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LACK OF ALTERATIONS IN THYROID HORMONES FOLLOWING EXPOSURE TO POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHER 47 DURING A PERIOD OF RAPID BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IN MICE
Citation:
GEE, J. R., J. M. HEDGE, AND V. C. MOSER. LACK OF ALTERATIONS IN THYROID HORMONES FOLLOWING EXPOSURE TO POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHER 47 DURING A PERIOD OF RAPID BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IN MICE. DRUG AND CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY. Marcel Dekker Incorporated, New York, NY, 31(2):245-254, (2008).
Impact/Purpose:
The aim of the present study was to determine whether a single postnatal exposure to PBDE-47 in C57BL/6 mice during a phase of rapid brain development would alter thyroid hormone levels.
Description:
Polybrominated diphenyl ether 47 (PBDE-47) is one of a class of commonly used flame retardants that are accumulating in the environment, including human tissues. There are reports of thyroid alterations following exposure to PBDE mixtures, and it is possible that disruptions in thyroid hormone levels may underlie certain behavior deficits observed in animals following postnatal PBDE exposure, as these hormones have known roles in brain development. The aim of the present study was to determine whether a single postnatal exposure to PBDE-47 in C57BL/6 mice during a phase of rapid brain development would alter thyroid hormone levels. Male mice were dosed with either 0 (corn oil vehicle), 1, 10, or 30 mg/kg PBDE-47 on postnatal day 10, and sacrificed for collection of serum at either 1, 5, or 10 days after the dose (n=5-6 litters/dose/time point). Body weight gain was not altered. Total thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) were measured by RIA. No effects of PBDE-47 were observed on T4 levels at any age examined; T3 assays on remaining sera (n=2-5/dose/time point) also showed no changes. These results suggest that the neurological abnormalities reported in mice exposed to PBDE-47 are not due to acute changes in circulating thyroid hormones.
