title: Assessing differences in toxicity and teratogenicity of three phthalates, Diethyl phthalate, Di-n-propyl phthalate, and Di-n-butyl phthalate, using Xenopus laevis embryos.
abstract: Phthalates, compounds used to add flexibility to plastics, are ubiquitous in the environment. In particular, the diethyl (DEP), di-n-propyl (DnPP), and di-n-butyl (DBP) phthalates were found to exert detrimental effects in both mammalian and non-mammalian studies, with toxic effects varying according to alkyl chain length. Embryos of Xenopus laevis, the African clawed frog, have been used to assess toxicity and teratogenicity of several compounds and serves as a model for assessing adverse and teratogenic effects of ortho-phthalate esters. The purpose of this study was to develop a model for comparison of developmentally toxic effects of ortho-phthalate esters using Xenopus embryos. In this study developing Xenopus laevis embryos were exposed to increasing concentrations of DEP, DnPP, and DBP using the 96-h Frog Embryo Teratogenesis Assay-Xenopus (FETAX), with 96-h lethal concentrations, effective concentrations to induce malformations, teratogenic indices, and concentrations to inhibit growth determined. DEP, DnPP, and DBP showed enhanced toxicity with increasing ester length. Developing Xenopus laevis exposed to DEP, DnPP, and DBP showed similar malformations that also occurred at lower concentrations with increasing alkyl chain length. Teratogenic risk did not change markedly with alkyl chain length, with data showing only DBP to be teratogenic.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biology , Jacksonville State University , Jacksonville , Alabama , USA.
authors.forename: Steven T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.affiliation: b Department of Materials Science & Engineering , University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham , Alabama , USA.
authors.forename: Andrew T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biology , Jacksonville State University , Jacksonville , Alabama , USA.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lester
authors.affiliation: c Department of Physical and Earth Sciences , Jacksonville State University , Jacksonville , Alabama , USA.
authors.forename: Paitra E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Onkst
authors.affiliation: c Department of Physical and Earth Sciences , Jacksonville State University , Jacksonville , Alabama , USA.
authors.forename: Nathaniel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Burnham
authors.affiliation: c Department of Physical and Earth Sciences , Jacksonville State University , Jacksonville , Alabama , USA.
authors.forename: Donna H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Perygin
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biology , Jacksonville State University , Jacksonville , Alabama , USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rayburn
mesh_terms: D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D003993:Dibutyl Phthalate / Q000633:toxicity*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000633:toxicity*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013723:Teratogens / Q000633:toxicity*; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D010795:Phthalic Acids; D013723:Teratogens; D003993:Dibutyl Phthalate; C106479:di-n-propylphthalate; C007379:diethyl phthalate