1
|
Al-Saleh I, Elkhatib R, Alghamdi R, Alrushud N, Alnuwaysir H, Alnemer M, Aldhalaan H, Shoukri M. Assessment of maternal phthalate exposure in urine across three trimesters and at delivery (umbilical cord blood and placenta) and its influence on birth anthropometric measures. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 949:174910. [PMID: 39053554 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Phthalates, commonly used in plastic manufacturing, have been linked to adverse reproductive effects. Our research from the Saudi Early Autism and Environment Study (2019-2022), involving 672 participants, focused on the impacts of maternal phthalate exposure on birth anthropometric measures. We measured urinary phthalate metabolites in 390 maternal samples collected during each of the three trimesters of pregnancy and in cord serum and placental samples obtained at delivery. We employed various statistical methods to analyze our data. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to assess the consistency of phthalate measurements, generalized estimating equations were used to explore temporal variations across the trimesters, and linear regression models, adjusted for significant confounders and Bonferroni correction, were used for each birth outcome. Exposure to six phthalates was consistently high across trimesters, with 82 %-100 % of samples containing significant levels of all metabolites, except for mono-benzyl phthalate. We found a 3.15 %-3.73 % reduction in birth weight (BWT), 1.39 %-1.69 % reduction in head circumference (HC), and 3.63 %-5.45 % reduction in placental weight (PWT) associated with a one-unit increase in certain urinary di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) metabolites during the first trimester. In the second trimester, exposure to MEP, ∑7PAE, and ∑LMW correlated with a 3.15 %-4.5 % increase in the APGAR 5-min score and increases in PWT by 8.98 % for ∑7PAE and 9.09 % for ∑LMW. Our study also highlighted the maternal-to-fetal transfer of DEHP metabolites, indicating diverse impacts on birth outcomes and potential effects on developmental processes. Our study further confirmed the transfer of DEHP metabolites from mothers to fetuses, evidenced by variable rates in the placenta and cord serum, with an inverse relationship suggesting a passive transfer mechanism. Additionally, we observed distinct phthalate profiles across these matrices, adversely impacting birth outcomes. In serum, we noticed increases associated with DEHP metabolites, with birth gestational age rising by 1.01 % to 1.11 %, HC by 2.84 % to 3.67 %, and APGAR 5-min scores by 3.77 % to 3.87 %. Conversely, placental analysis revealed a different impact: BWT decreased by 3.54 % to 4.69 %, HC reductions ranged from 2.57 % to 4.69 %, and chest circumference decreased by 7.13 %. However, the cephalization index increased by 3.67 %-5.87 %. These results highlight the complex effects of phthalates on fetal development, indicating their potential influence on crucial developmental processes like sexual maturation and brain development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iman Al-Saleh
- Environmental Health Program, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Rola Elkhatib
- Environmental Health Program, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Reem Alghamdi
- Environmental Health Program, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nujud Alrushud
- Environmental Health Program, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hissah Alnuwaysir
- Environmental Health Program, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maha Alnemer
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hesham Aldhalaan
- Center for Autism Research, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed Shoukri
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Fu J, Yao Y, Huang Z, Guo Z, Chen X, Tang X, Ge Y, Xiao Q, Sha Y, Lu S. Sex-Specific and Trimester-Specific Associations of Prenatal Exposure to Bisphenols, Parabens, and Triclosan with Neonatal Birth Size and Gestational Age. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:13687-13696. [PMID: 39067068 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c04940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Bisphenols, parabens, and triclosan (TCS) are common endocrine disrupters used in various consumer products. These chemicals have been shown to cross the placental barrier and affect intrauterine development of fetuses. In this study, we quantified serum levels of six bisphenols, five parabens, and TCS in 483 pregnant women from southern China. Quantile-based g-computation showed that combined exposure to bisphenols, parabens, and TCS was significantly (p < 0.05) and negatively associated with birth weight (β = -39.9, 95% CI: -73.8, -6.1), birth