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Balalian AA, Stingone JA, Kahn LG, Herbstman JB, Graeve RI, Stellman SD, Factor-Litvak P. Perinatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and child neurodevelopment: A comprehensive systematic review of outcomes and methodological approaches. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 252:118912. [PMID: 38615789 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), extensively used in various products, prompt ongoing concern despite reduced exposure since the 1970s. This systematic review explores prenatal PCB and hydroxylated metabolites (OH-PCBs) exposure's association with child neurodevelopment. Encompassing cognitive, motor development, behavior, attention, ADHD, and ASD risks, it also evaluates diverse methodological approaches in studies. METHODS PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases were searched through August 23, 2023, by predefined search strings. Peer-reviewed studies published in English were included. The inclusion criteria were: (i) PCBs/OH-PCBs measured directly in maternal and cord blood, placenta or breast milk collected in the perinatal period; (ii) outcomes of cognitive development, motor development, attention, behavior, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children≤18 years old. Quality assessment followed the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's tool. RESULTS Overall, 87 studies were included in this review. We found evidence for the association between perinatal PCB exposure and adverse cognitive development and attention issues in middle childhood. There appeared to be no or negligible link between perinatal PCB exposure and early childhood motor development or the risk of ADHD/ASD. There was an indication of a sex-specific association with worse cognition and attention scores among boys. Some individual studies suggested a possible association between prenatal exposure to OH-PCBs and neurodevelopmental outcomes. There was significant heterogeneity between the studies in exposure markers, exposure assessment timing, outcome assessment, and statistical analysis. CONCLUSIONS Significant methodological, clinical and statistical heterogeneity existed in the included studies. Adverse effects on cognitive development and attention were observed in middle childhood. Little or no apparent link on both motor development and risk of ADHD/ASD was observed in early childhood. Inconclusive evidence prevailed regarding other neurodevelopmental aspects due to limited studies. Future research could further explore sex-specific associations and evaluate associations at lower exposure levels post-PCB ban in the US. It should also consider OH-PCB metabolites, co-pollutants, mixtures, and their potential interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arin A Balalian
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Question Driven Design and Analysis Group (QD-DAG), New York, NY, USA.
| | - Jeanette A Stingone
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Linda G Kahn
- Departments of Pediatrics and Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Julie B Herbstman
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard I Graeve
- Institute for Medical Sociology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle Saale, Germany
| | - Steven D Stellman
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pam Factor-Litvak
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Kodavanti PRS, Costa LG, Aschner M. Perspective on halogenated organic compounds. ADVANCES IN NEUROTOXICOLOGY 2023; 10:1-25. [PMID: 37920427 PMCID: PMC10622110 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ant.2023.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
During the past century, a vast number of organic chemicals have been manufactured and used in industrial, agricultural, public health, consumer products, and other applications. The widespread use in bulk quantities of halogenated organic chemicals (HOCs; also called Organohalogens), including chlorinated, brominated, and fluorinated compounds, and their persistent nature have resulted in global environmental contamination. Increasing levels of HOCs in environmental media (i.e., air, water, soil, sediment) and in human tissues including adipose tissue, breast milk, and placenta continue to be a cause of ecological and human health concern. Human exposure can occur through multiple pathways including direct skin contact, inhalation, drinking water, and mainly through food consumption. HOCs exposure has been implicated in a myriad of health effects including reproductive, neurological, immunological, endocrine, behavioral, and carcinogenic effects in both wildlife and humans. In addition, recent studies indicate that exposure to HOCs contributes to obesity and type 2 diabetes. Because of these adverse health effects, several regulatory agencies either banned or placed severe restrictions on their production and usage. In turn, many industries withdrew from production and usage of HOCs. This action resulted in decline of older HOCs such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), but more recent HOCs such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) show a steady increase/stable with time in the global environment. Based on their use pattern and their persistent chemical properties, human exposure to HOCs will likely continue. Hence, understanding human health effects and taking preventive measures for such exposures are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasada Rao S. Kodavanti
- Neurological and Endocrine Toxicology Branch, PHITD/CPHEA/ORD, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Lucio G. Costa
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 4225 Roosevelt #100, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Medicine & Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Michael Aschner
- Dept of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Forchheimer 209, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY, United States
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Migneron-Foisy V, Muckle G, Jacobson JL, Ayotte P, Jacobson SW, Saint-Amour D. Impact of chronic exposure to legacy environmental contaminants on the corpus callosum microstructure: A diffusion MRI study of Inuit adolescents. Neurotoxicology 2022; 92:200-211. [PMID: 35995272 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2022.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental contaminants is an important public health concern for the Inuit population of northern Québec, who have been exposed to mercury (Hg), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and lead (Pb). During the last 25 years, the Nunavik Child Development Study (NCDS) birth cohort has reported adverse associations between these exposures and brain function outcomes. In the current study, we aimed to determine whether contaminant exposure is associated with alterations of the corpus callosum (CC), which plays an important role in various cognitive, motor and sensory function processes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was administered to 89 NCDS participants (mean age ± SD = 18.4 ± 1.2). Diffusion-weighted imaging was assessed to characterize the microstructure of the CC white matter in 7 structurally and functionally distinct regions of interest (ROIs) using a tractography-based segmentation approach. The following metrics were computed: fiber tract density, fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD). Multiple linear regression models adjusted for sex, age, current alcohol/drug use and fish nutrients (omega-3 fatty acids and selenium) were conducted to assess the association between diffusion-weighted imaging metrics and Hg, PCB 153 and Pb concentrations obtained at birth in the cord blood and postnatally (mean values from blood samples at 11 and 18 years of age). Exposures were not associated with fiber tract density. Nor were significant associations found with cord and postnatal blood Pb concentrations for FA. However, pre- and postnatal Hg and PCB concentrations were significantly associated with higher FA of several regions of the CC, namely anterior midbody, posterior midbody, isthmus, and splenium, with the most pronounced effects observed in the splenium. FA results were mainly associated with lower RD. This study shows that exposure to Hg and PCB 153 alters the posterior microstructure of the CC, providing neuroimaging evidence of how developmental exposure to environmental chemicals can impair brain function and behavior in late adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Migneron-Foisy
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- School of Psychology, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada; Centre de Recherche du CHUQ de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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Yim G, Minatoya M, Kioumourtzoglou MA, Bellavia A, Weisskopf M, Ikeda-Araki A, Miyashita C, Kishi R. The associations of prenatal exposure to dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls with neurodevelopment at 6 Months of age: Multi-pollutant approaches. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 209:112757. [PMID: 35065939 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants, including polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs), and nondioxin-like PCBs (NDL-PCBs), has been hypothesized to have a detrimental impact on neurodevelopment. However, the association of prenatal exposure to a dioxin and PCB mixture with neurodevelopment remains largely inconclusive partly because these chemical levels are correlated. OBJECTIVES We aimed to elucidate the association of in utero exposure to a mixture of dioxins and PCBs with neurodevelopment measured at 6 months of age by applying multipollutant methods. METHODS A total of 514 pregnant women were recruited between July 2002 and October 2005 in the Sapporo cohort, Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children's Health. The concentrations of individual dioxin and PCB isomers were assessed in maternal peripheral blood during pregnancy. The mental and psychomotor development of the study participants' infants was evaluated using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-2nd Edition (n = 259). To determine both the joint and individual associations of prenatal exposure to a dioxin and PCB mixture with infant neurodevelopment, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and quantile-based g-computation were employed. RESULTS Suggestive inverse associations were observed between in utero exposure to a dioxin and PCB mixture and infant psychomotor development in both the BKMR and quantile g-computation models. In contrast, we found no association of a dioxin and PCB mixture with mental development. When group-specific posterior inclusion probabilities were estimated, BKMR suggested prenatal exposure to mono-ortho PCBs as the more important contributing factors to early psychomotor development compared with the other dioxin or PCB groups. No evidence of nonlinear exposure-outcome relationships or interactions among the chemical mixtures was detected. CONCLUSIONS Applying the two complementary statistical methods for chemical mixture analysis, we demonstrated limited evidence of inverse associations of prenatal exposure to dioxins and PCBs with infant psychomotor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyeyoon Yim
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Machiko Minatoya
- Hokkaido University Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Kita 12, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
| | | | - Andrea Bellavia
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marc Weisskopf
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Atsuko Ikeda-Araki
- Hokkaido University Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Kita 12, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan; Hokkaido University Faculty of Health Sciences, Kita 12, Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Chihiro Miyashita
- Hokkaido University Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Kita 12, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Reiko Kishi
- Hokkaido University Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Kita 12, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan.
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Eti NA, Flor S, Iqbal K, Scott RL, Klenov VE, Gibson-Corley KN, Soares MJ, Ludewig G, Robertson LW. PCB126 induced toxic actions on liver energy metabolism is mediated by AhR in rats. Toxicology 2022; 466:153054. [PMID: 34848246 PMCID: PMC8748418 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2021.153054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor involved in the regulation of biological responses to more planar aromatic hydrocarbons, like TCDD. We previously described the sequence of events following exposure of male rats to a dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener, 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126), that binds avidly to the AhR and causes various types of toxicity including metabolic syndrome, fatty liver, and disruption of energy homeostasis. The purpose of this study was, to investigate the role of AhR to mediate those toxic manifestations following sub-acute exposure to PCB126 and to examine possible sex differences in effects. For this goal, we created an AhR knockout (AhR-KO) model using CRISPR/Cas9. Comparison was made to the wild type (WT) male and female Holtzman Sprague Dawley rats. Rats were injected with a single IP dose of corn oil vehicle or 5 μmol/kg PCB126 in corn oil and necropsied after 28 days. PCB126 caused significant weight loss, reduced relative thymus weights, and increased relative liver weights in WT male and female rats, but not in AhR-KO rats. Similarly, significant pathologic changes were visible which included necrosis and regeneration in female rats, micro- and macro-vesicular hepatocellular vacuolation in males, and a paucity of glycogen in livers of both sexes in WT rats only. Hypoglycemia and lower IGF1, and reduced serum non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) were found in serum of both sexes of WT rats, low serum cholesterol levels only in the females, and no changes in AhR-KO rats. The expression of genes encoding enzymes related to xenobiotic metabolism (e.g. CYP1A1), gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis, and fatty acid oxidation were unaffected in the AhR-KO rats following PCB126 exposure as opposed to WT rats where expression was significantly upregulated (PPARα, females only) or downregulated suggesting a disrupted energy homeostasis. Interestingly, Acox2, Hmgcs, G6Pase and Pc were affected in both sexes, the gluconeogenesis and glucose transporter genes Pck1, Glut2, Sds, and Crem only in male WT-PCB rats. These results show the essential role of the AhR in glycogenolysis, gluconeogenesis, and fatty acid oxidation, i.e. in the regulation of energy production and homeostasis, but also demonstrate a significant difference in the effects of PCB126 in males verses females, suggesting higher vulnerability of glucose homeostasis in males and more changes in fatty acid/lipid homeostasis in females. These differences in effects, which may apply to more/all AhR agonists, should be further analyzed to identify health risks to specific groups of highly exposed human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazmin Akter Eti
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Susanne Flor
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Khursheed Iqbal
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, United States
| | - Regan L Scott
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, United States
| | - Violet E Klenov
- Department of Ob/Gyn, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Katherine N Gibson-Corley
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Michael J Soares
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, United States
| | - Gabriele Ludewig
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Larry W Robertson
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States.
