Chronic exposure of mice to environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals disturbs their energy metabolism.
We evaluated the effects of a 20-week chronic exposure of mice to a low dose of cypermethrin (CYP), atrazine (ATZ) and 17α-ethynyestradiol (EE2) on energy metabolism. Here, male mice were exposed to 50 μg/kg BW/day CYP, 100 μg/kg BW/day ATZ or 1 μg/kg BW/day EE2 supplied in their drinking water for 20 weeks. During the exposure, mice were fed a high energy diet (HD). The bodyweights were not significantly affected by chronic exposure to EDCs, while the serum-free fatty acids (FFA) levels, hepatic lipid accumulation and triacylglycerol (TG) contents increased significantly in the ATZ- and CYP-HD groups. To determine the mechanism involved, we determined the expression levels of the genes in the glucose and fat metabolism pathways in the liver and adipose tissue. The results showed that chronic exposure to ATZ and CYP increased the mRNA levels of a number of key genes involved in both the de novo FFA synthesis pathway and the transport of FFA from blood. The increased amount of FFA was partially consumed as energy through β-oxidation in the mitochondria. Some of the FFA was used to synthesize TG in the liver by up-regulating primary genes, which resulted in increased TG levels and lipid accumulation. The results indicate that chronic exposure to EDCs has the potential to cause energy metabolic dysregulation and hepatotoxicity in mice.
College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China.
Yuanxiang
Y
Jin
College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China.
Xiaojian
X
Lin
College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China.
Wenyu
W
Miao
College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China.
Tao
T
Wu
College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China.
Hangjie
H
Shen
College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China.
Shan
S
Chen
College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China.
Yanhong
Y
Li
College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China.
Qiaoqiao
Q
Pan
College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China. Electronic address: azwfu@zjut.edu.cn.
Zhengwei
Z
Fu
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001280:Atrazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011722:Pyrethrins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D011897:Random Allocation; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics
D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D011722:Pyrethrins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014280:Triglycerides; C017160:cypermethrin; C025810:ethinylestradiol-3-sulfate; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D002784:Cholesterol; D001280:Atrazine
Chronic exposure; Endocrine disruption chemicals; Fat metabolism; Lipid accumulation; Mice