length (β = -0.19, 95% CI: -0.34, -0.04), head circumference (β = -0.13, 95% CI: -0.24, -0.02), and thoracic circumference (β = -0.16, 95% CI: -0.29, -0.04). An inverse correlation was also identified between mixture exposure and gestational age (β = -0.12, 95% CI: -0.24, -0.01). Bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol Z (BPZ), bisphenol AP (BPAP), propylparaben (PrP), and TCS served as the dominant contributors to the overall effect. In subgroup analyses, male newborns were more susceptible to mixture exposure than females, whereas the exposure-outcome link was prominent among pregnant women in the first and second trimesters. More evidence is warranted to elucidate the impacts of exposure to mixtures on birth outcomes, as well as the underlying mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinfeng Fu
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, People's Republic of China
| | - Yao Yao
- Longgang Maternity and Child Institute of Shantou University Medical College (Longgang District Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital of Shenzhen City), Shenzhen 518172, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhihong Huang
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhihui Guo
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, People's Republic of China
| | - Xulong Chen
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinxin Tang
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiming Ge
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, People's Republic of China
| | - Qinru Xiao
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, People's Republic of China
| | - Yujie Sha
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, People's Republic of China
| | - Shaoyou Lu
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hu JMY, Arbuckle TE, Janssen PA, Lanphear BP, Alampi JD, Braun JM, MacFarlane AJ, Chen A, McCandless LC. Gestational exposure to organochlorine compounds and metals and infant birth weight: effect modification by maternal hardships. Environ Health 2024; 23:60. [PMID: 38951908 PMCID: PMC11218229 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-024-01095-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gestational exposure to toxic environmental chemicals and maternal social hardships are individually associated with impaired fetal growth, but it is unclear whether the effects of environmental chemical exposure on infant birth weight are modified by maternal hardships. METHODS We used data from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Study, a pan-Canadian cohort of 1982 pregnant females enrolled between 2008 and 2011. We quantified eleven environmental chemical concentrations from two chemical classes - six organochlorine compounds (OCs) and five metals - that were detected in ≥ 70% of blood samples collected during the first trimester. We examined fetal growth using birth weight adjusted for gestational age and assessed nine maternal hardships by questionnaire. Each maternal hardship variable was dichotomized to indicate whether the females experienced the hardship. In our analysis, we used elastic net to select the environmental chemicals, maternal hardships, and 2-way interactions between maternal hardships and environmental chemicals that were most predictive of birth weight. Next, we obtained effect estimates using multiple linear regression, and plotted the relationships by hardship status for visual interpretation. RESULTS Elastic net selected trans-nonachlor, lead, low educational status, racially minoritized background, and low supplemental folic acid intake. All were inversely associated with birth weight. Elastic net also selected interaction terms. Among those with increasing environmental chemical exposures and reported hardships, we observed stronger negative associations and a few positive associations. For example, every two-fold increase in lead concentrations was more strongly associated with reduced infant birth weight among participants with low educational status (β = -100 g (g); 95% confidence interval (CI): -215, 16), than those with higher educational status (β = -34 g; 95% CI: -63, -3). In contrast, every two-fold increase in mercury concentrations was associated with slightly higher birth weight among participants with low educational status (β = 23 g; 95% CI: -25, 71) compared to those with higher educational status (β = -9 g; 95% CI: -24, 6). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that maternal hardships can modify the associations of gestational exposure to some OCs and metals with infant birth weight.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janice M Y Hu
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, 101 Tunney's Pasture Driveway, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada.
