Prolonged exposure of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate induces multigenerational toxic effects in Caenorhabditis elegans
Journal
Science of the Total Environment
Journal Volume
634
Pages
260-266
Date Issued
2018
Author(s)
Abstract
The plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is an emerging organic contaminant that has represented a risk for organisms present in the environment. However, there is still limited information regarding DEHP-induced multigenerational toxicity and the underlying mechanisms. In this study we investigated the multigenerational toxic effects including locomotive behaviors and reproduction upon prolonged DEHP exposure (from larval L1 to adult) and the underlying mechanisms in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The multigenerational effects were examined over 6 generations (F0–F5) with only parental C. elegans (F0) was exposed to DEHP from larval L1 to adults (72 h), and the subsequent offsprings (F1–F5) were grown under DEHP-free conditions. The results showed that prolonged exposure (72 h) to various concentrations of DEHP caused dose-dependent locomotive impairments and reproduction defects in C. elegans and that a concentration of 0.2 mg/L DEHP was enough to cause such sublethal effects. The results showed that after prolonged exposure to DEHP in the F0 generation, abnormal locomotive behaviors such as reduced body bends and head thrashes were observed from generations F0 to F5. Additionally, prolonged exposure to DEHP (20 mg/L) in F0 significantly reduced total brood size in F0, and this parental exposure was sufficient to cause multigenerational reproductive toxicity in the offspring generations (F1–F5) as well. Furthermore, the expressions of reproduction-related genes such as vit-2 and vit-6 were down-regulated by about 20% until F3, and the expression of H3Kme2 demethylase, spr-5, was downregulated in F1 by about 40%. Results from this study demonstrate that prolonged exposure to DEHP only at F0 adversely affected reproduction and locomotive behaviors in C. elegans across generations and might be associated with inadequate vitellogenin production and malfunction of H3Kme2 demethylase. This study implies that parentally prolonged exposure to DEHP caused multigenerational defects in both reproduction and locomotive behaviors raising the potential health and ecological risk. ? 2018 Elsevier B.V.
Subjects
Caenorhabditis elegans; Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate; Multigenerational toxicity; Neurotoxicity; Reproductive toxicity
Other Subjects
Defects; Esters; Gene expression; Health risks; Industrial poisons; Locomotives; Caenorhabditis elegans; Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate; Emerging organic contaminants; Limited information; Neurotoxicity; Potential health; Reproductive toxicities; Sub-lethal effects; Toxicity; endocrine disruptor; phthalic acid bis(2 ethylhexyl) ester; plasticizer; vitellogenin; phthalic acid bis(2 ethylhexyl) ester; vitellogenin; locomotion; nematode; organic pollutant; phthalate; pollution effect; reproduction; sublethal effect; toxicity; adult; Article; Caenorhabditis elegans; controlled study; down regulation; environmental exposure; health hazard; larva; locomotion; neurotoxicity; nonhuman; priority journal; reproduction; social behavior; temperature sense; toxicity; animal; Caenorhabditis elegans; dangerous goods; drug effect; metabolism; physiology; toxicity; Caenorhabditis elegans; Animals; Caenorhabditis elegans; Diethylhexyl Phthalate; Hazardous Substances; Reproduction; Vitellogenins
Type
journal article