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Simeone RM, Howards PP, Anderson E, Jusko TA, Drobná B, Kočan A, Čonka K, Fabišiková A, Murínová ĽP, Canfield RL, Sonneborn D, Wimmerová S, Thevenet-Morrison K, Trnovec T, Hertz-Picciotto I, Šovčíková E. Pre- and postnatal polychlorinated biphenyl exposure and cognitive and behavioral development at age 45 Months in a cohort of Slovak children. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 287:132375. [PMID: 34597632 PMCID: PMC8629853 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Evidence of associations of pre- and postnatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) with cognitive development beyond early childhood is inconsistent. A previous report from this cohort observed adverse associations between early life PCB exposures and infant Bayley scores at age 16 months. The present study examines pre- and postnatal PCB exposures in relation to both behavior and cognitive development at age 45 months. Participants were 472 mother-child pairs residing in an area of eastern Slovakia characterized by environmental contamination with PCBs, which resulted in elevated blood serum concentrations. PCB-153 and PCB-118 concentrations were measured in maternal and in infant 6-, 16-, and 45-month serum samples. At age 45 months, children were administered five subtests of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-III), and mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Negative binomial and multiple linear regressions were used to estimate PCB-CBCL and PCB-WPPSI-III subtest score associations, respectively. Pre- and postnatal levels of PCB-153 and PCB-118 were not associated with cognitive performance on the WPPSI-III in this cohort. There was some suggestion that higher postnatal PCB concentrations were associated with more sleep problems and feelings of depression and anxiousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina M Simeone
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Penelope P Howards
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Anderson
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - Todd A Jusko
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | | | - Anton Kočan
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kamil Čonka
- Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Anna Fabišiková
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Dean Sonneborn
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Kelly Thevenet-Morrison
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
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Reilly MP, Kunkel MN, Thompson LM, Zentay A, Weeks CD, Crews D, Cormack LK, Gore AC. Effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on hypothalamic oxytocin and vasopressin systems. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:75-87. [PMID: 34018699 PMCID: PMC8606018 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) perturb hormonal systems. EDCs are particularly problematic when exposure happens in the fetus and infant due to the high sensitivity of developing organisms to hormone actions. Previous work has shown that prenatal polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure disrupts hypothalamic development, reproductive physiology, mate preference behavior, and social behaviors in a sexually dimorphic manner. Based on evidence that EDCs perturb social behaviors in rodents, we examined effects of PCBs on the neuropeptides oxytocin (OXT) and vasopressin (AVP) that are involved in regulating these behaviors. Rats were exposed prenatally (gestational days 16 and 18) to the weakly estrogenic PCB mixture Aroclor 1221 (0.5 or 1 mg/kg), to estradiol benzoate (EB, a positive control), or to the vehicle (3% dimethyl sulfoxide). In adult (~P90) brains, we counted immunolabeled oxytocin and vasopressin cell numbers in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON) of the hypothalamus. EDCs did not change absolute numbers of oxytocin or vasopressin cells in either region, although there were some modest shifts in the rostral-caudal distribution. Second, expression of genes for these nonapeptides (Oxt, Avp), their receptors (Oxtr, Avpr1a), and the estrogen receptor beta (Esr2), was determined by qPCR. In the PVN, there were dose-dependent effects of PCBs in males (Oxt, Oxtr), and effects of EB in females (Avp, Esr2). In the SON, Oxt, and Esr2 were affected by treatments in males. These changes to protein and gene expression caused by prenatal treatments suggest that transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms play roles in mediating how EDCs reprogram hypothalamic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P. Reilly
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - M. Nicole Kunkel
- Department of Psychology The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Lindsay M. Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Andrew Zentay
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Connor D. Weeks
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - David Crews
- Department of Psychology The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712,Department of Integrative Biology The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Lawrence K. Cormack
- Department of Psychology The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712,Institute for Neuroscience; The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Andrea C. Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712,Department of Psychology The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712,Institute for Neuroscience; The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712,Corresponding author: Andrea C. Gore, PhD, , University of Texas at Austin Telephone: 512-471-3669, 107 W. Dean Keeton, C0875 Fax: 512-471-5002, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
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Myhre O, Zimmer KE, Hudecova AM, Hansen KEA, Khezri A, Berntsen HF, Berg V, Lyche JL, Mandal S, Duale N, Ropstad E. Maternal exposure to a human based mixture of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) affect gene expression related to brain function in mice offspring hippocampus. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 276:130123. [PMID: 33714876 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Male and female mice pups were exposed to a low and high dose of a human relevant mixture of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) during pregnancy and lactation. Most compounds detected in the dams were found in offspring brains. The mice offspring exhibited changed expression of hippocampal genes involved in cognitive function (Adora2a, Auts2, Crlf1, Chrnb2, Gdnf, Gnal, Kcnh3), neuroinflammation (Cd47, Il1a), circadian rhythm (Per1, Clock), redox signalling (Hmox2) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation (Cyp1b1). A few genes were differentially expressed in males versus females. Mostly, similar patterns of gene expression changes were observed between the low and high dose groups. Effects on learning and memory function measured in the Barnes maze (not moving, escape latency) were found in the high dose group when combined with moderate stress exposure (air flow from a fan). Mediation analysis indicated adaptation to the effects of exposure since gene expression compensated for learning disabilities (escape latency, walking distance and time spent not moving in the maze). Additionally, random forest analysis indicated that Kcnh3, Gnal, and Crlf1 were the most important genes for escape latency, while Hip1, Gnal and the low exposure level were the most important explanatory factors for passive behaviour (not moving). Altogether, this study showed transfer of POPs to the offspring brains after maternal exposure, modulating the expression level of genes involved in brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oddvar Myhre
- Section of Toxicology and Risk Assessment, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, P. O. Box 222 Skøyen, N-0213, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Karin E Zimmer
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Physiology Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P. O. Box 5003, 1433 Ås, Norway.
| | - Alexandra M Hudecova
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P. O. Box 5003, 1433 Ås, Norway.
| | - Kristine E A Hansen
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P. O. Box 5003, 1433 Ås, Norway.
| | - Abdolrahman Khezri
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Physiology Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P. O. Box 5003, 1433 Ås, Norway.
| | - Hanne F Berntsen
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P. O. Box 5003, 1433 Ås, Norway; National Institute of Occupational Health, P.O. Box 8149 Dep, N-0033, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Vidar Berg
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P. O. Box 5003, 1433 Ås, Norway.
| | - Jan L Lyche
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P. O. Box 5003, 1433 Ås, Norway.
| | | | - Nur Duale
- Section of Molecular Toxicology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, P. O. Box 222 Skøyen, N-0213, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Erik Ropstad
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P. O. Box 5003, 1433 Ås, Norway.
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Eftekhari S, Aminian O, Esser A, Schettgen T, Kaifie A, Felten M, Kraus T, Moinfar Z. PCB plasma level in different occupational groups in Iran. Toxicol Ind Health 2021; 37:458-468. [PMID: 34128435 DOI: 10.1177/07482337211024818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Despite the ban of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) some decades ago, concerns regarding their adverse health effects are continuing, because the workers employed for installation and repair of electrical equipment may be still exposed to PCBs. This study aimed to assess serum PCBs levels in workers in different industries. To do this, we determined the serum concentrations of 9 non-dioxin-like PCBs and 12 dioxin-like PCBs in 147 workers from seven occupational groups and 35 housewives. An electrical distribution company, paint manufacturer, and pesticide manufacturer were categorized as high probability exposure jobs, whereas turning and casting operations, polymer plastic manufacturing, professional driving, and office work were categorized as low probability exposure jobs. In addition, the average of PCB 138, 153, and 180 and PCB sums were observed to be significantly higher in paint manufacture workers compared to the another groups. In addition, the average PCB 118 level was higher in electrical distribution workers and housewives. Following the adjustment for age, blood lipid, residency place, and seafood in the regression model, the association of PCB 118 in electrical distribution workers and PCB 153 in paint manufacture workers remained significant. The results of this study served as further support for the hypothesis for an occupational basis for bioaccumulation of some PCB types. However, the plasma levels of almost all PCB congeners in Iran were found to be lower than many other countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Eftekhari
- School of Medicine, 48439Tehran University of Medical Science-International Campus (TUMS-IC), Tehran, Iran
| | - Omid Aminian
- Occupational Diseases Research Center, 48439Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - André Esser
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital 9165RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
| | - Thomas Schettgen
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital 9165RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
| | - Andrea Kaifie
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital 9165RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
| | - Michael Felten
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital 9165RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
| | - Thomas Kraus
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital 9165RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
| | - Zeinab Moinfar
- Community and Preventive Medicine Department, 48439Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Zehra A, Alshemmari H, Kavil YN, Majid Khan A, Zaffar Hashmi M. Effects of PCB70 and PCB75 on HeLa cell proliferation, membrane integrity and cell signaling pathway. ARAB J CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.arabjc.2020.102985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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11
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Neurobehavioural and cognitive effects of prenatal exposure to organochlorine compounds in three year old children. BMC Pediatr 2021; 21:99. [PMID: 33637059 PMCID: PMC7908674 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-021-02533-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background We report data of a Belgian observational prospective cohort study regarding cognitive and behavioural development until the age of 36 months in relation to internal exposure to organochlorine pollutants [sum of polychlorinated biphenyls (sum PCB), dioxin-like activity, PCB118, PCB170, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and p,p’-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE)] measured in cord blood. Methods Participants were recruited as part of an Flemish Environmental Health Survey (2002–2006). Two hundred and six mother-child pairs were recruited. Hundred twenty five toddlers [Reynell Taal Ontwikkelings Schalen (language development, RTOS), Snijders-Oomen Niet-verbale intelligentietest (non-verbal intelligence, SON), Bayley Scales, milestones, Infant Behaviour Questionnaire (IBQ), gender specific play behaviour, Neurobehavioral Evaluation System (NES)-attentional task] and their mothers [Home Observation Measurement of the Environment (HOME), Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), general questionnaires] were tested. Statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS program. Much attention was paid to confounding factors. Results In the first years of development, higher organochlorine pollutants were associated with less active children (delayed crawling: sum PCB*HCB (p < 0.05), sumPCB*DDE (p < 0.1); delayed first steps alone: sum PCB (p < 0.5), PCB118 (p < 0.01), PCB170 (p < 0.01), HCB (p < 0.01); less switching between toys: sum PCB (p < 0.01); less switching between toys in boys: PCB118 (p < 0.01), sum PCB(p < 0.01)). At 12 months children with higher dioxin-like activity tended to show less fear responses(p < 0.1) (IBQ 12 months). At 36 months, a slower development of language comprehension (RTOS) was related to all organochlorine exposure parameters(p < 0.1 or p < 0.05) except DDE. Lower nonverbal IQ scores (SON) were related to PCB118 in boys only(p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). Less masculine and more non-gender specific play behaviour was associated with sum PCB in boys and girls at 36 months(p < 0.1). Moreover, PCB118 (p < 0.05), PCB170 (p < 0.1), HCB(p < 0.05) and DDE(p < 0.05) were associated with diminished masculine play behaviour in boys. Conclusion Our data confirm the observations that neurobehavioral development of young children is adversely influenced by environmental concentrations of PCBs, especially in boys. In this context, observation of play behaviour seems to be a reliable, easy to perform and sensitive test to detect neurotoxic effects of chemicals like PCB’s and dioxin-like compounds in very young children. On the basis of our results, we hypothesize that an underarrousal pattern may play a role in the spectrum of effects measured in toddlers prenatally exposed to PCBs and dioxin-like compounds. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12887-021-02533-2.
