or estrogen-mediated signaling, thereby providing additional insights into the mechanisms by which these compounds cause reproductive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Tam
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Keng Po Lai
- Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Integrative Omics, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, PR China; Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Richard Yuen Chong Kong
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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Patisaul HB. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and the neuroendocrine system: Beyond estrogen, androgen, and thyroid. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2021; 92:101-150. [PMID: 34452685 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2021.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Hundreds of anthropogenic chemicals occupy our bodies, a situation that threatens the health of present and future generations. This chapter focuses on endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), both naturally occurring and man-made, that affect the neuroendocrine system to adversely impact health, with an emphasis on reproductive and metabolic pathways. The neuroendocrine system is highly sexually dimorphic and essential for maintaining homeostasis and appropriately responding to the environment. Comprising both neural and endocrine components, the neuroendocrine system is hormone sensitive throughout life and touches every organ system in the body. The integrative nature of the neuroendocrine system means that EDCs can have multi-system effects. Additionally, because gonadal hormones are essential for the sex-specific organization of numerous neuroendocrine pathways, endocrine disruption of this programming can lead to permanent deficits. Included in this review is a brief history of the neuroendocrine disruption field and a thorough discussion of the most common and less well understood neuroendocrine disruption modes of action. Also provided are extensive examples of how EDCs are likely contributing to neuroendocrine disorders such as obesity, and evidence that they have the potential for multi-generational effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather B Patisaul
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States.
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8
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Wang Y, Hu C, Fang T, Jin Y, Wu R. Perspective on prenatal polychlorinated biphenyl exposure and the development of the progeny nervous system (Review). Int J Mol Med 2021; 48:150. [PMID: 34132363 PMCID: PMC8219518 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2021.4983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The developmental origins of health and disease concept illustrates that exposure in early life to various factors may affect the offspring's long-term susceptibility to disease. During development, the nervous system is sensitive and vulnerable to the environmental insults. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are divided into dioxin-like (DL-PCBs) and non-dioxin-like PCBs (NDL-PCBs), are synthetic persistent environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The toxicological mechanisms of DL-PCBs have been associated with the activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and NDL-PCBs have been associated with ryanodine receptor-mediated calcium ion channels, which affect neuronal migration, promote dendritic growth and alter neuronal connectivity. In addition, PCB accumulation in the placenta destroys the fetal placental unit and affects endocrine function, particularly thyroid hormones and the dopaminergic system, leading to neuroendocrine disorders. However, epidemiological investigations have not achieved a consistent result in different study cohorts. The present review summarizes the epidemiological differences and possible mechanisms of the effects of intrauterine PCB exposure on neurological development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinfeng Wang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, P.R. China
| | - Changchang Hu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, P.R. China
| | - Tao Fang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, P.R. China
| | - Yang Jin
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, P.R. China
| | - Ruijin Wu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, P.R. China
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Lopez-Rodriguez D, Franssen D, Bakker J, Lomniczi A, Parent AS. Cellular and molecular features of EDC exposure: consequences for the GnRH network. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2021; 17:83-96. [PMID: 33288917 DOI: 10.1038/s41574-020-00436-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The onset of puberty and the female ovulatory cycle are important developmental milestones of the reproductive system. These processes are controlled by a tightly organized network of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, as well as genetic, epigenetic and hormonal factors, which ultimately drive the pulsatile secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone. They also strongly depend on organizational processes that take place during fetal and early postnatal life. Therefore, exposure to environmental pollutants such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during critical periods of development can result in altered brain development, delayed or advanced puberty and long-term reproductive consequences, such as impaired fertility. The gonads and peripheral organs are targets of EDCs, and research from the past few years suggests that the organization of the neuroendocrine control of reproduction is also sensitive to environmental cues and disruption. Among other mechanisms, EDCs interfere with the action of steroidal and non-steroidal receptors, and alter enzymatic, metabolic and epigenetic pathways during development. In this Review, we discuss the cellular and molecular consequences of perinatal exposure (mostly in rodents) to representative EDCs with a focus on the neuroendocrine control of reproduction, pubertal timing and the female ovulatory cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Delphine Franssen
- Neuroendocrinology Unit, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Julie Bakker
- Neuroendocrinology Unit, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Alejandro Lomniczi
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC), OHSU, OR, USA
| | - Anne-Simone Parent
- Neuroendocrinology Unit, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Liège, Liège, Belgium.
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10
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Berlin M, Barchel D, Brik A, Kohn E, Livne A, Keidar R, Tovbin J, Betser M, Moskovich M, Mandel D, Lubetzky R, Ovental A, Factor-Litvak P, Britzi M, Ziv-Baran T, Koren R, Klieger C, Berkovitch M, Matok I, Marom R. Maternal and Newborn Thyroid Hormone, and the Association With Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Burden: The EHF (Environmental Health Fund) Birth Cohort. Front Pediatr 2021; 9:705395. [PMID: 34589452 PMCID: PMC8473683 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2021.705395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants found in human tissues. PCBs can be transferred through the placenta and may disrupt the maternal thyroid homeostasis, and affect fetal thyroid hormone production. Several studies have shown that intrauterine exposure to PCBs might be associated with abnormal levels of thyroid hormones in mothers and their offspring. Objectives: To examine the associations between environmental exposure to PCBs and thyroid hormone levels in mothers and newborns. Methods: The EHF-Assaf-Harofeh-Ichilov cohort includes 263 mothers-newborns dyads. A total of 157 mother-newborn dyads had both PCBs and thyroid function measures. Regression models were used to estimate associations between maternal PCB exposure and maternal and newborn thyroid function, controlling for possible confounders. Results: Four PCBs congeners were analyzed: PCBs 118, 138, 153, and 180. ∑PCBs median (IQR) level was 14.65 (2.83-68.14) ng/g lipids. The median maternal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level was 2.66 (0.70-8.23) μIU/ml, the median maternal free thyroxine (FT4) level was 12.44 (11.27-13.53) μg/dL, the median maternal thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO Ab) level was 9.6 (7.36-12.51) IU/mL. Newborns' median total thyroxine (T4) level was 14.8 (7.6-24.9) μg/dL. No association was found between exposure to different congeners or to ∑PCBs and maternal TSH, FT4, thyroglobulin autoantibodies (Tg Ab), TPO Ab and newborn total T4 levels. In multivariable analysis a 1% change in ∑PCBs level was significantly associated with a 0.57% change in maternal TSH levels in women with body mass index (BMI) < 19. The same association was observed for each of the studied PCB congeners. Maternal TPO Ab levels statistically significantly increased by 0.53 and 0.46% for 1% increase in PCB 118 and 153 congeners, respectively. In women with BMI > 25, the association between the PCBs levels and maternal TSH levels was in the opposite direction. No association was found in women with normal BMI (19-24.9). Conclusions: Background exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of some PCBs can alter thyroid hormone homeostasis in pregnant women and might be associated with abnormal TSH levels and TPO-Ab in women with low BMI. However, these findings require further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Berlin
- Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Division of Clinical Pharmacy, Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Dana Barchel
- Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Anna Brik
- Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Elkana Kohn
- Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ayelet Livne
- Department of Neonatology, Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Rimona Keidar
- Department of Neonatology, Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Josef Tovbin
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Moshe Betser
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Miki Moskovich
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Dror Mandel
- Departments of Neonatology and Pediatrics, Dana Dwek Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ronit Lubetzky
- Departments of Neonatology and Pediatrics, Dana Dwek Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Amit Ovental
- Departments of Neonatology and Pediatrics, Dana Dwek Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Pam Factor-Litvak
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Malka Britzi
- Residues Lab, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit-Dagan, Israel
| | - Tomer Ziv-Baran
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ronit Koren
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Department of Internal Medicine A, Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Chagit Klieger
- Feto-Maternal Unit, Lis Hospital, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Matitiahu Berkovitch
- Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ilan Matok
- Division of Clinical Pharmacy, Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ronella Marom
- Departments of Neonatology and Pediatrics, Dana Dwek Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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11
