title: Simulating long-term occupational exposure to decabrominated diphenyl ether using C57BL/6 mice: biodistribution and pathology.
abstract: Decabrominated biphenyl ether (BDE-209) is a fully brominated diphenyl ether compound used widely as an additive brominated flame retardant in a variety of consumer products. In recent years, BDE-209 has been reported to be abundant and persistent in the environment, and comparatively high burdens have been found in occupational environmental compartments and exposed individuals. In the present study, an animal model for simulating long-term occupational exposure to BDE-209 was set up. Female C57BL/6 mice (n=10) were intragastrically administered BDE-209 at a dose of 800 mg kg(-1) bw at 2-d intervals for 2 years with an internal blood level of approximately 200 ng mL(-1), which was comparable to the high level of BDE-209 detected in the occupational population, and the biodistribution and biological effects were evaluated systematically. The results showed that large amounts of the chemical accumulated in most tissues, and the preferential organs were the ovary and uterus, liver and lung. Decreased survival was observed in the exposed mice. The subsequent pathological analysis revealed hepatomegaly in the exposed mice, accompanied by obvious histopathological changes in the liver, lung, brain, spleen, kidney and ovary. No neoplastic lesions were observed in this lifetime exposure study. Although the number of experimental mice was limited, our observations offer a comprehensive understanding of the chronic toxicology of BDE-209 after continuous high-dose exposure.
authors: Faculty of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, PR China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Feng
authors: Faculty of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, PR China.
authors: Qingliang
authors: Q
authors: Hu
authors: Faculty of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, PR China.
authors: Ge
authors: G
authors: Meng
authors: Faculty of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, PR China.
authors: Xiaomeng
authors: X
authors: Wu
authors: Faculty of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, PR China.
authors: Weihong
authors: W
authors: Zeng
authors: Faculty of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, PR China.
authors: Xing
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Institute of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, PR China. Electronic address: yuyingxin@staff.shu.edu.cn.
authors: Yingxin
authors: Y
authors: Yu
authors: Faculty of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, PR China. Electronic address: wangyan@shsmu.edu.cn.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL / Q000378:metabolism*; D023421:Models, Animal; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism; D010647:Phenyl Ethers; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D005411:Flame Retardants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D010647:Phenyl Ethers; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls; C031538:phenyl ether; C010902:decabromobiphenyl ether
keywords: Biodistribution; Decabrominated biphenyl ether (BDE-209); Histopathological changes; Occupational exposure; Simulate