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Goodman M, Li J, Flanders WD, Mahood D, Anthony LG, Zhang Q, LaKind JS. Epidemiology of PCBs and neurodevelopment: Systematic assessment of multiplicity and completeness of reporting. GLOBAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gloepi.2020.100040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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Otake T, Nakayama SF, Isobe T, Hanari N. Development of Artificial Urine Certified Reference Material for Quantification of Neonicotinoid Insecticides. J AOAC Int 2020; 103:1469-1477. [PMID: 33247745 DOI: 10.1093/jaoacint/qsaa061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neonicotinoid insecticides (neonicotinoids) are widely used, however, they can negatively affect human health. Thus, neonicotinoids and their metabolites in human urine are analyzed globally to assess exposure levels and health risks. To properly assess the exposure levels and health risks, accurate analytical results are a necessity. OBJECTIVE This study aims to develop urine certified reference material (CRM), NMIJ CRM 7408-a, for the quantification of neonicotinoids. METHOD To develop NMIJ CRM 7408-a, commercially available artificial urine was used as the raw material to which the target neonicotinoids were added. Analyses of neonicotinoids in NMIJ CRM 7408-a were carried out by isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS). RESULTS Sample homogeneity was assessed, with the results showing that acetamiprid, clothianidin, thiacloprid, and thiamethoxam exhibited sufficiently homogeneous distributions in the material. The relative uncertainties due to inhomogeneity were 1.2-7.0%. The results obtained from long-term stability assessment indicated that the target neonicotinoids were stable. The relative uncertainties due to instability were 9.4-17.2% (for an expiry date of 21 months). The characterization for providing concentration values was carried out using one (clothianidin and thiacloprid) or two (acetamiprid and thiamethoxam) analytical methods. The certified values of the target neonicotinoids (acetamiprid, clothianidin, thiacloprid, and thiamethoxam) were 0.19-1.38 µg/kg. CONCLUSIONS This is the first frozen artificial urine CRM in which neonicotinoids were quantified by IDMS and will be useful for evaluating the accuracy of analysis and validation of analytical methods for the determination of neonicotinoids in urine. HIGHLIGHTS NMIJ CRM 7408-a, which has been certified for four neonicotinoids, was developed by NMIJ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takamitsu Otake
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, National Metrology Institute of Japan, 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8563, Japan
| | - Shoji F Nakayama
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
| | - Tomohiko Isobe
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
| | - Nobuyasu Hanari
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, National Metrology Institute of Japan, 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8563, Japan
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Zhao D, Wang Q, Zhou WT, Wang LB, Yu H, Zhang KK, Chen LJ, Xie XL. PCB52 exposure alters the neurotransmission ligand-receptors in male offspring and contributes to sex-specific neurodevelopmental toxicity. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 264:114715. [PMID: 32402713 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the air are predominantly the less chlorinated congeners. Non-dioxin-like (NDL) low-chlorinated PCBs are more neurotoxic, and cause neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral alterations in humans. However, the underlying mechanisms for this neurodevelopmental toxicity remain unknown. In the present study, Wistar rats were treated by gavage with PCB52 (1 mg/kg body weight) or corn oil from gestational day 7 to postnatal day 21. Both the body lengths and weights of the suckling rats at birth were significantly decreased by PCB52 treatment, suggesting developmental toxicity. Although no obvious histopathological changes were observed in the brain, using RNA-sequencing, 208 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the striatum of PCB52-treated male offspring, while just 13 DEGs were identified in female offspring, suggesting sex-specific effects. Furthermore, using Gene Ontology enrichment analysis, neurodevelopmental processes, neurobehavioral alterations, and neurotransmission changes were enriched from the 208 DEGs in male offspring. Similarly, using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis, neuroactive ligand receptor interactions and multiple synapse pathways were enriched in male offspring, implying dysfunction of the neurotransmission system. Reductions in the protein expressions of these ligand receptors were also identified in the striatum, cerebral cortex, and hippocampus using western blotting methods. Taken together, our findings indicate that PCB52 exposure during gestation and lactation results in the abnormal expression of neurotransmission ligand-receptors in male offspring with a sex bias, and that this may contribute to neurodevelopmental toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Evidence Science (China University of Political Science and Law), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Forensic Pathology, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, No. 1838 North Guangzhou Road, 510515 Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Tao Zhou
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University (Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research), No. 1838 North Guangzhou Road, 510515 Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Bin Wang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University (Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research), No. 1838 North Guangzhou Road, 510515 Guangzhou, China
| | - Hao Yu
- The 2015 Class, 8-Year Program, The First Clinical Medical School, Southern Medical University, No. 1838 North Guangzhou Road, 510515 Guangzhou, China
| | - Kai-Kai Zhang
- Department of Forensic Pathology, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, No. 1838 North Guangzhou Road, 510515 Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Jian Chen
- Department of Forensic Pathology, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, No. 1838 North Guangzhou Road, 510515 Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Li Xie
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University (Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research), No. 1838 North Guangzhou Road, 510515 Guangzhou, China.