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Plunk EC, Richards SM. Endocrine-Disrupting Air Pollutants and Their Effects on the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21239191. [PMID: 33276521 PMCID: PMC7731392 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21239191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can contaminate air, soil, and water. Human exposures to EDCs occur through inhalation, absorption, and ingestion. EDCs act by disrupting various pathways in the endocrine system. When the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis is disrupted by EDCs, there can be effects on fertility in both men and women. Not only can fertility be indirectly affected by EDC disruptions of the HPG axis, but EDCs can also directly affect the menstrual cycle and sperm morphology. In this review, we will discuss the current findings on EDCs that can be inhaled. This review examines effects of exposure to prominent EDCs: brominated and organophosphate flame retardants, diesel exhaust, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, cadmium and lead, TCDD, and polychlorinated biphenyls on fertility through alterations that disrupt the HPG axis and fertility through inhalation. Although the studies included herein include multiple exposure routes, all the studies indicate receptor interactions that can occur from inhalation and the associated effects of all compounds on the HPG axis and subsequent fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C. Plunk
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical School, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Sean M. Richards
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA;
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA
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12
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Hernandez Scudder ME, Kunkel MN, Gore AC. Exposure to prenatal PCBs shifts the timing of neurogenesis in the hypothalamus of developing rats. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2020; 333:550-560. [PMID: 32798281 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The developing brain is highly sensitive to the hormonal milieu, with gonadal steroid hormones involved in neurogenesis, neural survival, and brain organization. Limited available evidence suggests that endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may perturb these developmental processes. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to a mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Aroclor 1221, would disrupt the normal timing of neurogenesis in two hypothalamic regions: the ventromedial nucleus (VMN) and the preoptic area (POA). These regions were selected because of their important roles in the control of sociosexual behaviors that are perturbed in adulthood by prenatal EDC exposure. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to PCBs from Embryonic Day 8 (E8) to E18, encompassing the period of neurogenesis of all hypothalamic neurons. To determine the birth dates of neurons, bromo-2-deoxy-5-uridine (BrdU) was administered to dams on E12, E14, or E16. On the day after birth, male and female pups were perfused, brains immunolabeled for BrdU, and numbers of cells counted. In the VMN, exposure to PCBs significantly advanced the timing of neurogenesis compared to vehicle-treated pups, without changing the total number of BrdU+ cells. In the POA, PCBs did not change the timing of neurogenesis nor the total number of cells born. This is the first study to show that PCBs can shift the timing of neurogenesis in the hypothalamus, specifically in the VMN but not the POA. This result has implications for functions controlled by the VMN, especially sociosexual behaviors, as well as for sexual selection more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andrea C Gore
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.,Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
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13
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Nelson W, Wang YX, Sakwari G, Ding YB. Review of the Effects of Perinatal Exposure to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in Animals and Humans. REVIEWS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2020; 251:131-184. [PMID: 31129734 DOI: 10.1007/398_2019_30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Maternal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is associated with long-term hormone-dependent effects that are sometimes not revealed until maturity, middle age, or adulthood. The aim of this study was to conduct descriptive reviews on animal experimental and human epidemiological evidence of the adverse health effects of in utero and lactational exposure to selected EDCs on the first generation and subsequent generation of the exposed offspring. PubMed, Web of Science, and Toxline databases were searched for relevant human and experimental animal studies on 29 October 29 2018. Search results were screened for relevance, and studies that met the inclusion criteria were evaluated and qualitative data extracted for analysis. The search yielded 73 relevant human and 113 animal studies. Results from studies show that in utero and lactational exposure to EDCs is associated with impairment of reproductive, immunologic, metabolic, neurobehavioral, and growth physiology of the exposed offspring up to the fourth generation without additional exposure. Little convergence is seen between animal experiments and human studies in terms of the reported adverse health effects which might be associated with methodologic challenges across the studies. Based on the available animal and human evidence, in utero and lactational exposure to EDCs is detrimental to the offspring. However, more human studies are necessary to clarify the toxicological and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Nelson
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproductive and Development, Department of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying-Xiong Wang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproductive and Development, Department of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Gloria Sakwari
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health and Social Sciences, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es salaam, Tanzania
| | - Yu-Bin Ding
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproductive and Development, Department of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
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14
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Krishnan K, Rahman S, Hasbum A, Morales D, Thompson LM, Crews D, Gore AC. Maternal care modulates transgenerational effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on offspring pup vocalizations and adult behaviors. Horm Behav 2019; 107:96-109. [PMID: 30576639 PMCID: PMC6366859 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can act upon a developing organism to change its endocrine health and behavior in adulthood. Beyond actions on the exposed individuals, transgenerational effects of several EDCs have been reported. This study assessed the combinatorial impact of EDC-altered maternal care and transgenerational inheritance on F3 male and female offspring. Pregnant rats were exposed to EDCs with different modes of action: the weakly estrogenic polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture Aroclor 1221, the anti-androgenic fungicide vinclozolin (VIN), or the vehicle (6% dimethylsulfoxide in sesame oil; VEH) during embryonic development. The F1 male and female offspring were bred through the paternal- or maternal-lineage with untreated partners to generate F2 offspring. This process was repeated through both maternal and paternal lineages to create the F3 generation. Maternal care of F2 dams towards their F3 offspring was altered in a lineage-dependent manner, particularly in PCB paternal-lineage animals. When F3 pups were recorded for ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) following separation from the mother, the rate of neonatal USVs in F3 offspring were decreased in PCB paternal-lineage pups. In adulthood, anxiety-like behaviors of the F3 rats were tested, with only small effects of EDCs detected. These interactions of maternal behaviors and EDC effects across generations, especially via the paternal lineage, has implications for health and environmental responses in wildlife and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krittika Krishnan
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Shafaqat Rahman
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Asbiel Hasbum
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Daniel Morales
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - David Crews
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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15
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Gillette R, Son MJ, Ton L, Gore AC, Crews D. Passing experiences on to future generations: endocrine disruptors and transgenerational inheritance of epimutations in brain and sperm. Epigenetics 2018; 13:1106-1126. [PMID: 30444163 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2018.1543506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
All animals have body burdens of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) despite their ban decades ago. These and modern endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as the fungicide vinclozolin (VIN) perturb hormone signaling and lead to dysfunctions following prenatal exposures. Beyond direct exposures, transgenerational disease phenotypes can persist for multiple generations without subsequent exposure. The mechanisms of action of these EDCs differ: VIN is anti-androgenic while the PCB mixture Aroclor 1221 (A1221) is weakly estrogenic. Based on limited evidence for the inheritance of epimutations in germline, we measured DNA methylation in brain and sperm of rats. Pregnant dams were exposed from day 8-18 of gestation to low dosages of VIN, A1221, or the vehicle. To produce paternal lineages, exposed F1 males were bred with untreated females, creating the F2 and subsequently F3 generations. In adult F1 and F3 males, mature sperm was collected, and brain nuclei involved in anxiety and social behaviors (CA3 of the hippocampus; central amygdala) were selected for assays of epimutations in CpG islands using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing. In F1 sperm, VIN and PCBs induced differential methylation in 215 and 284 CpG islands, respectively, compared to vehicle. The majority of effects were associated with hypermethylation. Fewer epimutations were detected in the brain. A subset of differentially methylated regions were retained from the F1 to the F3 generation, suggesting a common mechanism of EDC and germline epigenome interaction. Thus, EDCs can cause heritable epimutations in the sperm that may embody the future phenotype of brain-behavior disorders caused by direct or transgenerational exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Gillette
- a Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology , The University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX , USA
| | - Min Ji Son
- b Section of Integrative Biology , The University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX , USA
| | - Lexi Ton
- b Section of Integrative Biology , The University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX , USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- a Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology , The University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX , USA.,c Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy , The University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX , USA
| | - David Crews
- a Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology , The University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX , USA.,b Section of Integrative Biology , The University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX , USA
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16