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
| | - Tye E Arbuckle
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, 101 Tunney's Pasture Driveway, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Patricia A Janssen
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Bruce P Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Joshua D Alampi
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Joseph M Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Amanda J MacFarlane
- Texas A&M Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Evidence Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Aimin Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Huo Y, Wan Y, Li Y, Lan L, Chen S, Xu S, Xiong C, Xia W. Associations of pentachlorophenol exposure during pregnancy with maternal and infant reproductive hormones based on a birth cohort. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 932:172723. [PMID: 38670355 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Pentachlorophenol (PCP), a typical environmental endocrine disruptor and a new persistent organic pollutant, has been extensively used as a pesticide worldwide. Although its use has been restricted for decades, PCP remains prevalent in both the environment and human bodies. Despite the known endocrine-disrupting and exogenous hormonal effects of PCP, few epidemiological studies examined such impact, especially among sensitive populations and during critical periods. Based on a prospective birth cohort in Wuhan, China, we collected maternal (first trimester; 13.0 ± 1.02 gestational weeks) and infant urine samples (1.16 ± 0.22 months postpartum) from 720 mother-infant pairs. We aimed to examine the association of PCP exposure during early pregnancy with maternal and infant urinary sex steroid hormones, including estrogens (estrone, E1; estradiol, E2; estriol, E3), progestogens (progesterone, P4; pregnenolone, P5; 17α-OH-Progesterone, 17OHP4; 17α-OH-Pregnenolone, 17OHP5), and androgens (testosterone, Testo; dihydrotestosterone, DHT; dehydroepiandrosterone, DHEA; androstenedione, A4). Additionally, gonadotropins [follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH)] were measured in infant urine. Detection frequencies of all the sex steroid hormones in the maternal urine samples (>99 %) were higher than those in the infants' [most ≥80 %, except for E1 (3.36 %) and E2 (21.4 %)]. Maternal urinary PCP concentration was found to be significantly related with increased maternal sex steroid hormone concentrations; each interquartile increase in PCP concentration was positively related with percent change of the hormones (%Δ) ranging from 26.6 % to 48.5 %. On the other hand, maternal PCP exposure was associated with significantly increased P4 in male infants [%Δ (95 % confidence interval): 10.5 (0.56, 21.4)] but slightly decreased P4 in female infants [-11.9 (-21.8, 0.68)]. In addition, maternal PCP exposure was significantly associated with decreased FSH [%Δ (95 % CI): -9.90 (-17.0, -2.18)] and LH [-8.44 (-16.0, -0.19)] in the female infants, but not in the male infants. Sensitivity analyses, excluding infertility related treatment, pregnancy complications, preterm birth, or low birth weight, showed generally consistent results. Our findings implied that maternal/prenatal PCP exposure might disrupt the homeostasis of maternal and infant reproductive hormones. However, further studies are needed to confirm the findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yitao Huo
- Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Wuhan Children's Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430016, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubation), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, PR China
| | - Yanjian Wan
- Center for Public Health Laboratory Service, Institute of Environmental Health, Wuhan Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Wuhan, Hubei 430015, PR China
| | - Ying Li
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubation), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, PR China
| | - Liwen Lan
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubation), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, PR China
| | - Silan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubation), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, PR China
| | - Shunqing Xu
- Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Wuhan Children's Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430016, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubation), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, PR China
| | - Chao Xiong
- Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Wuhan Children's Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430016, PR China.
| | - Wei Xia
- Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Wuhan Children's Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430016, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubation), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hamed M, Vats A, Lim IE, Sapkota B, Abdelmoneim A. Effects of developmental exposure to individual and combined PFAS on development and behavioral stress responses in larval zebrafish. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 349:123912. [PMID: 38570156 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic chemicals known for their widespread use and persistence in the environment. Laboratory and epidemiological studies investigating these compounds have signaled their neurotoxic and endocrine-disrupting propensities, prompting further research into their effects on behavioral stress responses and their potential role as risk factors for stress-related disorders such as anxiety and depression. This study elucidates the ramifications of early developmental exposures to individual and combined PFAS on the development and behavioral stress responses of larval zebrafish (Danio rerio), an established model in toxicological research. Wild-type zebrafish embryos were enzymatically dechorionated and exposed to PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, and PFHxA between 6 and 120 h post-fertilization (hpf). We targeted environmentally relevant concentrations stemming from the USEPA 2016 Hazard Advisory Limit (HAL, 0.07 μg/L) and folds higher (0.35, 0.7, 1.75, and 3.5 μg/L). Evaluations