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Gagnon-Chauvin A, Bastien K, Saint-Amour D. Environmental toxic agents: The impact of heavy metals and organochlorides on brain development. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 173:423-442. [PMID: 32958188 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64150-2.00030-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental toxicants can have deleterious effects on the development of physical, cognitive, and mental health. Extensive laboratory and clinical studies have demonstrated how the developing brain is uniquely sensitive to toxic agents. This chapter focuses on the main neurologic impairments linked to prenatal and postnatal exposure to lead, methylmercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls, three legacy environmental contaminants whose neurotoxic effects have been extensively studied with respect to cognitive and behavioral development. The main cognitive, emotion regulation, sensory, and motor impairments in association with these contaminants are briefly reviewed, including the underlying neural mechanisms such as neuropathologic damages, brain neurotransmission, and endocrine system alterations. The use of neuroimaging as a novel tool to better understand how the brain is affected by exposure to environmental contaminants is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avril Gagnon-Chauvin
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Kevin Bastien
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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16
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Pessah IN, Lein PJ, Seegal RF, Sagiv SK. Neurotoxicity of polychlorinated biphenyls and related organohalogens. Acta Neuropathol 2019; 138:363-387. [PMID: 30976975 PMCID: PMC6708608 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-01978-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Halogenated organic compounds are pervasive in natural and built environments. Despite restrictions on the production of many of these compounds in most parts of the world through the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), many "legacy" compounds, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are routinely detected in human tissues where they continue to pose significant health risks to highly exposed and susceptible populations. A major concern is developmental neurotoxicity, although impacts on neurodegenerative outcomes have also been noted. Here, we review human studies of prenatal and adult exposures to PCBs and describe the state of knowledge regarding outcomes across domains related to cognition (e.g., IQ, language, memory, learning), attention, behavioral regulation and executive function, and social behavior, including traits related to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We also review current understanding of molecular mechanisms underpinning these associations, with a focus on dopaminergic neurotransmission, thyroid hormone disruption, calcium dyshomeostasis, and oxidative stress. Finally, we briefly consider contemporary sources of organohalogens that may pose human health risks via mechanisms of neurotoxicity common to those ascribed to PCBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac N Pessah
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, 1089 VM3B, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
| | - Pamela J Lein
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, 1089 VM3B, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Richard F Seegal
- Professor Emeritus, School of Public Health, University at Albany, Rensselaer, NY, USA
| | - Sharon K Sagiv
- Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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17
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LaKind JS, Lehmann GM, Davis MH, Hines EP, Marchitti SA, Alcala C, Lorber M. Infant Dietary Exposures to Environmental Chemicals and Infant/Child Health: A Critical Assessment of the Literature. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2018; 126:96002. [PMID: 30256157 PMCID: PMC6375563 DOI: 10.1289/ehp1954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The benefits of breastfeeding to the infant and mother have been well documented. It is also well known that breast milk contains environmental chemicals, and numerous epidemiological studies have explored relationships between background levels of chemicals in breast milk and health outcomes in infants and children. OBJECTIVES In this paper, we examine epidemiological literature to address the following question: Are infant exposures to background levels of environmental chemicals in breast milk and formula associated with adverse health effects? We critically review this literature a) to explore whether exposure-outcome associations are observed across studies, and b) to assess the literature quality. METHODS We reviewed literature identified from electronic literature searches. We explored whether exposure-outcome associations are observed across studies by assessing the quality (using a modified version of a previously published quality assessment tool), consistency, and strengths and weaknesses in the literature. The epidemiological literature included cohorts from several countries and examined infants/children either once or multiple times over weeks to years. Health outcomes included four broad categories: growth and maturation, morbidity, biomarkers, and neurodevelopment. RESULTS The available literature does not provide conclusive evidence of consistent or clinically relevant health consequences to infants exposed to environmental chemicals in breast milk at background levels. CONCLUSIONS It is clear that more research would better inform our understanding of the potential for health impacts from infant dietary exposures to environmental chemicals. A critical data gap is a lack of research on environmental chemicals in formula and infant/child health outcomes. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1954.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy S LaKind
- 1 LaKind Associates, LLC, Catonsville, Maryland, USA
- 2 Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Geniece M Lehmann
- 3 Office of Research and Development (ORD), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Research Triangle Park , North Carolina, USA
| | - Matthew H Davis
- 4 Office of Children's Health Protection, U.S. EPA, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Erin P Hines
- 3 Office of Research and Development (ORD), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Research Triangle Park , North Carolina, USA
| | - Satori A Marchitti
- 5 Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), ORD, U.S. EPA, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Cecilia Alcala
- 6 Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), ORD, U.S. EPA, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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Hertz-Picciotto I, Schmidt RJ, Krakowiak P. Understanding environmental contributions to autism: Causal concepts and the state of science. Autism Res 2018; 11:554-586. [PMID: 29573218 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The complexity of neurodevelopment, the rapidity of early neurogenesis, and over 100 years of research identifying environmental influences on neurodevelopment serve as backdrop to understanding factors that influence risk and severity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This Keynote Lecture, delivered at the May 2016 annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research, describes concepts of causation, outlines the trajectory of research on nongenetic factors beginning in the 1960s, and briefly reviews the current state of this science. Causal concepts are introduced, including root causes; pitfalls in interpreting time trends as clues to etiologic factors; susceptible time windows for exposure; and implications of a multi-factorial model of ASD. An historical background presents early research into the origins of ASD. The epidemiologic literature from the last fifteen years is briefly but critically reviewed for potential roles of, for example, air pollution, pesticides, plastics, prenatal vitamins, lifestyle and family factors, and maternal obstetric and metabolic conditions during her pregnancy. Three examples from the case-control CHildhood Autism Risks from Genes and the Environment Study are probed to illustrate methodological approaches to central challenges in observational studies: capturing environmental exposure; causal inference when a randomized controlled clinical trial is either unethical or infeasible; and the integration of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental influences on development. We conclude with reflections on future directions, including exposomics, new technologies, the microbiome, gene-by-environment interaction in the era of -omics, and epigenetics as the interface of those two. As the environment is malleable, this research advances the goal of a productive and fulfilling life for all children, teen-agers and adults. Autism Res 2018, 11: 554-586. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY This Keynote Lecture, delivered at the 2016 meeting of the International Society for Autism Research, discusses evidence from human epidemiologic studies of prenatal factors contributing to autism, such as pesticides, maternal nutrition and her health. There is no single cause for autism. Examples highlight the features of a high-quality epidemiology study, and what comprises a compelling case for causation. Emergent research directions hold promise for identifying potential interventions to reduce disabilities, enhance giftedness, and improve lives of those with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irva Hertz-Picciotto
- Department of Public Health Sciences, MIND Institute (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders), University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Rebecca J Schmidt
- Department of Public Health Sciences, MIND Institute (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders), University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Paula Krakowiak
- Department of Public Health Sciences, MIND Institute (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders), University of California, Davis, Davis, California
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Vorhees CV, Sprowles JN, Regan SL, Williams MT. A better approach to in vivo developmental neurotoxicity assessment: Alignment of rodent testing with effects seen in children after neurotoxic exposures. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2018; 354:176-190. [PMID: 29544898 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2018.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
High throughput screens for developmental neurotoxicity (DN) will facilitate evaluation of chemicals and can be used to prioritize those designated for follow-up. DN is evaluated under different guidelines. Those for drugs generally include peri- and postnatal studies and juvenile toxicity studies. For pesticides and commercial chemicals, when triggered, include developmental neurotoxicity studies (DNT) and extended one-generation reproductive toxicity studies. Raffaele et al. (2010) reviewed 69 pesticide DNT studies and found two of the four behavioral tests underperformed. There are now many epidemiological studies on children showing adverse neurocognitive effects, yet guideline DN studies fail to assess most of the functions affected in children; nor do DN guidelines reflect the advances in brain structure-function relationships from neuroscience. By reducing the number of test ages, removing underperforming tests and replacing them with tests that assess cognitive abilities relevant to children, the value of DN protocols can be improved. Testing for the brain networks that mediate higher cognitive functions need to include assessments of working memory, attention, long-term memory (explicit, implicit, and emotional), and executive functions such as cognitive flexibility. The current DNT focus on what can be measured should be replaced with what should be measured. With the wealth of data available from human studies and neuroscience, the recommendation is made for changes to make DN studies better focused on human-relevant functions using tests of proven validity that assess comparable functions to tests used in children. Such changes will provide regulatory authorities with more relevant data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles V Vorhees
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
| | - Jenna N Sprowles
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Samantha L Regan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Michael T Williams
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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Behforooz B, Newman J, Gallo MV, Schell LM. PCBs and measures of attention and impulsivity on a continuous performance task of young adults. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2017; 64:29-36. [PMID: 28882586 PMCID: PMC5754016 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2017.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The present study examines the relationship between current body burden of persistent PCBs and attention and impulsivity in 140 Akwesasne Mohawk young adults aged 17 to 21 whose environment has been contaminated by industrial effluent. Attention and impulsivity were measured by errors of omission, errors of commission, and patterns of reaction time responses on the Conners Continuous Performance Test. The PCB measure was the sum of those persistent PCB congeners detected in 50% of the participants. After adjusting for multiple covariates, regression analyses showed a significant positive relationship between PCB levels and omission scores, but only for males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bita Behforooz
- Educational Psychology and Methodology, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 1222, USA.
| | - Joan Newman
- Educational Psychology and Methodology, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 1222, USA
| | - Mia V Gallo
- Department of Anthropology, and Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 1222, USA
| | - Lawrence M Schell
- Department of Anthropology, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 1222, USA
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Ipapo KN, Factor-Litvak P, Whyatt RM, Calafat AM, Diaz D, Perera F, Rauh V, Herbstman JB. Maternal prenatal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and visual recognition memory among infants at 27 weeks. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 155:7-14. [PMID: 28171772 PMCID: PMC5366271 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2017] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior research has demonstrated inverse associations between maternal prenatal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and cognitive development assessed in preschool and school-aged children. While there are a limited number of studies that evaluated these associations during infancy, no study has evaluated whether these associations exist when using the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence (FTII), which captures novelty preference as a function of visual recognition memory. OBJECTIVE We evaluated associations between phthalate metabolite concentrations in maternal prenatal urine and cognition in infancy using the FTII at 27 weeks and determine if these associations are sex-specific. METHODS Mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), monoisobutyl phthalate (MiBP), mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate (MCPP) and four di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate metabolites (DEHP) were quantified in urine samples collected from 168 minority women living in urban neighborhoods during their third trimester of pregnancy. The FTII was administered to infants at 27 weeks to measure visual recognition memory and was recorded as the novelty preference score. RESULTS There were no associations between prenatal phthalate metabolite concentrations and novelty preference score in the full sample. However, there was evidence of effect modification by infant sex. Sex-stratified models demonstrated that compared to girls in the lowest tertile of MBzP concentrations, girls in tertiles 2 and 3 had, on average, 3.98 and 4.65 points lower novelty preference scores (p-value=0.04 and 0.03, respectively). The relationship was similar for ΣDEHP, MiBP, and MEP. Effects among boys were inconsistent and generally not significant. CONCLUSION Maternal prenatal exposure to some phthalates was negatively associated with visual recognition memory as measured by the FTII among girls at age 27 weeks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khristina N Ipapo
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pam Factor-Litvak
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robin M Whyatt
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Antonia M Calafat
- National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Diurka Diaz
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Frederica Perera
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Virginia Rauh
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Julie B Herbstman