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Krishnan K, Mittal N, Thompson LM, Rodriguez-Santiago M, Duvauchelle CL, Crews D, Gore AC. Effects of the Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals, Vinclozolin and Polychlorinated Biphenyls, on Physiological and Sociosexual Phenotypes in F2 Generation Sprague-Dawley Rats. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2018; 126:97005. [PMID: 30212226 PMCID: PMC6375392 DOI: 10.1289/ehp3550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during gestation influences development of the F1 generation offspring and can result in disease and dysfunction in adulthood. Limited evidence suggests consequences on the F2 generation, exposed as germ cells within the F1 fetus. These F2s provide a unique window into the programming effects of EDCs. OBJECTIVE This study assessed intergenerational effects of EDC exposure on adult physiology and behavior in Sprague-Dawley rats. METHODS Pregnant rats were exposed to either a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture, Aroclor 1,221 (A1221), the fungicide vinclozolin (VIN), or the vehicle (VEH) (6% dimethylsulfoxide in sesame oil) alone. A1221 is weakly estrogenic, while VIN is antiandrogenic, enabling us to compare different classes of EDCs. The F1 male and female offspring were bred to generate the paternal- and maternal-lineage F2 generation. This F2 generation was assessed for physiological outcomes, ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), and sexual behavior in adulthood. RESULTS Each EDC caused phenotypic effects in a sex- and lineage-dependent manner. The most robustly affected group was the paternal-lineage males. F2 VIN paternal male descendants had increased body weight throughout the lifespan, lower concentrations of circulating estradiol, and lower adrenal and testicular indices. Both VIN and A1221 paternal-lineage males also exhibited the greatest number of changes in the characteristics of USVs in response to an opposite-sex animal and changes in sexual behaviors in a mating test. CONCLUSION Exposure of rats to EDCs at the germ cell stage led to differences in the physiological and behavioral phenotype later in life, especially in males. This finding has implications for multigenerational physiological and reproductive health in wildlife and humans. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3550.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krittika Krishnan
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Nitish Mittal
- 2 Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- 2 Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
| | | | - Christine L Duvauchelle
- 2 Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
| | - David Crews
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
- 4 Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
- 2 Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
- 3 Institute of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
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17
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Reilly MP, Weeks CD, Crews D, Gore AC. Application of a novel social choice paradigm to assess effects of prenatal endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure in rats (Rattus norvegicus). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 132:253-267. [PMID: 29683687 DOI: 10.1037/com0000103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) exposures during critical periods of gestation cause long-lasting behavioral effects, presumably by disturbing hormonal organization of the brain. Among such EDCs are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a class of industrial chemicals. PCB exposure in utero leads to alterations in mating behaviors and other sexually dimorphic social interactions in rats. Many of the previous studies on social behavior gave the experimental animal a single or binary choice. This study applied a more complex behavioral apparatus, an X-shaped Plexiglas apparatus (FourPlex), that enabled an experimental animal exposed to PCBs or a vehicle to distinguish and choose among 4 stimulus animals of the same or opposite sex, and of different hormonal status. We found that rats were able to differentiate among the stimuli in the FourPlex and showed the expected preference for an opposite sex, hormone-treated rat, particularly for behaviors conducted in proximity. Prenatal treatment caused subtle shifts in behavior toward stimulus rats in the FourPlex; more robust effects were seen for the sexual dimorphisms in behavior. Importantly, the results differ from our previous results of a simple binary choice model, showing that how an animal behaves in a more complex social paradigm does not predict the outcome in a simple choice model, and vice versa. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Reilly
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Connor D Weeks
- College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - David Crews
- Section of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin
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18
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Mennigen JA, Thompson LM, Bell M, Tellez Santos M, Gore AC. Transgenerational effects of polychlorinated biphenyls: 1. Development and physiology across 3 generations of rats. Environ Health 2018; 17:18. [PMID: 29458364 PMCID: PMC5819226 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-018-0362-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic environmental contaminants and known endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Previous studies demonstrated that developmental exposure to the weakly estrogenic PCB mixture Aroclor 1221 (A1221) in Sprague-Dawley rats altered sexual development, adult reproductive physiology and body weight. The current study tested the hypothesis that prenatal A1221 exposure not only disrupts these endpoints within an exposed individual's (F1 generation) lifespan, but may also affect subsequent generations (F2-F3). METHODS We treated pregnant female rats on embryonic days (E) 16 and E18 with A1221 (1 mg/kg), estradiol benzoate (50 μg/kg, positive estrogenic control), or vehicle (3% DMSO in sesame oil, negative control). Endpoints related to sexually dimorphic developmental trajectories of reproductive and developmental physiology were measured, and as adults, reproductive endocrine status was assessed, in the F1, F2, and F3 generations. RESULTS Significant effects of transgenerational EDCs were found for body weight and serum hormones. The A1221 descendants had significantly higher body weight in the F2-maternal lineage throughout postnatal development, and in F3-maternal lineage animals after weaning. In females, generation- and lineage-specific effects of exposure were found for serum progesterone and estradiol. Specifically, serum progesterone concentrations were lower in F2-A1221 females, and higher in F3-A1221 females, compared to their respective F2- and F3-vehicle counterparts. Serum estradiol concentrations were higher in F3-A1221 than F3-vehicle females. Reproductive and adrenal organ weights, birth outcomes, sex ratio, and estrous cycles, were unaffected. It is notable that effects of A1221 were only sometimes mirrored by the estrogenic control, EB, indicating that the mechanism of action of A1221 was likely via non-estrogenic pathways. CONCLUSIONS PCBs caused body weight and hormonal effects in rats that were not observed in the directly exposed F1 offspring, but emerged in F2 and F3 generations. Furthermore, most effects were in the maternal lineage; this may relate to the timing of exposure of the F1 fetuses at E16 and 18, when germline (the future F2 generation) epigenetic changes diverge in the sexes. These results showing transgenerational effects of EDCs have implications for humans, as we are now in the 3rd generation since the Chemical Revolution of the mid-twentieth century, and even banned chemicals such as PCBs have a persistent imprint on the health of our descendants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan A. Mennigen
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton, C0875, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Lindsay M. Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton, C0875, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Mandee Bell
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton, C0875, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Marlen Tellez Santos
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton, C0875, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Andrea C. Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton, C0875, Austin, TX 78712 USA
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19
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Persistent Threats by Persistent Pollutants: Chemical Nature, Concerns and Future Policy Regarding PCBs-What Are We Heading For? TOXICS 2017; 6:toxics6010001. [PMID: 29267240 PMCID: PMC5874774 DOI: 10.3390/toxics6010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated sites around the world affect human health for many years, showing long latency periods of health effects. The impact of the different PCB congeners on human health should not be underestimated, as they are ubiquitous, stable molecules and reactive in biological tissues, leading to neurological, endocrine, genetic, and systemic adverse effects in the human body. Moreover, bioaccumulation of these compounds in fatty tissues of animals (e.g., fish and mammals) and in soils/sediments, results in chronic exposure to these substances. Efficient destruction methods are important to decontaminate polluted sites worldwide. This paper provides an in-depth overview of (i) the history and accidents with PCBs in the 20th century, (ii) the mechanisms that are responsible for the hazardous effects of PCBs, and (iii) the current policy regarding PCB control and decontamination. Contemporary impacts on human health of historical incidents are discussed next to an up to date overview of the health effects caused by PCBs and their mechanisms. Methods to decontaminate sites are reviewed. Steps which lead to a policy of banning the production and distribution of PCBs are overviewed in a context of preventing future accidents and harm to the environment and human health.
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20
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Gillette R, Reilly MP, Topper VY, Thompson LM, Crews D, Gore AC. Anxiety-like behaviors in adulthood are altered in male but not female rats exposed to low dosages of polychlorinated biphenyls in utero. Horm Behav 2017; 87:8-15. [PMID: 27794483 PMCID: PMC5603326 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a class of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, can result in altered reproductive behavior in adulthood, especially when exposure occurs during critical periods of brain sexual differentiation in the fetus. Whether PCBs alter other sexually dimorphic behaviors such as those involved in anxiety is poorly understood. To address this, pregnant rat dams were injected twice, on gestational days 16 and 18, with the weakly estrogenic PCB mixture Aroclor 1221 (A1221) at one of two low dosages (0.5mg/kg or 1.0mg/kg, hereafter 1.0 and 0.5), estradiol benzoate (EB; 50μg/kg) as a positive estrogenic control, or the vehicle (3% DMSO in sesame oil). We also conducted a comprehensive assessment of developmental milestones of the F1 male and female offspring. There were no effects of treatment on sex ratio at birth and age at eye opening. Puberty, assessed by vaginal opening in females and preputial separation in males, was not affected in females but was advanced in males treated with A1221 (1.0). Males and females treated with A1221 (both dosages) were heavier in early adulthood relative to controls. The earliest manifestation of this effect developed in males prior to puberty and in females slightly later, during puberty. Anxiety-like behaviors were tested using the light:dark box and elevated plus maze tests in adulthood. In females, anxiety behaviors were unaffected by treatment. Males treated with A1221 (1.0) showed reduced indices of anxiety and increased activity in the light:dark box but not the elevated plus maze. EB failed to replicate the phenotype produced by A1221 for any of the developmental and behavioral endpoints. Collectively, these results indicate that PCBs increase body weight in both sexes, but their effects on anxiety-like behaviors are specific to males. Furthermore, differences between the results of A1221 and EB suggest that the PCBs are likely acting through mechanisms distinct from their estrogenic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Gillette
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Michael P Reilly
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Viktoria Y Topper
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - David Crews
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States; Section of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States; Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States.
