Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
Sci Rep. 2017 Aug 2;7(1):7118. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-07216-6.
Firemaster® 550 (FM 550) is a commercial flame retardant mixture of brominated and organophosphate compounds applied to polyurethane foam used in furniture and baby products. Due to widespread human exposure, and structural similarities with known endocrine disruptors, concerns have been raised regarding possible toxicity. We previously reported evidence of sex specific behavioral effects in rats resulting from developmental exposure. The present study expands upon this prior finding by testing for a greater range of behavioral effects, and measuring the accumulation of FM 550 compounds in placental tissue. Wistar rat dams were orally exposed to FM 550 during gestation (0, 300 or 1000 µg/day; GD 9 - 18) for placental measurements or perinatally (0, 100, 300 or 1000 µg/day; GD 9 - PND 21) to assess activity and anxiety-like behaviors. Placental accumulation was dose dependent, and in some cases sex specific, with the brominated components reaching the highest levels. Behavioral changes were predominantly associated with a loss or reversal of sex differences in activity and anxiety-like behaviors. These findings demonstrate that environmental chemicals may sex-dependently accumulate in the placenta. That sex-biased exposure might translate to sex-specific adverse outcomes such as behavioral deficits is a possibility that merits further investigation.
Firemaster® 550（FM 550）是一种商用阻燃剂混合物，由溴化和有机磷化合物组成，用于家具和婴儿产品中的聚氨酯泡沫。由于广泛的人类暴露，以及与已知内分泌干扰物的结构相似性，人们对其可能的毒性表示担忧。我们之前报道了发育暴露导致大鼠出现性别特异性行为影响的证据。本研究通过测试更广泛的行为影响，并测量胎盘组织中 FM 550 化合物的积累，扩展了这一先前的发现。Wistar 大鼠母体在妊娠期（0、300 或 1000μg/天；GD 9-18）经口暴露于 FM 550 中，以进行胎盘测量，或围产期（0、100、300 或 1000μg/天；GD 9-PND 21）经口暴露于 FM 550 中，以评估活动和焦虑样行为。胎盘积累与剂量有关，在某些情况下具有性别特异性，溴化成分达到最高水平。行为变化主要与活动和焦虑样行为中的性别差异丧失或逆转有关。这些发现表明，环境化学物质可能会在胎盘内性别依赖性地积累。性别偏向性暴露可能转化为行为缺陷等特定于性别的不良后果，这是一个值得进一步研究的可能性。
