Department of Environmental Health, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Placenta. 2013 Jul;34(7):619-23. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2013.03.007. Epub 2013 Apr 25.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of biologically active, highly stable compounds. Exposure risks include consumption of fatty fish, meat, dairy products and human breast milk, as well as environmental and occupational settings. Numerous reports have described PCB-dependent adverse effects on human fetal growth, including increased risk for IUGR, changes in endocrine function and hormone metabolism, and immunosuppressive and neurological deficits. Here we test the prediction that in utero PCB exposure adversely effects placental morphology, potentially leading to placental insufficiency en route to fetal growth restriction.
PCB homologs (10) were measured in the maternal and fetal blood of a small cohort of normotensive pregnancies (22) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. PCB levels were compared with angiogenesis associated proteins Placental Growth Factor (PlGF) and sFlt-1, determined by ELISA, and the total estimated syncytiotrophoblast (ST) volume.
Significant associations between PCB exposure and both PlGF and ST volume were identified.
PCB effects on placenta morphology and predicted function are discussed.
These results demonstrate that the human placenta, including ST, is a target of PCB toxicity, and that current environmental PCB exposure levels are a risk to reproductive health.
多氯联苯（PCBs）是一类具有生物活性且高度稳定的化合物。其暴露风险包括食用脂肪鱼、肉、奶制品和人乳，以及接触环境和职业污染物。大量报告描述了多氯联苯对人类胎儿生长的不利影响，包括增加宫内发育迟缓（IUGR）的风险、内分泌功能和激素代谢变化，以及免疫抑制和神经发育缺陷。在此，我们验证了一个预测，即宫内多氯联苯暴露会影响胎盘形态，可能导致胎盘功能不全，进而导致胎儿生长受限。
通过气相色谱-质谱法，在一小部分血压正常的妊娠（22 例）的母体和胎儿血液中测量多氯联苯同系物（10 种）。通过 ELISA 检测胎盘生长因子（PlGF）和可溶性血管内皮生长因子受体 1（sFlt-1）等与血管生成相关的蛋白，并计算总合体滋养层（ST）体积，比较多氯联苯水平与这些指标的相关性。
确定了多氯联苯暴露与 PlGF 和 ST 体积之间的显著相关性。
讨论了多氯联苯对胎盘形态和功能的影响。
这些结果表明人类胎盘（包括 ST）是多氯联苯毒性的靶标，目前环境中多氯联苯的暴露水平对生殖健康构成风险。