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Abstract
Millions of pounds of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds have been produced in multiple countries for industrial applications over the last several decades. PCB exposure induces various adverse health effects in animals and humans. Environmental and occupational exposures to PCBs have been associated with liver, kidney, endocrine, and neurodevelopmental adverse effects. We have collected and reviewed animal and human data cited in the US National Library of Medicine from 2000 to 2010. In brief, our review shows new evidence, that is, in animal studies, exposure to one of the PCBs, A1221, induces a significant alteration of serum luteinizing hormone. The effects were more profound in the F2 generation, particularly with respect to fluctuations in hormones and reproductive tract tissues across the estrous cycle. Morphological analyses of brain tissue from rats exposed to A1254 confirmed the results of an earlier work which showed that the relative size of the intra- and infrapyramidal (II-P) mossy fibers was smaller than that in the controls and also reduction in growth was selective for the II-P mossy fibers. PCB exposure increased anogenital distance and prostate size but decreased epididymal weight, epididymal sperm count, and motile epididymal sperm count. No effects were observed on testicular weight or size. The epidemiological data showed an association between diabetes mellitus prevalence and elevated concentrations of PCB 153. Additionally, prenatal PCB exposure studies were associated with a smaller thymic index at birth and could adversely affect immune responses to childhood vaccinations and resistance to respiratory infections. PCB exposure was also reported to adversely affect enamel development in children in a dose-dependent manner. Because PCBs and their metabolites are potential health hazards, understanding the risk factors associated with individual PCBs, PCB mixtures, and PCB metabolites is important. PCB exposures of vulnerable populations (pregnant women, fetuses, infants, and children) are of particular concern because of heightened sensitivity during this period of brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Obaid Faroon
- Division of Toxicology & Human Health Sciences, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Patricia Ruiz
- Division of Toxicology & Human Health Sciences, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, Georgia
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Bell MR, Thompson LM, Rodriguez K, Gore AC. Two-hit exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls at gestational and juvenile life stages: 1. Sexually dimorphic effects on social and anxiety-like behaviors. Horm Behav 2016; 78:168-77. [PMID: 26592453 PMCID: PMC4718783 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Revised: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are widespread environmental contaminants that affect many neuroendocrine functions. The brain is particularly vulnerable to EDCs during critical periods of gestational development when gonadal hormones exert organizational effects on sexually dimorphic behaviors later in life. Peripubertal development is also a time of continued neural sensitivity to organizing effects of hormones, yet little is known about EDC actions at these times. We sought to determine effects of prenatal or juvenile exposures to a class of EDCs, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at human-relevant dosages on development, physiology, and social and anxiety-related behaviors later in life, and the consequences of a second juvenile "hit" following prenatal treatment. We exposed male and female Sprague-Dawley rats to PCBs (Aroclor 1221, 1mg/kg/day, ip injection) and/or vehicle during prenatal development (embryonic days 16, 18, 20), juvenile development (postnatal days 24, 26, 28), or both. These exposures had differential effects on behaviors in sex and age-dependent ways; while prenatal exposure had more effects than juvenile, juvenile exposure often modified or unmasked the effects of the first hit. Additionally, females exhibited altered social and anxiety behavior in adolescence, while males displayed small but significant changes in sociosexual preferences in adulthood. Thus, the brain continues to be sensitive to organizing effects of EDCs through juvenile development. As humans are exposed to EDCs throughout multiple periods in their life, these findings have implications for our understanding of EDC effects on physiology and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret R Bell
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Karla Rodriguez
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Franklin College, Franklin, IN 46131, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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Bell MR, Hart BG, Gore AC. Two-hit exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls at gestational and juvenile life stages: 2. Sex-specific neuromolecular effects in the brain. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2016; 420:125-37. [PMID: 26620572 PMCID: PMC4703537 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 11/21/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Exposures to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) during early development have long-lasting, sexually dimorphic consequences on adult brain and behavior. However, few studies have investigated their effects during juvenile development, a time when increases in pubertal hormones influence brain maturation. Here, male and female Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to PCBs (Aroclor 1221, 1 mg/kg/day) or vehicle prenatally, during juvenile development, or both, and their effects on serum hormone concentrations, gene expression, and DNA methylation were assessed in adulthood. Gene expression in male but not female brains was affected by 2-hits of PCBs, a result that paralleled behavioral effects of PCBs. Furthermore, the second hit often changed the effects of a first hit in complex ways. Thus, PCB exposures during critical fetal and juvenile developmental periods result in unique neuromolecular phenotypes, with males most vulnerable to the treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret R Bell
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Bethany G Hart
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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25
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Spirhanzlova P, Leleu M, Sébillot A, Lemkine GF, Iguchi T, Demeneix BA, Tindall AJ. Oestrogen reporter transgenic medaka for non-invasive evaluation of aromatase activity. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2016; 179:64-71. [PMID: 26352216 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2015.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Revised: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/28/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrate reproduction involves complex steroid hormone interplay and inter-conversion. A critical element in maintaining sex steroid levels is the enzyme aromatase (cytochrome P450 19A1) which converts androgens to oestrogens. In turn oestrogen signalling is targeted by numerous chemicals, from pharmaceuticals to agricultural chemicals, both frequent sources of contamination in waste waters and consequently rivers. Although many models are now available to address disruption of oestrogen signalling, there are currently no published protocols allowing discrimination between alterations in testosterone metabolism and in oestrogenic signalling. It was with this limitation in mind that we optimised this protocol. We show using a 48h protocol that pre-feeding fry of the choriogenin h-gfp (chgh-gfp) medaka line are sensitive to 0.05nM EE2 (15ng/L), within the range of the lowest published observable physiological effect concentrations for medaka. In addition, co-treatment with testosterone can reveal potential effects of test substances on aromatase enzymatic activity. As the measurements are visualised in real-time without affecting embryo viability, repeated measures are possible. We demonstrate the ability of this model to detect oestrogen receptor agonists, aromatisable androgens, P450 aromatase activity modulators and selective oestrogen response modulators. Importantly, the range of this assay is physiologically relevant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Spirhanzlova
- WatchFrog S.A., 1 rue Pierre Fontaine, 91000 Evry, France; CNRS UMR 7221, Evolution des Régulations Endocriniennes, Département Régulations, Développement et Diversité Moléculaire, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Mathilde Leleu
- WatchFrog S.A., 1 rue Pierre Fontaine, 91000 Evry, France
| | | | | | - Taisen Iguchi
- Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience, National Institute for Basic Biology, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Barbara A Demeneix
- CNRS UMR 7221, Evolution des Régulations Endocriniennes, Département Régulations, Développement et Diversité Moléculaire, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
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Topper VY, Walker DM, Gore AC. Sexually dimorphic effects of gestational endocrine-disrupting chemicals on microRNA expression in the developing rat hypothalamus. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2015; 414:42-52. [PMID: 26190835 PMCID: PMC4553128 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2015] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
This study examined developmental changes and sexual dimorphisms in hypothalamic microRNAs, and whether gestational exposures to environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) altered their expression patterns. Pregnant rat dams were treated on gestational days 16 and 18 with vehicle, estradiol benzoate, or a mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls. Male and female offspring were euthanized on postnatal days (P) 15, 30, 45, or 90, and microRNA and mRNA targets were quantified in the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) and ventromedial nucleus (VMN) of the hypothalamus. MicroRNAs showed robust developmental changes in both regions, and were sexually dimorphic in the MPN, but not VMN. Importantly, microRNAs in females were up-regulated by EDCs at P30, and down-regulated in males at P90. Few changes in mRNAs were found. Thus, hypothalamic microRNAs are sensitive to prenatal EDC treatment in a sex-, developmental age-, and brain region-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria Y Topper
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Deena M Walker
