Neurodevelopmental toxicity and molecular mechanism of environmental concentration of tetrabromobisphenol A bis (2- hydroxyethyl) ether exposure to sexually developing male SD rats

Abstract

Tetrabromobisphenol A bis (2- hydroxyethyl) ether (TBBPA-DHEE), as one of the main derivatives of Tetrabromobisphenol A, been attracted attention for its health risks. In this study, the neurotoxicity, mechanism, and susceptivity of TBBPA-DHEE exposure to sexually developing male rats were systematically studied. Neurobehavioral research showed that TBBPA-DHEE exposure could significantly affect the behavior, learning,and memory abilities of male-developing rats, and aggravate their depression. TBBPA-DHEE exposure could inhibit the secretion of neurotransmitters. Transcriptomics studies show that TBBPA-DHEE can significantly affect gene expression, and a total of 334 differentially expressed genes are enriched. GO function enrichment analysis shows that TBBPA-DHEE exposure can significantly affect the expression of genes related to synapses and cell components. KEGG function enrichment analysis shows that TBBPA-DHEE exposure can significantly affect the expression of signal pathways related to nerves, nerve development, and signal transduction. Susceptibility analysis showed that female rats were more susceptible to TBBPA-DHEE exposure than male rats. Therefore, TBBPA-DHEE exposure has neurodevelopmental toxicity to male developmental rats, and female developmental rats are more susceptible than male developmental rats. Its possible molecular mechanism is that TBBPA-DHEE may inhibit the secretion of neurotransmitters and affect signal pathways related to neurodevelopment and signal transduction.