at 120 hpf encompassed mortality, overall development, developmental defects, and larval activity both at baseline stress levels and following exposure to acute stressors (acoustic and visual). Larval exposure to PFOA, PFOS, or PFHxS (0.07 μg/L or higher) elicited significant increases in mortality rates, which capped at 23.1%. Exposure to individual chemicals resulted in limited effects on overall development but increased the prevalence of developmental defects in the body axis, swim bladder, pigmentation, and eyes, as well as the prevalence of yolk sac and pericardial edemas. Larval activity at baseline stress levels and following exposure to acute stimuli was significantly altered. Combined exposure to all four chemicals intensified the breadth of developmental and behavioral alterations, suggesting possible additive or synergistic effects. Our findings shed light on the developmental and neurobehavioral disturbances associated with developmental exposure to PFAS at environmentally relevant concentrations, the added risks of combined exposures to these chemicals, and their possible role as environmental risk factors for stress-related disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Hamed
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Ajn Vats
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Ignitius Ezekiel Lim
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Biplov Sapkota
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Ahmed Abdelmoneim
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Delap N, Brunton KM, Metcalf K. The climate emergency is a matter of reproductive justice. BMJ 2024; 384:q354. [PMID: 38346798 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.q354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
|
7
|
Liu B, Lu X, Jiang A, Lv Y, Zhang H, Xu B. Influence of maternal endocrine disrupting chemicals exposure on adverse pregnancy outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 270:115851. [PMID: 38157800 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Maternal endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) exposure, the common environmental pollutants, was capable of involving in adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, the evidence of their connection is not consistent. Our goal was to comprehensively explore the risk of EDCs related to adverse pregnancy outcomes. One hundred and one studies were included from two databases before 2023 to explore the association between EDCs and adverse pregnancy outcomes including miscarriage, small for gestational age (SGA), low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth (PTB). We found that maternal PFASs exposure was positively correlated with PTB (OR:1.13, 95% CI:1.04-1.23), SGA (OR:1.10, 95% CI:1.04-1.16) and miscarriage (OR:1.09, 95% CI:1.00-1.19). The pooled estimates also showed maternal PAEs exposure was linked with PTB (OR:1.16, 95% CI:1.11-1.21), SGA (OR:1.20, 95% CI:1.07-1.35) and miscarriage (OR:1.55, 95% CI:1.33-1.81). In addition, maternal exposure to some specific class of EDCs including PFOS, MBP, MEHP, DEHP, and BPA was associated with PTB. Maternal exposure to PFOS, PFOA, PFHpA was associated with SGA. Maternal exposure to BPA was associated with LBW. Maternal exposure to MMP, MEHP, MEHHP, MEOHP, BPA was associated with miscarriage. Maternal PFASs, PAEs and BPA exposure may increase adverse pregnancy outcomes risk according to our study. However, the limited number of studies on dose-response hampered further explanation for causal association.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bin Liu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Medical Aspects of Specific Environments, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xiaoling Lu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Medical Aspects of Specific Environments, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Antong Jiang
- Department of Medical Aspects of Specific Environments, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yanming Lv
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Hongmei Zhang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Bin Xu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Medical Aspects of Specific Environments, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Chauhan R, Archibong AE, Ramesh A. Imprinting and Reproductive Health: A Toxicological Perspective. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16559. [PMID: 38068882 PMCID: PMC10706004 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
This overview discusses the role of imprinting in the development of an organism, and how exposure to environmental chemicals during fetal development leads to the physiological and biochemical changes that can have adverse lifelong effects on the health of the offspring. There has been a recent upsurge in the use of chemical products in everyday life. These chemicals include industrial byproducts, pesticides, dietary supplements, and pharmaceutical products. They mimic the natural estrogens and bind to estradiol receptors. Consequently, they reduce the number of receptors available for ligand binding. This leads to a faulty signaling in the neuroendocrine system during the critical developmental process of 'imprinting'. Imprinting causes structural and organizational differentiation in male and female reproductive organs, sexual behavior, bone mineral density, and the metabolism of exogenous and endogenous chemical substances. Several studies conducted on animal models and epidemiological studies provide profound evidence that altered imprinting causes various developmental and reproductive abnormalities and other diseases in humans. Altered metabolism can be measured by various endpoints such as the profile of cytochrome P-450 enzymes (CYP450's), xenobiotic metabolite levels, and DNA adducts. The importance of imprinting in the potentiation or attenuation of toxic chemicals is discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ritu Chauhan
- Department of Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA;
| | - Anthony E. Archibong
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Physiology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA;
| | - Aramandla Ramesh
- Department of Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA;
| |
Collapse
|