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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Murphy S, Barber JL, Learmonth JA, Read FL, Deaville R, Perkins MW, Brownlow A, Davison N, Penrose R, Pierce GJ, Law RJ, Jepson PD. Reproductive Failure in UK Harbour Porpoises Phocoena phocoena: Legacy of Pollutant Exposure? PLoS One 2015. [PMID: 26200456 PMCID: PMC4511585 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Reproductive failure in mammals due to exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can occur either through endocrine disrupting effects or via immunosuppression and increased disease risk. To investigate further, full necropsies and determination of summed 25 polychlorinated biphenyls congeners (∑PCBs lipid weight) in blubber were undertaken on 329 UK-stranded female harbour porpoises (1990-2012). In sexually mature females, 25/127 (19.7%) showed direct evidence of reproductive failure (foetal death, aborting, dystocia or stillbirth). A further 21/127 (16.5%) had infections of the reproductive tract or tumours of reproductive tract tissues that could contribute to reproductive failure. Resting mature females (non-lactating or non-pregnant) had significantly higher mean ∑PCBs (18.5 mg/kg) than both lactating (7.5 mg/kg) and pregnant females (6 mg/kg), though not significantly different to sexually immature females (14.0 mg/kg). Using multinomial logistic regression models ΣPCBs was found to be a significant predictor of mature female reproductive status, adjusting for the effects of confounding variables. Resting females were more likely to have a higher PCB burden. Health status (proxied by "trauma" or "infectious disease" causes of death) was also a significant predictor, with lactating females (i.e. who successfully reproduced) more likely to be in good health status compared to other individuals. Based on contaminant profiles (>11 mg/kg lipid), at least 29/60 (48%) of resting females had not offloaded their pollutant burden via gestation and primarily lactation. Where data were available, these non-offloading females were previously gravid, which suggests foetal or newborn mortality. Furthermore, a lower pregnancy rate of 50% was estimated for "healthy" females that died of traumatic causes of death, compared to other populations. Whether or not PCBs are part of an underlying mechanism, we used individual PCB burdens to show further evidence of reproductive failure in the North-east Atlantic harbour porpoise population, results that should inform conservation management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinéad Murphy
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan L Barber
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, United Kingdom
| | | | - Fiona L Read
- Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen, Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Deaville
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew W Perkins
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Brownlow
- Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, SRUC Veterinary Services Drummondhill, Inverness, United Kingdom
| | - Nick Davison
- Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, SRUC Veterinary Services Drummondhill, Inverness, United Kingdom
| | - Rod Penrose
- Marine Environmental Monitoring, Penwalk, Llechryd, Cardigan, Ceredigion, United Kingdom
| | - Graham J Pierce
- Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen, Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom
| | - Robin J Law
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, United Kingdom; Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, United Kingdom
| | - Paul D Jepson
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, United Kingdom
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Reilly MP, Weeks CD, Topper VY, Thompson LM, Crews D, Gore AC. The effects of prenatal PCBs on adult social behavior in rats. Horm Behav 2015; 73:47-55. [PMID: 26093262 PMCID: PMC4546928 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Revised: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) exposures during critical periods of development may influence neuronal development and the manifestation of sexually dimorphic sociability and social novelty behaviors in adulthood. In this study, we assessed the effects of gestational exposure to PCBs on the social behavior of males and females later in adulthood. A weakly estrogenic PCB mixture, Aroclor 1221 (A1221, 0.5 or 1mg/kg) was administered to pregnant Sprague-Dawley rat dams. Both a positive control (estradiol benzoate; EB, 50μg/kg) and negative control (dimethylsulfoxide; DMSO in sesame oil vehicle) were similarly administered to separate sets of dams. The sexes responded differently in two tasks essential to sociality. Using a three-chamber apparatus that contained a caged, same-sex, gonadectomized stimulus animal and an empty stimulus cage, we found that both sexes showed a strong preference for affiliating with a stimulus animal (vs. an empty cage), an effect that was much more pronounced in the males. In the second task, a novel and a familiar stimulus animal were caged at opposite ends of the same apparatus. Females displayed a higher degree of novelty preference than the males. During both tests, females had significantly higher social approach behaviors while male engaged in significantly more interactive behaviors with the conspecific. Of particular interest, males born of dams that received prenatal A1221 (0.5mg/kg) exhibited an overall decrease in nose-to-nose investigations. These behavioral data suggest that the males are more sensitive to A1221 treatment than are females. In addition to behavioral analysis, serum corticosterone was measured. Females born of dams treated with A1221 (0.5mg/kg) had significantly higher concentrations of corticosterone than the DMSO female group; males were unaffected. Females also had significantly higher corticosterone concentrations than did males. Overall, our results suggest that the effects of gestational exposure to PCBs on adult social behavior are relatively limited within this particular paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Reilly
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Connor D Weeks
- College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Viktoria Y Topper
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - David Crews
- Section of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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van den Dungen MW, Rijk JC, Kampman E, Steegenga WT, Murk AJ. Steroid hormone related effects of marine persistent organic pollutants in human H295R adrenocortical carcinoma cells. Toxicol In Vitro 2015; 29:769-78. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2015.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Murati T, Šimić B, Brozovic A, Kniewald J, Miletić Gospić A, Bilandžić N, Kmetič I. PCB 77 action in ovary cells--toxic effects, apoptosis induction and cell cycle analysis. Toxicol Mech Methods 2015; 25:302-11. [PMID: 25835094 DOI: 10.3109/15376516.2015.1028605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT PCB 77 (3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl), a non-ortho congener with planar configuration, has been identified as potential endocrine disrupter capable to increase the risk of reproductive and developmental failure. OBJECTIVE In the present study, in vitro PCB 77 toxic potential, apoptosis induction and cell cycle alterations were investigated to reveal direct toxic effects on ovarian cells. METHODS Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO-K1) cell line was selected as a model system and decreased cell viability was confirmed by application of four bioassays. Cellular morphology and quantitative analysis of apoptotic, necrotic and viable cells were determined with fluorescent microscopy and cell cycle phase distributions by measuring DNA content using flow cytometry. RESULTS We have indicated Trypan blue exclusion assay as the most sensitive for quantifying cytotoxicity of PCB 77 in terms of IC50 values, while the results obtained by other methods pointed to a possible localized effect on the lysosomes/endosomes (Neutral red), compromised intracellular metabolic processes (MTT) and possible interferation with the rate of protein synthesis (Kenacid blue). The loss of cell viability, as a consequence of treatment with 10-100 μM PCB 77, fundamentally was due to induction of apoptosis with observed common series of specific morphological changes characteristic to apoptotic phenomenon. The level of alterations of normal cell cycle progression was low without significant changes at analyzed time intervals. CONCLUSION These results indicate toxic outcomes of PCB 77 at ovarian cellular level with regard to potential direct adverse effects to female reproductive system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teuta Murati
- a Laboratory for Toxicology, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology , University of Zagreb , Zagreb , Croatia
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31
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Gillette R, Miller-Crews I, Nilsson EE, Skinner MK, Gore AC, Crews D. Sexually dimorphic effects of ancestral exposure to vinclozolin on stress reactivity in rats. Endocrinology 2014; 155:3853-66. [PMID: 25051444 PMCID: PMC4164929 DOI: 10.1210/en.2014-1253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
How an individual responds to the environment depends upon both personal life history as well as inherited genetic and epigenetic factors from ancestors. Using a 2-hit, 3 generations apart model, we tested how F3 descendants of rats given in utero exposure to the environmental endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) vinclozolin reacted to stress during adolescence in their own lives, focusing on sexually dimorphic phenotypic outcomes. In adulthood, male and female F3 vinclozolin- or vehicle-lineage rats, stressed or nonstressed, were behaviorally characterized on a battery of tests and then euthanized. Serum was used for hormone assays, and brains were used for quantitative PCR and transcriptome analyses. Results showed that the effects of ancestral exposure to vinclozolin converged with stress experienced during adolescence in a sexually dimorphic manner. Debilitating effects were seen at all levels of the phenotype, including physiology, behavior, brain metabolism, gene expression, and genome-wide transcriptome modifications in specific brain nuclei. Additionally, females were significantly more vulnerable than males to transgenerational effects of vinclozolin on anxiety but not sociality tests. This fundamental transformation occurs in a manner not predicted by the ancestral exposure or the proximate effects of stress during adolescence, an interaction we refer to as synchronicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Gillette
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology (R.G., I.M.-C., A.C.G., D.C.), Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G., D.C.), and Department of Integrative Biology (D.C.), The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; and Center for Reproductive Biology (E.E.N., M.K.S.), School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164
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32
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Chistyakov VA, Dem'yanenko SV, Alexandrova AA, Gutnikova LV, Prokof'ev VN, Kosheleva ON. Effect of plastoquinone derivative 10-(6'-plastoquinonyl) decyltriphenylphosphonium (SkQ1) on estrous cycle and 17β-estradiol level in rats. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2013; 77:1382-6. [PMID: 23244734 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297912120061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Administration of the plastoquinone derivative 10-(6'-plastoquinonyl)decyltriphenylphosphonium (SkQ1) to female Wistar rats with regular estrous cycle once a day for two weeks at doses of 25 nmol/kg (but not 250 nmol/kg) leads to increase in proestrus duration by reducing the phase of diestrus and metestrus. Neither dose caused significant changes in serum 17β-estradiol level for any stage of the cycle. However, relative elongation of the proestrus stage leads to an increase in average per cycle estradiol levels by 20%.
