Association of endocrine disrupting chemicals levels in serum, environmental risk factors, and hepatic function among 5- to 14-year-old children.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) might increase the risk of childhood diseases by disrupting hormone-mediated processes that are critical for growth and development during childhood, however, the association among the exposure level of EDCs such as Nonylphenol (NP), Bisphenol A (BPA), Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in children and environmental risk factors, as well as hepatic function has not been elaborated. This study aimed to discuss this interesting relationship among NP, BPA, DMP concentrations in serum, environmental risk factors, hepatic function of 5- to 14-year-old children in industrial zone, residential zone and suburb in northern district of Guizhou Province, China. In Zunyi city, 1006 children participated in cross-sectional health assessments from July to August 2018, and their parents completed identical questionnaires on the environmental risk factors of EDCs exposure to mothers and children. Serum NP, BPA and DMP concentrations were measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), AST/ALT, total bilirubin (TBIL), direct bilirubin (DBIL) and indirect bilirubin (IBIL) were detected with automatic biochemical analyzer. The median concentrations of serum NP, BPA, and DMP in the participants were 45.85 ng/mL, 26.31 ng/mL and 31.62 ng/mL, respectively, which were higher than the environmental concentration limits of the U.S. National Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Hair gels used during pregnancy, types of domestic drinking water, nail polish and cosmetics used by children were significantly positive correlated with serum NP concentration (P < 0.05). Gender, feeding pattern, plastic water cup used during pregnancy, hair spray and perfume use for children, duration of children birth, materials for baby bottle or cup and ways to plastic products were significantly positively correlated with serum BPA concentration (P < 0.05). Gender, perms used during pregnancy, hair spray and perfume use for children, using plastic lunch box during pregnancy, duration of children birth, exposure to pesticides, parents' occupations were significantly positively correlated with serum DMP concentrations (P < 0.05). Serum NP (ß = 0.296, P = 0.036) and DMP (ß = 0.316, P = 0.026) concentrations and TBIL level were significantly positively correlated. Serum NP concentration and the levels of IBIL (ß = 0.382, P = 0.006) are significantly positively correlated. Cosmetics used during pregnancy significantly increased AST level (ß = 2.641, P = 0.021). There was a positive correlation between the frequency of hair spray and perfume use for children and the AST (ß = 4.241, P = 0.022). NP, BPA and DMP, which were commonly detected in the serum of children aged 5-14 years old in Zunyi City, Northern Guizhou Province, China, were closely related to the environmental risk factors of exposure environment during pregnancy, infancy and school age. Exposure to NP, BPA and DMP would have negative effects on hepatic function, and these effects showed differences in gender and geographical location. Notably,The relationships were more evident in girls than in boys.

Toxic effects of perinatal maternal exposure to nonylphenol on lung inflammation in male offspring rats.

The incidence of asthma and its related allergic diseases has increased dramatically over the last decade. Asthma is a complex disease caused by genetic and environmental factors. Nonylphenol (NP), a typical endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC), is a major current focus in asthma research. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 8-10 per group) were given a consecutive daily dose of NP (25, 50, or 100 mg/kg/day) or an equivalent volume of vehicle by gavage from gestational day 7 until postnatal day (PND) 21. Exposure to 100 mg/kg NP increased the body mass of the offspring on PND 43. Perinatal exposure to NP in maternal rats led to a dose-dependent increase of NP level in the lung tissue of the offspring. The numbers of lymphocytes and neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were significantly higher in the 100 mg/kg NP group than those in the control. Histopathological examination of the lung showed that exposure to high dose NP resulted in a slightly thickened bronchiolar smooth muscles with inflammatory cell infiltration. In the cytoplasm of type II epithelial cells, osmiophilic lamellar bodies were observed, with emptied lamellar bodies. NP significantly increased the expressions of high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) mRNA and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) mRNA in the lung tissue of the offspring in a dose dependent manner. Similarly, the expressions of HMGB1, NF-κBp65 and estrogen receptor-ß (ER-ß) proteins increased with an increase of NP dose. NP content was positively correlated with the expressions of HMGB1 and NF-κB mRNA as well as HMGB1, NF-κBp65, and ER-ß proteins in the lung tissue of offspring. Perinatal exposure to NP from the maternal rats might induce airway inflammation in the offspring, which may be due to NP-induced infiltration of inflammatory cells into the airway, and pathological alterations in airway structure as well as abnormal expression patterns of inflammation-related genes, proteins (including HMGB1 and NF-κB) and estrogen receptor ß.

Effect of gestational and lactational nonylphenol exposure on airway inflammation in ovalbumin-induced asthmatic rat pups.

To investigate the effect of gestational and lactational nonylphenol (NP) exposure on airway inflammation in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthmatic pups. Dams were gavaged with NP at dose levels of 25 mg/kg/day (low dose), 50 mg/kg/day (middle dose), 100 mg/kg/day (high dose) and groundnut oil alone (vehicle control) respectively from gestational day 7 to postnatal day 21. The results showed that the NP content in the lung tissues of pups in the 100 mg/kg NP group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P = 0.004). In the 100 mg/kg NP group, the infiltration of lymphocytes and eosinophils with thicken smooth muscle layer and inflammatory cells in the lumen were observed in the lung tissues of pups. Osmiophilic lamellar bodies were found in the cytoplasm of type II epithelial cells; mitochondria were clearly swollen. Compared with the control group, the levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4) in BALF (P = 0.042) and ovalbumin-specific serum immunoglobulin E (OVA-sIgE) (P = 0.005) in the OVA group were significantly higher. 25 mg/kg NP-OVA co-exposure synergistically decreased nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) mRNA expression in the lung tissues of pups; Exposure to 50 mg/kg NP combined with OVA antagonized the increased expression of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) mRNA in the lung tissue. The combined exposure to 50 mg/kg NP and OVA synergistically increased HMGB1 protein expression in the lung tissues. 25 mg/kg NP-OVA co-exposure antagonized the increased nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) protein expression in the lung tissues. There was a positive correlation between NP content and HMGB1 protein expression in the lung tissue of asthmatic pups (r = 0.602, P < 0.001). In conclusion, gestational and lactational exposure to 100 mg/kg NP in maternal rats exacerbated airway inflammation in OVA-induced asthmatic pups, and there is an interactive effect between NP and OVA. When the perinatal rats were exposed to 100 mg/kg NP, the levels of HMGB1 and NF-κB in the lung tissues of OVA-induced asthmatic pups were increased.

Indoor environmental factors associated with pulmonary function among adults in an acid rain-plagued city in Southwest China.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of indoor environmental risk factors with respiratory function among adults in an acid rain-plagued city in China where coal use is frequent. METHODS: The subjects were randomly selected in the winter season. Information on selected home environmental factors was collected through administered questionnaires. Additionally, pulmonary function tests, including Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV1/FVC and Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) were also performed in participants. RESULTS: This study showed that, among a variety of risk factors, coal fuel use, cooking oil fumes and active and passive smoking exposure together with asthma in childhood were important factors for deterioration of pulmonary function among adults in the winter season (p < 0.05). Additionally, subjects whose kitchen was located in the living room or bedroom, who opened their windows only occasionally or never, who noted the presence of cooking oil fumes and pests, whose bedroom was shared by 3 or more residents and who kept pets tended to exhibit lower values of FVC, FEV1 and PEFR values compared with non-exposed counterparts (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated impaired pulmonary function among adults who were exposed to indoor risk factors, such as coal fires and cigarette smoking compared to non-users in the winter season and emphasizes the need for public health efforts to decrease exposure to indoor air pollution.