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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Przybyla J, Houseman EA, Smit E, Kile ML. A path analysis of multiple neurotoxic chemicals and cognitive functioning in older US adults (NHANES 1999-2002). Environ Health 2017; 16:19. [PMID: 28270159 PMCID: PMC5341442 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-017-0227-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and metals (lead and cadmium) are neurotoxic and affect neurobehavioral performance. Yet little is known about the association between exposure to multiple neurotoxic compounds and cognitive functioning in older adults. METHODS Using data from two consecutive cycles of the National Health and Nutrition and Examination Survey (1999-2002), path analysis was used to simultaneously evaluate the association between whole blood concentrations of 14 neurotoxic compounds and cognitive functioning measured by the Digit Symbol Coding Test of the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale, 3rd Edition in participants 60-84 years of age (N = 498). Effect modification was assessed for age (above/below the mean) and sex. RESULTS The final path model fit 5 compounds (i.e. PCB 74, PCB 118, PCB 146, PCB 153, and lead). After controlling for co-exposures and confounders, PCB 146 (β = -0.16, 95% CI: -0.29, -0.02, p = 0.02) and lead (β = -0.10, 95% CI: -0.20, -0.006, p = 0.04) were negatively associated with DSC scores in 60-84 year olds. Whereas, PCB 153 was positively associated with DSC scores (β =0.20, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.35; p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS This cross-sectional analysis which controlled for collinear exposure to several neurotoxic compounds demonstrated an association between non-dioxin like polychlorinated biphenyl exposure, specifically PCB 146, and lower cognitive functioning, in older adults. Lead exposure was also weakly associated with lower cognitive functioning. Additional studies are needed to determine the causality of the observed associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Przybyla
- School of Biological and Population Health, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, 101 Milam Hall, Corvallis, OR 97330 USA
| | - E. Andres Houseman
- School of Biological and Population Health, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, 101 Milam Hall, Corvallis, OR 97330 USA
| | - Ellen Smit
- School of Biological and Population Health, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, 101 Milam Hall, Corvallis, OR 97330 USA
| | - Molly L. Kile
- School of Biological and Population Health, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, 101 Milam Hall, Corvallis, OR 97330 USA
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Choi SY, Lee K, Park Y, Lee SH, Jo SH, Chung S, Kim KT. Non-Dioxin-Like Polychlorinated Biphenyls Inhibit G-Protein Coupled Receptor-Mediated Ca2+ Signaling by Blocking Store-Operated Ca2+ Entry. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150921. [PMID: 26963511 PMCID: PMC4786281 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous pollutants which accumulate in the food chain. Recently, several molecular mechanisms by which non-dioxin-like (NDL) PCBs mediate neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral toxicity have been elucidated. However, although the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) is a significant target for neurobehavioral disturbance, our understanding of the effects of PCBs on GPCR signaling remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of NDL-PCBs on GPCR-mediated Ca2+ signaling in PC12 cells. We found that ortho-substituted 2,2’,6-trichlorinated biphenyl (PCB19) caused a rapid decline in the Ca2+ signaling of bradykinin, a typical Gq- and phospholipase Cβ-coupled GPCR, without any effect on its inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate production. PCB19 reduced thapsigargin-induced sustained cytosolic Ca2+ levels, suggesting that PCB19 inhibits SOCE. The abilities of other NDL-PCBs to inhibit store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) were also examined and found to be of similar potencies to that of PCB19. PCB19 also showed a manner equivalent to that of known SOCE inhibitors. PCB19-mediated SOCE inhibition was confirmed by demonstrating the ability of PCB19 to inhibit the SOCE current and thapsigargin-induced Mn2+ influx. These results imply that one of the molecular mechanism by which NDL-PCBs cause neurobehavioral disturbances involves NDL-PCB-mediated inhibition of SOCE, thereby interfering with GPCR-mediated Ca2+ signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se-Young Choi
- Department of Physiology, Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University School of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Life Sciences, Division of Integrative Bioscience and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Korea
| | - Keimin Lee
- Department of Physiology, Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University School of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yurim Park
- Department of Physiology, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
| | - Seung-Hyun Lee
- Department of Physiology, Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University School of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea
| | - Su-Hyun Jo
- Department of Physiology, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Sungkwon Chung
- Department of Physiology, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
| | - Kyong-Tai Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Division of Integrative Bioscience and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Korea
- * E-mail:
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Dzwilewski KLC, Schantz SL. Prenatal chemical exposures and child language development. JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2015; 57:41-65. [PMID: 26255253 PMCID: PMC4548902 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2015.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2014] [Revised: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/16/2015] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The goal of this review is to summarize the evidence that prenatal and/or early postnatal exposure to certain chemicals, both manmade (insulating materials, flame retardants, pesticides) and naturally occurring (e.g., lead, mercury), may be associated with delays or impairments in language development. We focus primarily on a subset of more extensively studied chemicals-polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead, and methyl mercury-for which a reasonable body of literature on neurodevelopmental outcomes is available. We also briefly summarize the smaller body of evidence for other chemicals including polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants (PBDEs) and organophosphate pesticides. Very few studies have used specific assessments of language development and function. Therefore, we included discussion of aspects of cognitive development such as overall intellectual functioning and verbal abilities that rely on language, as well as aspects of cognition such as verbal and auditory working memory that are critical underpinnings of language development. A high percentage of prospective birth cohort studies of PCBs, lead, and mercury have reported exposure-related reductions in overall IQ and/or verbal IQ that persist into middle or late childhood. Given these findings, it is important that clinicians and researchers in communication sciences and disorders are aware of the potential for environmental chemicals to impact language development. LEARNING OUTCOMES The goal of this review is to summarize the evidence that prenatal and/or early postnatal exposure to certain chemicals may be associated with delays or impairments in language development. Readers will gain an understanding of the literature suggesting that early exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead, and mercury may be associated with decrements in cognitive domains that depend on language or are critical for language development. We also briefly summarize the smaller body of evidence regarding polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants (PBDEs) and organophosphate pesticides. Very few studies of exposure to these chemicals have used specific assessments of language development; thus, further investigation is needed before changes in clinical practice can be suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey L C Dzwilewski
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Neuroscience Program, 405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Susan L Schantz
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Comparative Biosciences, 2001 South Lincoln Avenue, Urbana, IL 61802, USA.
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25
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Schettgen T, Alt A, Esser A, Kraus T. Current data on the background burden to the persistent organochlorine pollutants HCB, p,p′-DDE as well as PCB 138, PCB 153 and PCB 180 in plasma of the general population in Germany. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2015; 218:380-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2015.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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26
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Tatsuta N, Nakai K, Murata K, Suzuki K, Iwai-Shimada M, Kurokawa N, Hosokawa T, Satoh H. Impacts of prenatal exposures to polychlorinated biphenyls, methylmercury, and lead on intellectual ability of 42-month-old children in Japan. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2014; 133:321-6. [PMID: 24998460 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2014.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2013] [Revised: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The age-specific impacts of perinatal exposures to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), methylmercury (MeHg), and lead on child neurodevelopment remain controversial. Since we have already reported the prenatal effects of these chemicals on neurodevelopment in 3-day-old and 30-month-old children of a birth cohort, the following effects were analyzed in the 42-month-old children in the same cohort. METHODS The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC), comprised of four scales, was used to assess their intelligence and achievement. The relationships between the chemicals and K-ABC scores were analyzed using multivariate analyses. RESULTS The median values of chemicals in cord blood of 387 children were 46.5 (5th and 95th percentiles, 16.7-115.7)ng/g-lipid for total PCB, 10.1 (4.3-22.2)ng/g for total mercury (THg), and 1.0 (0.5-1.8) μg/dL for lead. Of the highly chlorinated PCB homologs, 9 CBs was negatively correlated with the sequential and mental processing score of the K-ABC (p<0.05). There were no significant correlations between any K-ABC score and either THg or lead. The negative effect of 9 CBs remained even after adjusting for THg, lead, and other confounders. The K-ABC scores were significantly lower in the boys than in the girls, and the standardized β of 9 CBs for the sequential and mental processing scores in multiple regression analysis was statistically significant in boys. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that intellectual ability in the developmental stage may be impaired by prenatal exposures to highly chlorinated PCB homologs, especially in Japanese boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nozomi Tatsuta
- Development and Environmental Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Miyagi, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Nakai
- Development and Environmental Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Miyagi, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
| | - Katsuyuki Murata
- Environmental Health Sciences, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita 010-8543, Japan
| | - Keita Suzuki
- Environmental Health Sciences, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Miyuki Iwai-Shimada
- Environmental Health Sciences, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Kurokawa
- Environmental Health Sciences, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Toru Hosokawa
- Human Development and Disabilities, Tohoku University Graduate School of Education, Sendai 980-8576, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Satoh
- Environmental Health Sciences, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
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Qi Z, Buekens A, Liu J, Chen T, Lu S, Li X, Cen K. Some technical issues in managing PCBs. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 21:6448-6462. [PMID: 23812787 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-013-1926-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2013] [Accepted: 06/10/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were important industrial chemicals featuring high thermal and chemical stability and low flammability. They were widely used as dielectric and thermal fluid in closed electro-technical applications (transformers, capacitors…) and also in numerous dispersive uses, ranking from auto-copying paper to sealant or coatings. During the 1960s, severe environmental consequences started becoming apparent. The stability of PCBs contributed to their persistence in the environment, their lipophilic character to bio-magnification. Fish-eating species seemed threatened in their existence. In Japan and in Taiwan, thousands of people consumed PCB-contaminated oil. The production of PCBs stopped completely during the 1980s. Usage could continue in closed applications only. In this paper, particular attention is given to two issues: the cleaning of PCB electric transformers and the potential impact of PCB-containing building materials. Other contributions will cover the management and treatment of PCB-contaminated soil, sludge or fly ash. The complete survey is being prepared by request of the Knowledge Center for Engineers and Professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifu Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
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28
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Pellacani C, Tagliaferri S, Caglieri A, Goldoni M, Giordano G, Mutti A, Costa LG. Synergistic interactions between PBDEs and PCBs in human neuroblastoma cells. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2014; 29:418-27. [PMID: 22434561 DOI: 10.1002/tox.21768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2011] [Revised: 01/30/2012] [Accepted: 02/01/2012] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants. Exposure to these chemicals has been associated with developmental neurotoxicity, endocrine dysfunction, and reproductive disorders. Humans and wildlife are generally exposed to a mixture of these environmental pollutants, highlighting the need to evaluate the potential effects of combined exposures. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxic effects of the combined exposure to two PBDEs and two PCBs in a human neuronal cell line. 2,2',4,4'-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether, 2,2',4,4',5-pentabromodiphenyl ether, PCB-126 (3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl; a dioxin-like PCB), and PCB-153 (2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl; a non-dioxin-like PCB) were chosen, because their concentrations are among the highest in human tissues and the environment. The results suggest that the nature of interactions is related to the PCB structure. Mixtures of PCB-153 and both PBDEs had a prevalently synergistic effect. In contrast, mixtures of each PBDE congener with PCB-126 showed additive effects at threshold concentrations, and synergistic effects at higher concentrations. These results emphasize the concept that the toxicity of xenobiotics may be affected by possible interactions, which may be of significance given the common coexposures to multiple contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Pellacani
- Department of Human Anatomy, Pharmacology, and Forensic Sciences, University of Parma Medical School, Via Volturno 39, 43100 Parma, Italy
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29
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Cheslack-Postava K, Rantakokko PV, Hinkka-Yli-Salomäki S, Surcel HM, McKeague IW, Kiviranta HA, Sourander A, Brown AS. Maternal serum persistent organic pollutants in the Finnish Prenatal Study of Autism: A pilot study. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2013; 38:1-5. [PMID: 23591055 PMCID: PMC3713110 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2013.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Revised: 03/14/2013] [Accepted: 04/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Recent research emphasizes the contribution of environmental as well as genetic factors to the etiology of autism but studies testing associations between chemical exposures and autism have been limited. Prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) has previously been associated with decrements in cognitive and developmental performance. We conducted a pilot study in the Finnish Prenatal Study of Autism (FiPS-A). Seventy-five cases with autism and 75 controls matched on sex, birth year, urbanization and maternal age were sampled from first-born children in the Finnish Maternity Cohort, which includes over 1million births. The study sample included births occurring from 1991 to 2000. Subjects were followed up for autism through 2007. DDT, DDE, PCB-118, PCB-138, PCB-153, PCB-156, PCB-170, PCB-180, hexachlorobenzene, and BDE-47 were measured in archived maternal serum samples taken during pregnancy using gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry. Correlations between pollutant measures were assessed and mechanistically-related weighting schemes for summarizing PCB levels were compared. Case and control differences were assessed using graphical and statistical methods. All analytes, with the exception of DDT and BDE-47, were detected above the limit of quantification in all samples. The correlation between levels of individual PCB congeners and weighted summary measures was high (0.71-1.00). Paired t-tests revealed no significant differences between cases and controls for log-transformed mean values of any analyte; however, in an adjusted model the odds ratios for autism were 1.91 (p=0.29) and 1.79 (p=0.36) respectively, for subjects with total PCBs and DDE above the 90th percentile of control values. Levels of prenatal PCB exposure in FIPS-A were similar to the levels which previously correlated with poorer neurodevelopmental measures in other populations. Further study in a larger sample will be required to fully determine whether exposure to high POP levels is associated with autism diagnosis in the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keely Cheslack-Postava
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, United States.