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Affiliation(s)
- V A Chistyakov
- Research Institute of Biology of Southern Federal University, pr. Stachki 194/1, 344090 Rostov-on-Don, Russia.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The concept of developmental programming suggests that the early life environment influences offspring characteristics in later life, including the propensity to develop diseases such as the metabolic syndrome. There is now growing evidence that the effects of developmental programming may also manifest in further generations without further suboptimal exposure. This review considers the evidence, primarily from rodent models, for effects persisting to subsequent generations, and evaluates the mechanisms by which developmental programming may be transmitted to further generations. In particular, we focus on the potential role of the intrauterine environment in contributing to a developmentally programmed phenotype in subsequent generations. METHODS The literature was systematically searched at http://pubmed.org and http://scholar.google.com to identify published findings regarding transgenerational (F2 and beyond) developmental programming effects in human populations and animal models. RESULTS Transmission of programming effects is often viewed as a form of epigenetic inheritance, either via the maternal or paternal line. Evidence exists for both germline and somatic inheritance of epigenetic modifications which may be responsible for phenotypic changes in further generations. However, there is increasing evidence for the role of both extra-genomic components of the zygote and the interaction of the developing conceptus with the intrauterine environment in propagating programming effects. CONCLUSIONS The contribution of a suboptimal reproductive tract environment or maternal adaptations to pregnancy may be critical to inheritance of programming effects via the maternal line. As the effects of age exacerbate the programmed metabolic phenotype, advancing maternal age may increase the likelihood of developmental programming effects being transmitted to further generations. We suggest that developmental programming effects could be propagated through the maternal line de novo in generations beyond F2 as a consequence of development in a suboptimally developed intrauterine tract and not necessarily though directly transmitted epigenetic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine E Aiken
- University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories and MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
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Walker DM, Kermath BA, Woller MJ, Gore AC. Disruption of reproductive aging in female and male rats by gestational exposure to estrogenic endocrine disruptors. Endocrinology 2013; 154:2129-43. [PMID: 23592748 PMCID: PMC3740483 DOI: 10.1210/en.2012-2123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are industrial contaminants and known endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Previous work has shown that gestational exposure to PCBs cause changes in reproductive neuroendocrine processes. Here we extended work farther down the life spectrum and tested the hypothesis that early life exposure to Aroclor 1221 (A1221), a mixture of primarily estrogenic PCBs, results in sexually dimorphic aging-associated alterations to reproductive parameters in rats, and gene expression changes in hypothalamic nuclei that regulate reproductive function. Pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were injected on gestational days 16 and 18 with vehicle (dimethylsulfoxide), A1221 (1 mg/kg), or estradiol benzoate (50 μg/kg). Developmental parameters, estrous cyclicity (females), and timing of reproductive senescence were monitored in the offspring through 9 months of age. Expression of 48 genes was measured in 3 hypothalamic nuclei: the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV), arcuate nucleus (ARC), and median eminence (females only) by real-time RT-PCR. Serum LH, testosterone, and estradiol were assayed in the same animals. In males, A1221 had no effects; however, prenatal estradiol benzoate increased serum estradiol, gene expression in the AVPV (1 gene), and ARC (2 genes) compared with controls. In females, estrous cycles were longer in the A1221-exposed females throughout the life cycle. Gene expression was not affected in the AVPV, but significant changes were caused by A1221 in the ARC and median eminence as a function of cycling status. Bionetwork analysis demonstrated fundamental differences in physiology and gene expression between cycling and acyclic females independent of treatment. Thus, gestational exposure to biologically relevant levels of estrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals has sexually dimorphic effects, with an altered transition to reproductive aging in female rats but relatively little effect in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deena M Walker
- The University of Texas at Austin, The Institute for Neuroscience, 1 University Station, C0875, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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35
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Walker DM, Goetz BM, Gore AC. Dynamic postnatal developmental and sex-specific neuroendocrine effects of prenatal polychlorinated biphenyls in rats. Mol Endocrinol 2013; 28:99-115. [PMID: 24284824 DOI: 10.1210/me.2013-1270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Gestational exposures to estrogenic compounds, both endogenous hormones and exogenous endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), have long-term effects on reproductive physiology and behavior. We tested the hypothesis that prenatal treatment of rats with low doses of Aroclor 1221 (A1221), a weakly estrogenic polychlorinated biphenyl mix previously used in industry, or estradiol benzoate (EB), alters development of the hypothalamus in a sexually dimorphic manner and subsequently perturbs reproductive function. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were injected on embryonic days 16 and 18 with vehicle (dimethylsulfoxide), A1221 (1 mg/kg), or EB (50 μg/kg). Developmental milestones were monitored, and on postnatal days 15, 30, 45, and 90, 1 male and 1 female per litter were euthanized. Because of their key roles in the mediation of steroid actions on reproductive function, the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) and the arcuate nucleus (ARC) were punched for a low-density quantitative PCR array of 48 neuroendocrine genes and analysis of DNA methylation of a subset of genes. Gestational exposure to A1221 or EB delayed the timing of puberty in males and disrupted estrous cyclicity in females. In the AVPV, 28 genes were affected by treatment in a developmental stage-specific manner, mostly in females, which exhibited a masculinized expression profile. This included 2 clock genes, Per2 and Arntl, implicating circadian circuits as being vulnerable to endocrine disruption. DNA methylation analysis of 2 genes, Per2 and Ar, showed no effect of EDCs and suggested alternative mechanisms for the altered mRNA levels. In the ARC, 12 genes were affected by treatment, mostly in males, again with dynamic developmental changes. Bionetwork analysis of relationships among genes, hormones, and physiological markers showed sexually dimorphic effects of estrogenic EDC exposures, with the female AVPV and the male ARC being most vulnerable, and provided novel relationships among hypothalamic genes and postnatal reproductive maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deena M Walker
- The Institute for Neuroscience (D.M.W., A.C.G.), Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (B.M.G.), Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), College of Pharmacy, and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology (A.C.G.), The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
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Patisaul HB. Effects of environmental endocrine disruptors and phytoestrogens on the kisspeptin system. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2013; 784:455-79. [PMID: 23550019 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6199-9_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Sex steroid hormones, most notably estradiol, play a pivotal role in the sex-specific organization and function of the kisspeptin system. Endocrine--disrupting compounds are anthropogenic or naturally occurring compounds that interact with steroid hormone signaling. Thus, these compounds have the potential to disrupt the sexually dimorphic ontogeny and function of kisspeptin signaling pathways, resulting in adverse effects on neuroendocrine physiology. This chapter reviews the small but growing body of evidence for endocrine disruption of the kisspeptin system by the exogenous estrogenic compounds bisphenol A, polychlorinated biphenyl mixtures, and the phytoestrogen genistein. Disruption is region, sex, and compound specific, and associated with shifts in the timing of pubertal onset, irregular estrous cycles, and altered sociosexual behavior. These effects highlight that disruption of kisspeptin signaling pathways could have wide ranging effects across multiple organ systems, and potentially underlies a suite of adverse human health trends including precocious female puberty, idiopathic infertility, and metabolic syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather B Patisaul
- Department of Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
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Grandjean P, Grønlund C, Kjær IM, Jensen TK, Sørensen N, Andersson AM, Juul A, Skakkebæk NE, Budtz-Jørgensen E, Weihe P. Reproductive hormone profile and pubertal development in 14-year-old boys prenatally exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls. Reprod Toxicol 2012; 34:498-503. [PMID: 22841741 PMCID: PMC3513575 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2012.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2011] [Revised: 06/25/2012] [Accepted: 07/03/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Because polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are thought to cause endocrine disruption, we examined 438 adolescent boys from a birth cohort in the Faroe Islands, where PCB exposures are elevated. We measured PCBs and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) in cord blood and in serum from clinical examination at age 14. Higher prenatal PCB exposure was associated with lower serum concentrations of both luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone. In addition, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) was positively associated with both prenatal and concurrent PCB exposures. The PCB-SHBG association was robust to covariate adjustment. In a structural equation model, a doubling in prenatal PCB exposure was associated with a decrease in LH of 6% (p=0.03). Prenatal exposure to PCB and DDE showed weak, non-significant inverse associations with testicular size and Tanner stage. DDE was highly correlated with PCB and showed slightly weaker associations with the hormone profile. These findings suggest that delayed puberty with low serum-LH concentrations associated with developmental exposure to non dioxin-like PCBs may be due to a central hypothalamo-pituitary mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Grandjean
