Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate induces precocious puberty in adolescent female rats

• Main Authors: Te Liu, Yuzhuo Wang, Modi Yang, Pu Shao, Lian Duan, Meng Li, Mingji Zhu, Jie Yang, Jinlan Jiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Mashhad University of Medical Sciences 2018-08-01
• Series: Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences
• Subjects: Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate; Female; Hypothalamus; Precocious puberty; Reproductive
• Online Access: http://ijbms.mums.ac.ir/article_11026_be885c87bef532ffb01b45965339d599.pdf
• ISSN: 2008-3866; 2008-3874

Objective(s): Nowadays, Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is widely used in different kinds of commercial products as a plasticizer. Previous studies have revealed that exposures to DEHP could be associated with precocious puberty in teenagers, but the exact mechanism is yet to be known. Materials and Methods: In this study, 48 prepubertal Wistar female rats were randomly apportioned into 4 groups and orally treated with 0, 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg/d DEHP from postnatal day 21 up to 4 weeks. Subsequently, we examined the indicators related to the initiation of sexual development. Results: DEHP was able to shorten the vaginal opening time and prolong the estrous cycles of female rats. IGF-1 expression was significantly upregulated by 1000 mg/kg/d DEHP in the hypothalamus, and the hypothalamic, as well as serum levels of GH, were also upregulated by DEHP. It also caused decrements in serum levels of FSH, LH, and T and the increment in level of progesterone. Meanwhile, DEHP was able to exert its effect on the mRNA and protein expression levels of Kiss-1, GPR54, and GnRH in the hypothalamus in pubertal female rats. Conclusion: These findings are revealing that DEHP exposure more likely causes imbalances of hypothalamus functioning in pubertal female rats and thus induces precautious puberty in these animals.