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30
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El Majidi N, Bouchard M, Carrier G. Systematic analysis of the relationship between standardized prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and mental and motor development during follow-up of nine children cohorts. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2013; 66:130-46. [PMID: 23524270 DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2013.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2012] [Revised: 03/05/2013] [Accepted: 03/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Impact of prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on mental and motor development has been investigated in various children cohorts, but findings show temporal inconsistencies. Because a direct comparison of results obtained from different cohorts remains difficult, temporal relationship between biological PCB concentrations and long-term developmental effects is still not clearly established. The objective of this research was to use a procedure previously developed to standardize PCB biological concentration data across cohorts in order to perform a systematic analysis of temporal associations between prenatal PCB exposure and mental and motor development from neonatal period (or a young age) until school age. Prenatal exposure data from nine cohorts were standardized in terms of total PCBs per kg of lipids in maternal plasma. Systematic analysis of the "standardized biological concentration-development" relationship during follow-up of each cohort was then conducted through the application of Hill criteria. This led to retain six of the studied cohorts in the final analysis. A biological level of prenatal PCB exposure below which risk of mental or motor development should be negligible was established in the order of 1000μg/kg of lipids in maternal plasma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naïma El Majidi
- Département de santé environnementale et santé au travail, Chaire d'analyse et de gestion des risques toxicologiques and Institut de recherche en santé publique de l'Université de Montréal (IRSPUM), Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, P.O. Box 6128, Main Station, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3C 3J7
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31
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Colombo A, Benfenati E, Bugatti SG, Lodi M, Mariani A, Musmeci L, Rotella G, Senese V, Ziemacki G, Fanelli R. PCDD/Fs and PCBs in ambient air in a highly industrialized city in northern Italy. CHEMOSPHERE 2013; 90:2352-2357. [PMID: 23141844 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2012] [Revised: 09/27/2012] [Accepted: 10/17/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Ambient air samples were collected in five locations around a polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) production plant in a highly industrialized city in the north of Italy, for the analysis of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and PCBs. PCDD/F atmospheric concentrations were lower than those generally detected in urban areas, while PCB concentrations were higher than in urban and industrialized areas in other countries, especially in the locations closest to the plant. To identify source emissions responsible for air pollution we used principal component analysis (PCA) to compare the "fingerprint" of the air in Brescia with some source-related experimental and published data. This analysis showed that the PCDD/F fingerprints were more similar to steel plant emission data, while none of the PCB air patterns were comparable to emission profiles, indicating that different sources are responsible for the concentration of these two pollutants. The highest PCB concentrations detected in the areas closest to the chemical plant are indicative of its impact on the surrounding environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Colombo
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Via La Masa 19, 20156 Milan, Italy.
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32
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Dodoo DK, Essumang DK, Jonathan JWA. Accumulation profile and seasonal variations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in bivalves Crassostrea tulipa (oysters) and Anadara senilis (mussels) at three different aquatic habitats in two seasons in Ghana. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2013; 88:26-34. [PMID: 23158760 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2012.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2012] [Revised: 10/09/2012] [Accepted: 10/16/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Research has shown that some polychlorinated biphenyl congeners degrade slowly in the environment and build up in the food chain, causing a wide range of possible adverse effects to humans. In order to ascertain the nature of the situation in Ghana, polychlorinated biphenyls congener residues in Crassostrea tulipa (oysters) and Anadara senilis (mussels) at Narkwa, Ada and Anyanui in the coastal region of Ghana were determined. At Narkwa, both bivalves' species were collected; at Ada only Anadara senilis were collected while at Anyanui, only Crassotrea tulipa were collected. The number of each bivalve species collected from each site was 80 (n=80), making up a total of 320 for the dry and the wet seasons. The PCBs were extracted with (1:1) hexane-acetone mixture and analyzed with a gas chromatogram equipped with (65)Ni electron capture detector, model CP 3800 using the mixed PCBs standard of the ICES 7. Total PCBs in the bivalves ranged from 5.55 to 6.37 μg/kg wet weight in mussels and 2.95-11.41 μg/kg wet weight in oysters, respectively. The composition of the PCB homologues in the bivalves was dominated by tri-, hepta- and hexa-PCBs in descending order. Risk assessments conducted on the samples indicated that edible bivalves from Narkwa, Ada and Anyanui in Ghana might pose some health risk to the consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- D K Dodoo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
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33
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Dodoo DK, Essumang DK, Jonathan JWA, Bentum JK. Polychlorinated biphenyls in coastal tropical ecosystems: distribution, fate and risk assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2012; 118:16-24. [PMID: 22917765 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2012.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2011] [Revised: 07/16/2012] [Accepted: 07/27/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) though banned still find use in most developing countries including Ghana. PCB congener residues in sediments in the coastal regions of Ghana were determined. Sediment samples (n=80) were collected between June 2008 and March 2009, extracted by the continuous soxhlet extraction using (1:1) hexane-acetone mixture for 24h and analyzed with a CP 3800 gas chromatogram equipped with (65)Ni electron capture detector (GC-ECD) and a mixed PCBs standard of the ICES 7 as marker, after clean-up. Validation of the efficiency and precision of the extraction and analytical methods were done by extracting samples spiked with 2 ppm ICES PCB standard and a certified reference material 1941b for marine sediments from NIST, USA, and analyzed alongside the samples. Total PCBs detected in sediments during the dry and wet seasons were, respectively, 127 and 112 μg/kg dry weight (dw), with a mean concentration of 120 μg/kg (dw). The composition of PCB homologues in the sediments were dominated by tri-, penta- and tetra-PCBs. There was no correlation between organic carbon (OC) of the sediments and total PCBs content. Risk assessments conducted on the levels indicated that PCB levels in sediments along the coastal region of Ghana poses no significant health risk to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- D K Dodoo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
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34
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Forns J, Lertxundi N, Aranbarri A, Murcia M, Gascon M, Martinez D, Grellier J, Lertxundi A, Julvez J, Fano E, Goñi F, Grimalt JO, Ballester F, Sunyer J, Ibarluzea J. Prenatal exposure to organochlorine compounds and neuropsychological development up to two years of life. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2012; 45:72-77. [PMID: 22575806 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2012.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2012] [Revised: 04/12/2012] [Accepted: 04/14/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethylene (pp'DDE) are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic environmental pollutants with potential neurotoxic effects. Despite a growing body of studies investigating the health effects associated with these compounds, their specific effects on early neuropsychological development remain unclear. We investigated such neuropsychological effects in a population-based birth cohort based in three regions in Spain (Sabadell, Gipuzkoa, and Valencia) derived from the INMA [Environment and Childhood] Project. The main analyses in this report were based on 1391 mother-child pairs with complete information on maternal levels of organochlorine compounds and child neuropsychological assessment (Bayley Scales of Infant Development) at age 14 months. We found that prenatal PCB exposure, particularly to congeners 138 and 153, resulted in impairment of psychomotor development (coefficient=-1.24, 95% confidence interval=-2.41, -0.07), but found no evidence for effects on cognitive development. Prenatal exposure to pp'DDE or HCB was not associated with early neuropsychological development. The negative effects of exposure to PCBs on early psychomotor development suggest that the potential neurotoxic effects of these compounds may be evident even at low doses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Forns
- Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain.
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Burbacher TM, Grant KS. Measuring infant memory: Utility of the visual paired-comparison test paradigm for studies in developmental neurotoxicology. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2012; 34:473-80. [PMID: 22750243 PMCID: PMC5420201 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2012.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2012] [Revised: 06/15/2012] [Accepted: 06/15/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The assessment of brain function and behavior in young infants is central to understanding the effects of chemical exposure on central nervous system development. One approach to infant cognitive assessment, based on the direct observation of infant eye movements, is known as the Visual Paired-Comparison task. The Visual Paired-Comparison test methodology uses selective visual attention as a vehicle to study emerging recognition memory skills. The utility of this procedure to study visual recognition memory has been well established in both human and nonhuman primate infants. The primary outcome measure produced by this assessment technique is known as the Novelty Preference Score, reflecting the amount of time the infant spends actively looking at novel rather than familiar test stimuli. Visual recognition memory testing has demonstrated a strong sensitivity to conditions that may place infants at risk for poor developmental outcome (e.g. preterm birth, Down syndrome) and in humans; performance is significantly related to later measures of I.Q. and language competency. This assessment methodology has been successfully applied to the study of neurobehavioral effects after fetal neurotoxicant exposure. Field and laboratory studies have used tests of visual recognition memory to better understand the effects of compounds such as lead, methylmercury and polychlorinated biphenyls on emergent cognitive processing. The Visual Paired-Comparison paradigm and its capacity to measure recognition memory in preverbal infants provides a valid and theoretically meaningful approach to neurobehavioral assessment for studies in developmental toxicology and teratology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Burbacher
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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Schettgen T, Alt A, Preim D, Keller D, Kraus T. Biological monitoring of indoor-exposure to dioxin-like and non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in a public building. Toxicol Lett 2012; 213:116-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2011.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2011] [Revised: 06/01/2011] [Accepted: 06/07/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Su G, Liu X, Gao Z, Xian Q, Feng J, Zhang X, Giesy JP, Wei S, Liu H, Yu H. Dietary intake of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from fish and meat by residents of Nanjing, China. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2012; 42:138-143. [PMID: 21764134 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2011.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2010] [Revised: 05/20/2011] [Accepted: 05/26/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Concentrations of 14 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDEs) and 28 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) congers were measured in 137 samples of fish and meat from Nanjing, a city in the Yangtze River Delta, China. Total concentrations of PBDEs were less in fish (mean of 180 pg/g ww; range 8.0-1100 pg/g ww), but more in non fish foods (mean of 180 pg/g ww; range 15-950 pg/g ww) than those reported from other countries. The total dietary intake of PBDEs and PCBs by humans were 9.9 ng PBDE/d and 870 ng PCB/d, respectively. The daily intake by a 60 kg adult of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (TEQ(WHO)) from PCBs was estimated to be 49 pg (PCB)TEQ(WHO)/d (0.82 pg (PCB)TEQ(WHO)/kg bw), which is less than the tolerable daily intake suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO). The daily intake of meat and fish accounted for 57.2% and 42.8% of the total intake of (PCB)TEQ(WHO).
