Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, 170 Frelinghuysen Road Piscataway, 08854, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers University School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
Environ Health. 2024 Nov 21;23(1):103. doi: 10.1186/s12940-024-01141-8.
Zearalenone (ZEN), a secondary metabolite of Fusarium fungi, is one of the most common mycotoxins in global food supplies such as cereal grains and processed food. ZEN and its metabolites are commonly referred to as mycoestrogens, due to their ability to directly bind nuclear estrogen receptors α (ER-α) and β (ER-β). Zeranol, a synthetic mycoestrogen, is administered to U.S. cattle as a growth promoter. Despite widespread human exposure and ample evidence of adverse reproductive impacts in vitro and in vivo, there has been little epidemiological research on the health impacts of ZEN exposure during pregnancy. The objective of our study was to examine associations between ZEN and gestational weight gain (GWG).
Urine samples were collected in each trimester from pregnant participants in the UPSIDE cohort (n = 286, Rochester, NY, USA). High performance liquid chromatography and high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry were used to quantify concentrations of ZEN as well as ∑mycoestrogens (composite sum of ZEN metabolites; ng/ml). Maternal weights at clinical visits were abstracted from medical records. We fitted longitudinal models of specific-gravity adjusted, log-transformed ZEN and ∑mycoestrogens in relation to total GWG (kilograms) and GWG rate (kilograms/week). We additionally examined risk of excessive GWG (in relation to Institute of Medicine guidelines) and considered effect modification by fetal sex.
ZEN and ∑mycoestrogens were detected in > 93% and > 95% of samples, respectively. Mycoestrogen concentrations were positively associated with total GWG (ZEN β:0.50 kg; 95%CI: 0.13, 0.87) and GWG rate (ZEN β:0.20 kg/week; 95%CI: 0.01, 0.03). Associations tended to be stronger among participants carrying male (versus female) fetuses and results were robust to adjustment for diet.
Mycoestrogen exposure during pregnancy may contribute to greater GWG. Future research is needed to understand potential influences on downstream maternal and offspring health.
玉米赤霉烯酮（ZEN）是一种由镰刀菌真菌产生的次生代谢物，是谷物和加工食品等全球食品供应中最常见的霉菌毒素之一。ZEN 及其代谢物通常被称为类雌激素，因为它们能够直接与核雌激素受体 α（ER-α）和 β（ER-β）结合。玉米赤霉醇是一种合成类雌激素，被用作美国牛的生长促进剂。尽管人类广泛接触 ZEN，并有大量体外和体内证据表明其对生殖系统有不良影响，但关于孕期 ZEN 暴露对健康的影响，流行病学研究甚少。我们的研究目的是探讨 ZEN 与妊娠期体重增加（GWG）之间的关联。
在 UPSIDE 队列中（美国纽约罗切斯特，n=286），在每个孕期收集孕妇的尿液样本。使用高效液相色谱和高分辨率串联质谱法来定量 ZEN 以及∑类雌激素（ZEN 代谢物的综合总和；ng/ml）的浓度。从病历中提取临床就诊时的产妇体重。我们拟合了特定比重调整后、对数转换的 ZEN 和∑类雌激素与总 GWG（千克）和 GWG 率（千克/周）之间的纵向模型。我们还检查了 GWG 过多（与医学研究所指南相关）的风险，并考虑了胎儿性别对其的影响。
在超过 93%和 95%的样本中分别检测到 ZEN 和∑类雌激素。类雌激素浓度与总 GWG（ZENβ：0.50 千克；95%CI：0.13，0.87）和 GWG 率（ZENβ：0.20 千克/周；95%CI：0.01，0.03）呈正相关。在携带男性（而非女性）胎儿的参与者中，这些关联更为强烈，且结果在调整饮食后仍然稳健。
孕期类雌激素暴露可能导致 GWG 增加。需要进一步研究以了解其对母婴健康的潜在影响。
