Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the concentrations of the metabolites of four selected phthalates, widely used industrial chemicals which possess endocrine-disrupting properties, in samples of amniotic fluid and maternal urine collected in the same day, in order to verify if the latter can be considered a measure of the fetal exposure. The quantitative determination of the metabolites was carried out by HPLC-MS/MS with isotopic dilution from 70 pregnant volunteers. Detectable concentrations of phthalates metabolites were found in amniotic fluids. As phthalate monoesters are excreted in the urine conjugated with glucuronic acid, an enzymatic hydrolysis is carried out before analysis. Amniotic fluids were tested with and without hydrolysis and only the free phthalate metabolites, not conjugated with glucuronic acid, were found. The concentration of metabolites after enzymatic hydrolysis in maternal urine is not correlated to those of amniotic fluids, but the free form concentrations are. These results suggest that only the free forms can cross the placenta. A significant number of mothers showed urine phthalate monoesters concentrations higher than non-pregnant women.
Highlights
IntroductionHow to cite this paper: Tranfo, G., et al (2014) Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid and Maternal Urine Samples
Human exposure to chemical agents is considered to be a significant risk factor to public health.How to cite this paper: Tranfo, G., et al (2014) Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid and Maternal Urine Samples
The objective of this study is to measure the concentration levels of metabolites of four different phthalates, DEHP, diethyl phthalate (DEP), DnBP and BBzP, namely mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), MEP, mono butyl phthalate (MnBP) and MBzP in samples of amniotic fluid taken during the amniocentesis and to correlate them with those found in maternal urine collected in the same day, in order to investigate the mechanisms involved in fetal exposure
Summary
How to cite this paper: Tranfo, G., et al (2014) Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid and Maternal Urine Samples. The performing of routine amniocentesis on pregnant women between the 14th and the 23rd week of gestation has made available a new matrix, the amniotic fluid, which allows to study prenatal exposure to xenobiotics. Fetuses are exposed to environmental contaminants and their metabolites, as small molecules, are able to cross the placental barrier [2]. The amniotic fluid is a pool of recirculating fetal urine, and it contains traces of the xenobiotics to which the mother is exposed and of their metabolites
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