Effects of Long-Term In Vivo Exposure to Di-2-Ethylhexylphthalate on Thyroid Hormones and the TSH/TSHR Signaling Pathways in Wistar Rats

Xinwen Dong, Jin Dong, Yue Zhao, Jipeng Guo, Zhanju Wang, Mingqi Liu, Yunbo Zhang and Xiaolin Na
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Xinwen Dong: Department of Environmental Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
Jin Dong: Department of Environmental Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
Yue Zhao: Department of Environmental Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
Jipeng Guo: Department of Environmental Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
Zhanju Wang: Department of Environmental Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
Mingqi Liu: Department of Environmental Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
Yunbo Zhang: Department of Environmental Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
Xiaolin Na: Department of Environmental Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) was a widely used chemical with human toxicity. Recent in vivo and in vitro studies suggested that DEHP-exposure may be associated with altered serum thyroid hormones (THs) levels, but the underlying molecular mechanisms were largely unknown. To explore the possible molecular mechanisms, 128 Wistar rats were dosed with DEHP by gavage at 0, 150, 300, and 600 mg/kg/day for 3 months (M) and 6 M, respectively. After exposure, expression of genes and proteins in the thyroid, pituitary, and hypothalamus tissues of rats were analyzed by Q-PCR and western blot, while the sera and urine samples were assayed by radioimmunoassay and ELISA. Results showed that serum THs levels were suppressed by DEHP on the whole. DEHP treatment influenced the levels of rats’ thyrotropin releasing hormone receptor (TRHr), Deiodinases 1 (D1), thyroid stimulating hormone beta (TSH?), sodium iodide symporter (NIS), thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHr), thyroperoxidase (TPO), thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1), and thyroglobulin (TG) mRNA/protein expression in the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis and decreased urine iodine. Taken together, observed findings indicate that DEHP could reduce thyroid hormones via disturbing the HPT axis, and the activated TSH/TSHR pathway is required to regulate thyroid function via altering TRHr, TSH?, NIS, TSHr, TPO, TTF-1 and TG mRNA/protein expression of the HPT axis.

Keywords: DEHP; hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis; TSH/TSHR; signaling pathways; molecular mechanisms; thyroid function (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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