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Curi TZ, Passoni MT, Lima Tolouei SE, de Araújo Ramos AT, França de Almeira SC, Scinskas ABAF, Romano RM, de Oliveira JM, Spercoski KM, Carvalho Dos Santos A, Dalsenter PR, Koch HM, Martino-Andrade AJ. Reproductive toxicity following in utero and lactational exposure to a human-relevant phthalate mixture in rats. Toxicol Sci 2023; 197:1-15. [PMID: 37788136 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfad102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
This rodent (Wistar rats) study examined reproductive effects of in utero/lactational exposure to a mixture of 6 antiandrogenic phthalates (PMix): diisobutyl phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, diisopentyl phthalate, butylbenzyl phthalate, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, and diisononyl phthalate. The PMix was defined based on exposure data from pregnant women in Brazil. Experimental groups were established by extrapolating the estimated human dose to rats (0.1 mg/kg/day), followed by up to 3 additional doses corresponding to 5, 1000, and 5000 times the starting rat dose: 0 (control), 0.1, 0.5, 100, and 500 mg/kg/day. The fetal experiment assessed gestational exposure effects on fetal gonads, whereas the postnatal experiment evaluated reproductive parameters in males and females after in utero and lactational exposure. Prenatal exposure decreased fetal testicular testosterone production at 0.5 and 500 mg/kg/day. PMix 500 also reduced mRNA expression of steroidogenesis-related genes, upregulated transcript expression of the retinoic acid-degrading enzyme Cyp26b1, and increased multinucleated gonocytes incidence in fetal testes. Postnatal assessment revealed antiandrogenic effects at the highest dose, including reduced anogenital distance, nipple retention, and decreased weight of reproductive organs. Early puberty onset (preputial separation) was observed at the lowest dose in males. In contrast, females did not show significant changes in fetal and adult endpoints. Overall, the PMix recapitulated early and late male rat phthalate syndrome phenotypes at the highest dose, but also induced some subtle changes at lower doses, which warrant confirmation and mechanistic assessments. Our data support the use of epidemiologically defined mixtures for exposure risk assessments over traditional toxicological approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Zauer Curi
- Reproductive Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR 81531-990, Brazil
| | - Marcella Tapias Passoni
- Reproductive Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR 81531-990, Brazil
| | - Sara Emilia Lima Tolouei
- Reproductive Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR 81531-990, Brazil
| | - Anderson Tadeu de Araújo Ramos
- Animal Endocrine and Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR 81531-990, Brazil
| | - Samara Christina França de Almeira
- Animal Endocrine and Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR 81531-990, Brazil
| | - Anna Beatriz Abreu Ferraz Scinskas
- Animal Endocrine and Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR 81531-990, Brazil
| | - Renata Marino Romano
- Reproductive Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy, State University of Centro-Oeste, Guarapuava, PR 85040-167, Brazil
| | - Jeane Maria de Oliveira
- Reproductive Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy, State University of Centro-Oeste, Guarapuava, PR 85040-167, Brazil
| | | | - Ariany Carvalho Dos Santos
- Histopathology Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Federal University of Grande Dourados (UFGD), Dourados, MS 9804-970, Brazil
| | - Paulo Roberto Dalsenter
- Reproductive Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR 81531-990, Brazil
| | - Holger Martin Koch
- Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr-University-Bochum (IPA), Bochum 44789, Germany
| | - Anderson Joel Martino-Andrade
- Reproductive Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR 81531-990, Brazil
- Animal Endocrine and Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR 81531-990, Brazil
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