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - Ciea Grønlund
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Ina M Kjær
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Tina Kold Jensen
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Anna-Maria Andersson
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anders Juul
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niels E Skakkebæk
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Pal Weihe
- Faroese Hospital System, FR-100 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
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Kraugerud M, Aleksandersen M, Nyengaard JR, Ostby GC, Gutleb AC, Dahl E, Berg V, Farstad W, Schweder T, Skaare JU, Ropstad E. In utero and lactational exposure to PCB 118 and PCB 153 alter ovarian follicular dynamics and GnRH-induced luteinizing hormone secretion in female lambs. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2012; 27:623-634. [PMID: 21344607 DOI: 10.1002/tox.20679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2010] [Accepted: 11/04/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The effects of in utero and lactational exposure to two structurally different polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners on follicular dynamics and the pituitary-gonadal axis in female lambs were investigated. Pregnant ewes received corn oil, PCB 118, or PCB 153, and offspring was maintained until 60 days postpartum. Ovarian follicles were quantified using stereology. Plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were measured using radioimmunoassay before and after administration of a gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) analog. PCB 118 exposure increased numbers of transitional, secondary, and the sum of secondary, early antral, and antral (Σsecondary-antral) follicles, PCB 153 exposure only increased the number of primary follicles. GnRH-induced LH levels were significantly elevated in the PCB 153 exposure group. We conclude that PCB 153 and PCB 118 alter follicular dynamics in lambs and modulate the responsiveness of the pituitary gland to GnRH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Kraugerud
- Department of Production Animal Sciences, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Postboks 8146 Dep., N-0033 Oslo, Norway.
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Lee W, Kang CW, Su CK, Okubo K, Nagahama Y. Screening estrogenic activity of environmental contaminants and water samples using a transgenic medaka embryo bioassay. CHEMOSPHERE 2012; 88:945-952. [PMID: 22497783 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2011] [Revised: 01/27/2012] [Accepted: 03/08/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Many natural or synthetic chemicals may act as exogenous estrogens and affect the reproductive health of humans and wildlife. Since these xenoestrogens are ubiquitous, it is essential to monitor their presence in the environment. Hence, we developed a bioassay using the transgenic medaka (Oryzias latipes) embryo, in which the green fluorescent protein (GFP) was placed under the control of the gnrh3 promoter, one of the three paralogous gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) genes that regulate reproductive function and behavior. As medaka embryos are transparent, the fluorescent expression of GFP can be easily observed in vivo during development. We exposed newly fertilized medaka embryos to varying solutions of bisphenol A (BPA), nonylphenol (NP), 17β-estradiol (E2), or a river water sample, and monitored their development. During embryonic development, the mRNA levels of GnRHs, GnRH receptors, and estrogen receptors (ERs) were measured with quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR. Our results showed that the chemicals and the river water significantly decreased the fluorescent intensity of the GnRH3 neurons, postponed the eye development, and retarded the growth of the embryos. The three xenoestrogens also lowered the heart rate, lengthened the time to hatch, suppressed the expression of the three GnRH genes, and up-regulated the ERα mRNA level. In addition, the GnRH3 mRNA level was significantly correlated with the fluorescence intensity of the GnRH neurons. We concluded that the transgenic medaka embryo is a rapid and sensitive bioassay for screening environmental water samples. We also found that xenoestrogens had significant effects on GnRH gene expression and embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjau Lee
- Department of Bioscience Technology, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan.
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Abstract
Summary
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Pocar P, Fiandanese N, Secchi C, Berrini A, Fischer B, Schmidt JS, Schaedlich K, Rhind SM, Zhang Z, Borromeo V. Effects of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in CD-1 Mice: Reproductive Toxicity and Intergenerational Transmission. Toxicol Sci 2011; 126:213-26. [DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfr327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
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McGinley JN, Thompson HJ. Quantitative assessment of mammary gland density in rodents using digital image analysis. Biol Proced Online 2011; 13:4. [PMID: 21663682 PMCID: PMC3129309 DOI: 10.1186/1480-9222-13-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2011] [Accepted: 06/10/2011] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Rodent models have been used extensively to study mammary gland development and for studies of toxicology and carcinogenesis. Mammary gland gross morphology can visualized via the excision of intact mammary gland chains following fixation and staining with carmine using a tissue preparation referred to as a whole mount. Methods are described for the automated collection of digital images from an entire mammary gland whole mount and for the interrogation of digital data using a "masking" technique available with Image-Pro® plus image analysis software (Mediacybernetics. Silver Spring, MD). Results Parallel to mammographic analysis in humans, measurements of rodent mammary gland density were derived from area-based or volume-based algorithms and included: total circumscribed mammary fat pad mass, mammary epithelial mass, and epithelium-free fat pad mass. These values permitted estimation of absolute mass of mammary epithelium as well as breast density. The biological plausibility of these measurements was evaluated in mammary whole mounts from rats and mice. During mammary gland development, absolute epithelial mass increased linearly without significant changes in mammographic density. Treatment of rodents with tamoxifen, 9-cis-retinoic acid, or ovariectomy, and occurrence of diet induced obesity decreased both absolute epithelial mass and mammographic density. The area and volumetric methods gave similar results. Conclusions Digital image analysis can be used for screening agents for potential impact on reproductive toxicity or carcinogenesis as well as for mechanistic studies, particularly for cumulative effects on mammary epithelial mass as well as translational studies of mechanisms that explain the relationship between epithelial mass and cancer risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- John N McGinley
- Cancer Prevention Laboratory, Colorado State University, 1173 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
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Abstract
Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is associated with dysfunctions of metabolism, energy balance, thyroid function and reproduction, and an increased risk of endocrine cancers. These multifactorial disorders can be 'programmed' through molecular epigenetic changes induced by exposure to EDCs early in life, the expression of which may not manifest until adulthood. In some cases, EDCs have detrimental effects on subsequent generations, which indicates that traits for disease predisposition may be passed to future generations by nongenomic inheritance. This Review discusses current understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms that underlie sexual differentiation of reproductive neuroendocrine systems in mammals and summarizes the literature on transgenerational epigenetic effects of representative EDCs: vinclozolin, diethylstilbesterol, bisphenol A and polychlorinated biphenyls. The article differentiates between context-dependent epigenetic transgenerational changes--namely, those that require environmental exposure, either via the EDC itself or through behavioral or physiological differences in parents--and germline-dependent epigenetic mechanisms. These processes, albeit discrete, are not mutually exclusive and can involve similar molecular mechanisms including DNA methylation and histone modifications and may predispose exposed individuals to transgenerational disruption of reproductive processes. New insights stress the crucial need to develop a clear understanding of how EDCs may program the epigenome of exposed individuals and their descendants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deena M Walker
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Box A1915, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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Cohn BA. Developmental and environmental origins of breast cancer: DDT as a case study. Reprod Toxicol 2011; 31:302-11. [PMID: 20965245 PMCID: PMC3268657 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2010.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2010] [Revised: 09/07/2010] [Accepted: 10/04/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
More than 20 studies of serum "DDT" and breast cancer have found little support for the hypothesis that exposure influences risk of breast cancer. However, studies share common limitations including the inability to account for exposure in early life when the breast may be most vulnerable and the inability to measure exposure to the primary components of commercial DDT. This paper (1) summarizes evidence regarding critical windows of exposure for breast cancer (2) summarizes lessons learned from initial efforts to study DDT and breast cancer (3) reviews evidence from the Child Health and Development Studies (CHDS) where exposure was measured in young women using blood samples obtained during active exposure, 1-3 days after delivery and (4) suggests approaches for human studies that might advance understanding of environmental stressors in the developmental origins of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara A Cohn
- Child Health and Development Studies, The Public Health Institute, Berkeley, CA 94709, United States.