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanyong Su
- The State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
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Schettgen T, Gube M, Esser A, Alt A, Kraus T. Plasma polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) levels of workers in a transformer recycling company, their family members, and employees of surrounding companies. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART A 2012; 75:414-422. [PMID: 22686300 DOI: 10.1080/15287394.2012.674905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
In spring 2010, high internal exposures (up to 236 μg/L plasma) for the sum of indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were discovered in workers in a transformer recycling company in Germany, where PCB-contaminated material was not handled according to proper occupational hygiene. The release of PCB from this company raised growing concerns regarding possible adverse human health effects correlated with this exposure. This provided a basis for a large biological monitoring study in order to examine the internal exposure to PCB in individuals working in that recycling company, their family members, and relatives, as well as subjects working or living in the surroundings of this company. Blood samples from 116 individuals (formerly) employed in the transformer recycling company and 45 direct relatives of these persons were obtained. Further, blood samples of 190 subjects working in close vicinity of the recycling plant, 277 persons working in the larger area, and 41 residents of the area were investigated. Plasma samples were analyzed for the 6 indicator PCB (PCB 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, 180) and 12 dioxin-like PCB using gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS; limit of detection [LOD] at 0.01 μg/L). Median concentrations (maximum) for the sum of the 6 indicator PCB in blood of the employees, their relatives, individuals working in close vicinity, persons working in the larger area, and the residents were 3.68 (236.3), 1.86 (22.8), 1.34 (22.9), 1.19 (6.42), and 0.85 (7.22) μg/L plasma, respectively. The (former) employees of the transformer recycling plant partly showed the highest plasma PCB levels determined thus far in Germany. Even family members displayed highly elevated levels of PCB in blood due to contaminations of their homes by laundering of contaminated clothes. Vicinity to the recycling plant including reported contact with possibly contaminated scrap was the main contributor to the PCB levels of the workers of the surrounding companies. Residents of the area did not show significantly elevated blood PCB levels compared to the general population. Our biomonitoring results served as a basis for individual risk communication and successful risk management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Schettgen
- Institute for Occupational and Social Medicine, Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
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Pilot study on the exposure of the German general population to non-dioxin-like and dioxin-like PCBs. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2011; 214:319-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2011.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2010] [Revised: 04/12/2011] [Accepted: 04/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Goodman M, Squibb K, Youngstrom E, Anthony LG, Kenworthy L, Lipkin PH, Mattison DR, LaKind JS. Using systematic reviews and meta-analyses to support regulatory decision making for neurotoxicants: lessons learned from a case study of PCBs. CIENCIA & SAUDE COLETIVA 2011; 16:3207-20. [DOI: 10.1590/s1413-81232011000800020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2009] [Accepted: 02/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined prospective cohort studies evaluating the relation between prenatal and neonatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and neurodevelopment in children to assess the feasibility of conducting a meta-analysis to support decision making. We described studies in terms of exposure and end point categorization, statistical analysis, and reporting of results. We used this evaluation to assess the feasibility of grouping studies into reasonably uniform categories. The most consistently used tests included Brazelton's Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, the neurologic optimality score in the neonatal period, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 5-8months of age, and the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities in 5-year-olds. Despite administering the same tests at similar ages, the studies were too dissimilar to allow a meaningful quantitative examination of outcomes across cohorts. These analyses indicate that our ability to conduct weight-of-evidence assessments of the epidemiologic literature on neurotoxicants may be limited, even in the presence of multiple studies, if the available study methods, data analysis, and reporting lack comparability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eric Youngstrom
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Laura Gutermuth Anthony
- Children's National Medical Center, USA; George Washington University, USA; George Washington University, USA
| | - Lauren Kenworthy
- Children's National Medical Center, USA; George Washington University, USA; George Washington University, USA; George Washington University, USA
| | - Paul H. Lipkin
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, USA; Johns Hopkins University, USA
| | - Donald R. Mattison
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, USA
| | - Judy S. LaKind
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, USA; LaKind Associates, USA; University of Maryland, USA
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Donaldson SG, Van Oostdam J, Tikhonov C, Feeley M, Armstrong B, Ayotte P, Boucher O, Bowers W, Chan L, Dallaire F, Dallaire R, Dewailly E, Edwards J, Egeland GM, Fontaine J, Furgal C, Leech T, Loring E, Muckle G, Nancarrow T, Pereg D, Plusquellec P, Potyrala M, Receveur O, Shearer RG. Environmental contaminants and human health in the Canadian Arctic. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2010; 408:5165-5234. [PMID: 20728918 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.04.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2009] [Revised: 04/23/2010] [Accepted: 04/29/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The third Canadian Arctic Human Health Assessment conducted under the Canadian Northern Contaminants Program (NCP), in association with the circumpolar Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), addresses concerns about possible adverse health effects in individuals exposed to environmental contaminants through a diet containing country foods. The objectives here are to: 1) provide data on changes in human contaminant concentrations and exposure among Canadian Arctic peoples; 2) identify new contaminants of concern; 3) discuss possible health effects; 4) outline risk communication about contaminants in country food; and 5) identify knowledge gaps for future contaminant research and monitoring. The nutritional and cultural benefits of country foods are substantial; however, some dietary studies suggest declines in the amount of country foods being consumed. Significant declines were found for most contaminants in maternal blood over the last 10 years within all three Arctic regions studied. Inuit continue to have the highest levels of almost all persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and metals among the ethnic groups studied. A greater proportion of people in the East exceed Health Canada's guidelines for PCBs and mercury, although the proportion of mothers exceeding these guidelines has decreased since the previous assessment. Further monitoring and research are required to assess trends and health effects of emerging contaminants. Infant development studies have shown possible subtle effects of prenatal exposure to heavy metals and some POPs on immune system function and neurodevelopment. New data suggest important beneficial effects on brain development for Inuit infants from some country food nutrients. The most successful risk communication processes balance the risks and benefits of a diet of country food through input from a variety of regional experts and the community, to incorporate the many socio-cultural and economic factors to arrive at a risk management decision that will be the most beneficial in Arctic communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- S G Donaldson
- Chemicals Surveillance Bureau, HECSB, Health Canada, 269 Laurier Ave West, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0K9
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Park HY, Hertz-Picciotto I, Sovcikova E, Kocan A, Drobna B, Trnovec T. Neurodevelopmental toxicity of prenatal polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by chemical structure and activity: a birth cohort study. Environ Health 2010; 9:51. [PMID: 20731829 PMCID: PMC2939589 DOI: 10.1186/1476-069x-9-51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2010] [Accepted: 08/23/2010] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous environmental toxins. Although there is growing evidence to support an association between PCBs and deficits of neurodevelopment, the specific mechanisms are not well understood. The potentially different roles of specific PCB groups defined by chemical structures or hormonal activities e.g., dioxin-like, non-dioxin like, or anti-estrogenic PCBs, remain unclear. Our objective was to examine the association between prenatal exposure to defined subsets of PCBs and neurodevelopment in a cohort of infants in eastern Slovakia enrolled at birth in 2002-2004. METHODS Maternal and cord serum samples were collected at delivery, and analyzed for PCBs using high-resolution gas chromatography. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development -II (BSID) were administered at 16 months of age to over 750 children who also had prenatal PCB measurements. RESULTS Based on final multivariate-adjusted linear regression model, maternal mono-ortho-substituted PCBs were significantly associated with lower scores on both the psychomotor (PDI) and mental development indices (MDI). Also a significant association between cord mono-ortho-substituted PCBs and reduced PDI was observed, but the association with MDI was marginal (p = 0.05). Anti-estrogenic and di-ortho-substituted PCBs did not show any statistically significant association with cognitive scores, but a suggestive association between di-ortho-substituted PCBs measured in cord serum and poorer PDI was observed. CONCLUSION Children with higher prenatal mono-ortho-substituted PCB exposures performed more poorly on the Bayley Scales. Evidence from this and other studies suggests that prenatal dioxin-like PCB exposure, including mono-ortho congeners, may interfere with brain development in utero. Non-dioxin-like di-ortho-substituted PCBs require further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Youn Park
- Divisions of Epidemiology, and of Environmental and Occupational Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, 95616, USA
| | - Irva Hertz-Picciotto
- Divisions of Epidemiology, and of Environmental and Occupational Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, 95616, USA
| | - Eva Sovcikova
- Department of Toxic Organic Pollutants, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Anton Kocan
- Department of Toxic Organic Pollutants, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Beata Drobna
- Department of Toxic Organic Pollutants, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Tomas Trnovec
- Department of Toxic Organic Pollutants, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Long-term effects of developmental exposure to low doses of PCB 126 and methylmercury. Toxicol Lett 2010; 197:38-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2010.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2010] [Accepted: 04/27/2010] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Goodman M, Squibb K, Youngstrom E, Anthony LG, Kenworthy L, Lipkin PH, Mattison DR, LaKind JS. Using systematic reviews and meta-analyses to support regulatory decision making for neurotoxicants: lessons learned from a case study of PCBs. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2010; 118:727-34. [PMID: 20176542 PMCID: PMC2898846 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.0901835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2009] [Accepted: 02/22/2010] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiologic weight-of-evidence reviews to support regulatory decision making regarding the association between environmental chemical exposures and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children are often complicated by lack of consistency across studies. OBJECTIVE We examined prospective cohort studies evaluating the relation between prenatal and neonatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and neurodevelopment in children to assess the feasibility of conducting a meta-analysis to support decision making. DATA EXTRACTION/SYNTHESIS We described studies in terms of exposure and end point categorization, statistical analysis, and reporting of results. We used this evaluation to assess the feasibility of grouping studies into reasonably uniform categories. RESULTS The current literature includes 11 cohorts of children for whom effects from prenatal or neonatal PCB exposures were assessed. The most consistently used tests included Brazelton's Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, the neurologic optimality score in the neonatal period, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 5-8 months of age, and the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities in 5-year-olds. Despite administering the same tests at similar ages, the studies were too dissimilar to allow a meaningful quantitative examination of outcomes across cohorts. CONCLUSIONS These analyses indicate that our ability to conduct weight-of-evidence assessments of the epidemiologic literature on neurotoxicants may be limited, even in the presence of multiple studies, if the available study methods, data analysis, and reporting lack comparability. Our findings add support to previous calls for establishing consensus standards for the conduct, analysis, and reporting of epidemiologic studies in general, and for those evaluating the effects of potential neurotoxic exposures in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Goodman
