Endocrine Abstracts

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is a brominated flame retardant and is widely used in electronic goods, plastics and furniture. TBBPA is frequently detected in water, soil, organisms and even in human breast milk. It is accessible to both the developing fetus and the nursing pups following maternal exposure. Though some regulatory agencies have asserted that consumer exposures to TBBPA are unlikely to have adverse implications for human health, the safety of TBBPA has been questioned. Reported evidence of endocrine-disruption of TBBPA in brain has raised concerns regarding its effects on neurodevelopment and behavioral functions. The present study examined the effects of exposure to TBBPA on neurodevelopment. The Developmental Neurotoxicity Test(DNT) was performed to determine whether TBBPA is a developmental neurotoxicant. Additionally, maternal mice were administered 0, 0.24 and 2.4 mg/kg TBBPA. Mice offspring underwent behavior tests for assessment of locomotor, depressive, compulsive, cognitive, and social behaviors. Gene expression pattern change at transcriptional level in the brain was investigated with real-time PCR. As a result, we classified TBBPA as a developmental neurotoxicant from the DNT. In addition, the TBBPA-treated mice offspring showed abnormalities in motor activity, compulsive-like behavior, social interaction patterns and spatial learning. Aberrant gene expression, such as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), were found in the perinatal TBBPA-treated mice offspring brain. To summarize, these findings suggest that perinatal exposure to TBBPA interferes with brain development and behavioral functions in mice. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to the potential effects of TBBPA in the early development of brain.