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Cohn BA, Cirillo PM, Sholtz RI, Ferrara A, Park JS, Schwingl PJ. Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure in mothers and time to pregnancy in daughters. Reprod Toxicol 2011; 31:290-6. [PMID: 21296657 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2011.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2010] [Revised: 01/08/2011] [Accepted: 01/21/2011] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Developmental exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) disrupts reproduction in animals. Human data are lacking. We measured PCBs in preserved mothers' serum samples collected during 1960-1963, 1-3 days after their daughters' birth. We recorded time to pregnancy (TTP) in 289 daughters 28-31 years later. PCB congeners 187, 156, and 99 in mother's serum were associated with longer TTP in their daughters while PCB congeners 105, 138 and 183 were associated shorter TTP. Probability of pregnancy fell by 38% (95% CI 17-53%) and infertility was higher (30% not pregnant after 13 cycles versus 11% not pregnant after 13 cycles) among women whose mothers had a higher proportion of PCB congeners associated with longer TTP (75th percentile versus 25th percentile). This study demonstrates, for the first time, that developmental exposure to PCBs may disrupt pregnancy in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara A Cohn
- The Center for Research on Women and Children's Health, The Child Health and Development Studies, Public Health Institute, Berkeley, CA 94709, United States.
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Dickerson SM, Cunningham SL, Patisaul HB, Woller MJ, Gore AC. Endocrine disruption of brain sexual differentiation by developmental PCB exposure. Endocrinology 2011; 152:581-94. [PMID: 21190954 PMCID: PMC3037168 DOI: 10.1210/en.2010-1103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In mammals, sexual differentiation of the hypothalamus occurs during prenatal and early postnatal development due in large part to sex differences in hormones. These early organizational processes are critically important for the attainment and maintenance of adult reproductive functions. We tested the hypothesis that perinatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that disrupt hormonal pathways would perturb reproductive maturation and the sexually dimorphic development of neuroendocrine systems in the preoptic area (POA). Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were injected on gestational d 16 and 18 with vehicle (dimethylsulfoxide), Aroclor 1221 (A1221, an estrogenic PCB mix), a reconstituted PCB mixture representing those highest in human body burden (PCBs 138, 153, 180), or estradiol benzoate, an estrogenic control. Male and female pups were monitored for somatic and reproductive development. In adulthood, some rats were perfused and used for immunohistochemistry of estrogen receptor α, kisspeptin, and coexpression of Fos in GnRH neurons. Other rats were used to obtain fresh-frozen POA dissections for use in a PCR-based 48-gene expression array. Pubertal onset was advanced and estrous cyclicity irregular in endocrine-disrupted females. Furthermore, sexual differentiation of female neuroendocrine systems was masculinized/defeminized. Specifically, in the adult female anteroventral periventricular nucleus, estrogen receptor α-cell numbers and kisspeptin fiber density were significantly decreased, as was GnRH-Fos coexpression. PCR analysis identified androgen receptor, IGF-I, N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor subunit NR2b, and TGFβ1 mRNAs as significantly down-regulated in endocrine-disrupted female POAs. These data suggest that developmental PCBs profoundly impair the sexual differentiation of the female hypothalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Dickerson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Center for Molecular and Cellular Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas 78712-0125, USA
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Prenatal PCBs disrupt early neuroendocrine development of the rat hypothalamus. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2011; 252:36-46. [PMID: 21277884 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2011.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2010] [Revised: 01/13/2011] [Accepted: 01/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Neonatal exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can interfere with hormone-sensitive developmental processes, including brain sexual differentiation. We hypothesized that disruption of these processes by gestational PCB exposure would be detectable as early as the day after birth (postnatal day (P) 1) through alterations in hypothalamic gene and protein expression. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were injected twice, once each on gestational days 16 and 18, with one of the following: DMSO vehicle; the industrial PCB mixture Aroclor 1221 (A1221); a reconstituted mixture of the three most prevalent congeners found in humans, PCB138, PCB153, and PCB180; or estradiol benzoate (EB). On P1, litter composition, anogenital distance (AGD), and body weight were assessed. Pups were euthanized for immunohistochemistry of estrogen receptor α (ERα) or TUNEL labeling of apoptotic cells or quantitative PCR of 48 selected genes in the preoptic area (POA). We found that treatment with EB or A1221 had a sex-specific effect on developmental apoptosis in the neonatal anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV), a sexually dimorphic hypothalamic region involved in the regulation of reproductive neuroendocrine function. In this region, exposed females had increased numbers of apoptotic nuclei, whereas there was no effect of treatment in males. For ERα, EB treatment increased immunoreactive cell numbers and density in the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) of both males and females, while A1221 and the PCB mixture had no effect. PCR analysis of gene expression in the POA identified nine genes that were significantly altered by prenatal EDC exposure, in a manner that varied by sex and treatment. These genes included brain-derived neurotrophic factor, GABA(B) receptors-1 and -2, IGF-1, kisspeptin receptor, NMDA receptor subunits NR2b and NR2c, prodynorphin, and TGFα. Collectively, these results suggest that the disrupted sexual differentiation of the POA by prenatal EDC exposures is already evident as early as the day after birth, effects that may change the trajectory of postnatal development and compromise adult reproductive function.
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Abstract
New thinking has arisen about the origin of adult onset diseases stemming from a collective body of evidence commonly referred to as the developmental origins of health and disease. This conceptual paradigm posits that certain adult onset diseases arise during critical or sensitive windows of human development or even transgenerationally. The testicular dysgenesis hypothesis (TDS) postulates an in utero origin for adverse male reproductive outcomes, and is an excellent example of the early origins of the paradigm. Despite similarities in the development of the male and female reproductive tracks, noticeably absent is a collective body of evidence focusing on the plausibility of an early origin for gynecologic outcomes and later onset of adult diseases. Using the TDS paradigm, we synthesized the available literature relative to the ovarian dysgenesis syndrome (ODS), which we define as alterations in ovarian structure or function that may manifest as fecundity impairments, gynecologic disorders, gravid diseases or later onset adult diseases. We evaluated environmental exposures, particularly the role of endocrine disrupting chemicals, in relation to these outcomes, and found evidence (although fragmented) consistent with an in utero origin of gynecologic outcomes, which in turn is associated with later onset of adult diseases. The findings are interpreted within the ODS paradigm while delineating methodological challenges and future research opportunities designed to answer critical data gaps regarding the origin of fecundity, gravid health and chronic diseases affecting the female population.
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