- Department of Epidemiology, Emory University School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Katherine Squibb
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Eric Youngstrom
- Department of Psychology and
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Laura Gutermuth Anthony
- Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Pediatrics
- Department of Psychiatry and
| | - Lauren Kenworthy
- Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Pediatrics
- Department of Psychiatry and
- Department of Neurology, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Paul H. Lipkin
- Center for Development and Learning, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Donald R. Mattison
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Judy S. LaKind
- LaKind Associates, LLC, Catonsville, Maryland, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
- Address correspondence to J.S. LaKind, LaKind Associates, LLC, 106 Oakdale Ave., Catonsville, MD, USA 21228. Telephone: (410) 788-8639. Fax: (410) 788-8639. E-mail:
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45
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Executive Function following Developmental Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1201/9781420004335.ch8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
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Nakajima S, Kishi R. [Profiling prospective birth cohort studies on relationship between environment and children's health: various issues and aspects involved in evaluating development in children]. Nihon Eiseigaku Zasshi 2009; 64:765-773. [PMID: 19797844 DOI: 10.1265/jjh.64.765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins are persistent environmental pollutants. The effects of these pollutants on neurodevelopment in children have been assessed in longitudinal studies performed in areas with low-level contamination of PCBs and dioxins. Some of these studies have shown that the PCBs and dioxins induced adverse effects on the neurodevelopment of children. However, other studies did not reveal any negative effects of these chemicals on development. Thus, consistent results describing the effects of low-level PCB and dioxin exposure on children's development have not been obtained. To study the effects of these agents on the neurodevelopment of children, it is essential to identify the target of the study, determine the duration of the study, and devise a protocol for performing the studies, as these are important factors that affect research findings. Furthermore, detailed evaluations of neurodevelopment should be performed by longitudinal methods to obtain reliable measurements of outcomes. However, it is necessary to assess the burden on subjects; this step can help reduce the loss of subjects and determine the most suitable approach to evaluating neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonomi Nakajima
- Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Sapporo Medical University, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Japan.
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Endocrine disrupting polyhalogenated organic pollutants interfere with thyroid hormone signalling in the developing brain. THE CEREBELLUM 2009; 7:26-37. [PMID: 18418666 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-008-0004-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Persistent polyhalogenated organic pollutants are present worldwide and accumulate along the food chain. They interfere with human and animal health and are particularly harmful for pre- and perinatal neurodevelopment. The mechanisms behind the observed effects vary depending on the specific compound investigated. Co-planar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can act via the arylhydrocarbon receptor while many ortho-substituted PCBs disrupt intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis. A common mechanism for a wide variety of PCBs is interference with thyroid hormone (TH) signalling in developing brain, by changing intracellular TH availability or by interacting directly at the level of the TH receptors. Studies on gene expression in cortex and cerebellum revealed both hypothyroid- and hyperthyroid-like effects. However, since THdependent gene expression plays a crucial role in the coordination of neuronal proliferation, migration, synaptogenesis, myelination, etc., both reduced/delayed and increased/premature expression may result in permanent structural changes in neuronal communication networks, leading to lifelong deficits in cognitive performance, motor functions, and psychobehavior. In a similar way, PCBs are able to interfere with estrogen- and androgen-dependent brain development and in some studies neurobehavioral outcome was shown to be gender-specific. Other persistent organohalogens like polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) also act as endocrine disrupters in the developing brain. Several of the mechanisms involved are similar to those of PCBs, but each group also works via own specific pathways. The fact that persistent organohalogens can amplify the neurotoxic effects of other environmental pollutants, such as heavy metals, further increases their risk for human and animal neurodevelopment.
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Boucher O, Muckle G, Bastien CH. Prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls: a neuropsychologic analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2009; 117:7-16. [PMID: 19165381 PMCID: PMC2627868 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.11294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2008] [Accepted: 08/14/2008] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES A large body of literature documents the effects of prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on cognitive development of children. Despite this fact, no integrative synthesis has been published yet to identify the cognitive functions that are particularly affected. Our aim is to review this literature in an attempt to identify the cognitive profile associated with prenatal PCB exposure. DATA SOURCES Studies were identified by searching the PubMed database for articles published before June 2008. We reviewed data from nine prospective longitudinal birth cohorts for different aspects of cognition. DATA EXTRACTION Associations between indicators of prenatal PCB exposure and performance on cognitive tasks reported in the selected studies are summarized and classified as general cognitive abilities, verbal or visual-spatial skills, memory, attention, and executive functions. DATA SYNTHESIS The most consistent effects observed across studies are impaired executive functioning related to increased prenatal PCB exposure. Negative effects on processing speed, verbal abilities, and visual recognition memory are also reported by most studies. Converging results from different cohort studies in which exposure arises from different sources make it unlikely that co-exposure with another associated contaminant is responsible for the observed effects. CONCLUSION Prenatal PCB exposure appears to be related to a relatively specific cognitive profile of impairments. Failure to assess functions that are specifically impaired may explain the absence of effects found in some studies. Our findings have implications in the selection of cognitive assessment methods in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Boucher
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
- Unité de recherche en santé publique, Centre de recherche du CHUQ-CHUL, Québec, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
- Unité de recherche en santé publique, Centre de recherche du CHUQ-CHUL, Québec, Canada
- Address correspondence to G. Muckle, Unité de recherche en santé publique, Centre de recherche du CHUL-CHUQ, Édifice Delta 2, Bureau 600, 2875, boulevard Laurier, 6e étage, Sainte-Foy (Qc), Canada, G1V 2M2. Telephone: 1 418 656 4141, ext. 46199. Fax: 1 418 654 2726. E-mail address:
| | - Célyne H. Bastien
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
- Laboratoire de neurosciences comportementales humaines, Centre de recherche Université Laval-Robert Giffard, Québec, Canada
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Honma T, Suda M, Miyagawa M, Wang RS, Kobayashi K, Sekiguchi S. Alteration of brain neurotransmitters in female rat offspring induced by prenatal administration of 16 and 64 mg/kg of 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB153). INDUSTRIAL HEALTH 2009; 47:11-21. [PMID: 19218753 DOI: 10.2486/indhealth.47.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
PCB153 (2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl), a non-coplanar PCB and the congener most widely distributed in the environment, was orally administered to pregnant Sprague-Dawley (Crj: CD (SD) IGS) rats from gestation day 10 through 16 at doses of 0 (control), 16 and 64 mg/kg body weight. Female pups were sacrificed at 1, 3, 6, and 9 wk, and at 1 yr of age to evaluate the differences in brain neurotransmitters and their metabolites between PCB153-exposed and control groups. Brain levels of norepinephrine (NE), 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), serotonin (5HT), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA), acetylcholine (ACh), and choline (Ch) in discrete brain regions or in whole brain were measured. At 1 to 3 wk after birth, brain levels of DA, DOPAC, HVA, 5HT and 5HIAA in PCB-exposed groups were higher than those of the control group. At 9 wk after birth, DA turnover was reduced in half of the four brain areas examined (forebrain and hindbrain), and 5HIAA levels were increased in all brain areas in the PCB-treated group compared to those of the control group. At 1 yr after birth, the levels of DA, DOPAC, and HVA in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and medulla oblongata were lower in the PCB-exposed groups than in the control group. Prenatal exposure to PCB153 stimulated the turnover of 5HT neurons in the brain of female offspring at early stages (1 to 9 wk) of development. On the other hand, the turnover of DA neurons in the PCB-exposed groups was reduced in late stages (9 wk to 1 yr) of development compared with that of the control group. The brain neurotransmitters of dams treated with PCB were assayed at 3 wk after delivery (15 wk old), and decreases in DA, DOPAC, and HVA were observed. PCB153 reduced the activity of DA neurons in the brain of dams. These results are discussed in relation to health effects observed in humans exposed to PCBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Honma
- Department of Health Effects Research, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Japan
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White RF, Campbell R, Echeverria D, Knox SS, Janulewicz P. Assessment of neuropsychological trajectories in longitudinal population-based studies of children. J Epidemiol Community Health 2009; 63 Suppl 1:i15-26. [PMID: 19098136 PMCID: PMC2602743 DOI: 10.1136/jech.2007.071530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/23/2008] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
This paper provides a strategy for the assessment of brain function in longitudinal cohort studies of children. The proposed strategy invokes both domain-specific and omnibus intelligence test approaches. In order to minimise testing burden and practice effects, the cohort is divided into four groups with one-quarter tested at 6-monthly intervals in the 0-2-year age range (at ages 6 months, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 years) and at annual intervals from ages 3-20 (one-quarter of the children at age 3, another at age 4, etc). This strategy allows investigation of cognitive development and of the relationship between environmental influences and development at each age. It also allows introduction of new domains of function when age-appropriate. As far as possible, tests are used that will provide a rich source of both longitudinal and cross-sectional data. The testing strategy allows the introduction of novel tests and new domains as well as piloting of tests when the test burden is relatively light. In addition to the recommended tests for each age and domain, alternative tests are described. Assessment methodology and knowledge about child cognitive development will change over the next 20 years, and strategies are suggested for altering the proposed test schedule as appropriate.
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Affiliation(s)
- R F White
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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