Department of Cellular and Developmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Rome, Italy.
Histochem Cell Biol. 2009 Nov;132(5):567-75. doi: 10.1007/s00418-009-0627-8. Epub 2009 Aug 23.
Di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP), employed in polyvinyl chloride fabrication and released by endotracheal tubes, is known to cause alterations to several mammalian tissues, markedly in immature animals. The high incidence and severity of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and retinopathy in preterm babies submitted to endotracheal intubation prompted us to investigate the effects of DEHP in lung and retina perinatal development. We previously demonstrated that in rats delivered and breast-fed by DEHP-treated mothers lung alveolarisation is severely impaired. In the present research, the maturation of retinal vessels was studied in (a) flat-mounted retinas obtained after intracardiac injection of FITC-conjugated dextran, (b) flat-mounted retinas incubated with FITC-conjugated Bandeira simplicifolia isolectin B4, marker of vascular endothelial cells, and (c) eyecup sections incubated with biotinylated IB4 and revealed by ABC. DEHP-induced vascular alterations mainly affected the superficial plexus, where the radial vessels showed non-perfused as well as remarkably dilated and branched segments, capillary net appeared coarsely arranged and locally absent; periarteriolar capillary-free regions were still found in 14-day-old animals. This extensive vascular remodelling and generally the high responsiveness to DEHP shown by the immature rat retina confirm previous hypothesis that the phthalate released by PVC medical devices remarkably affects perinatal development of several tissues in different body districts.
邻苯二甲酸二（2-乙基己基）酯（DEHP）用于聚氯乙烯制造，并通过气管内管释放，已知会导致几种哺乳动物组织发生变化，尤其是在未成熟的动物中。接受气管内插管的早产儿支气管肺发育不良和视网膜病变的高发病率和严重程度促使我们研究 DEHP 对肺和视网膜围产期发育的影响。我们之前已经证明，在由接受 DEHP 处理的母亲分娩和母乳喂养的大鼠中，肺泡化严重受损。在本研究中，研究了（a）通过心脏内注射 FITC 缀合的葡聚糖获得的扁平视网膜，（b）用 FITC 缀合的 Bandeira simplicifolia isolectin B4 孵育的扁平视网膜，血管内皮细胞的标志物，以及（c）用生物素化 IB4 孵育的眼杯切片，并通过 ABC 揭示。DEHP 诱导的血管改变主要影响浅层丛，其中径向血管显示未灌注以及明显扩张和分支的节段，毛细血管网排列粗糙且局部缺失；在 14 天大的动物中仍发现了动脉周围无毛细血管区。这种广泛的血管重塑以及未成熟大鼠视网膜对 DEHP 的高反应性证实了先前的假设，即 PVC 医疗器械释放的邻苯二甲酸酯会显著影响不同身体部位的几种组织的围产期发育。
