DEVELOPMENTAL AND SPERM FUNCTION IN CD-1 MICE FOLLOWING BREAST MILK EXPOSURE TO THE DECABROMODIPHENYL ETHER

摘要

Breast milk is the ideal nutrient for the newborn, but unfortunately also a route of excretion for some toxic substances. Decabrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE 209) which has recently been shown to increase in human milk. However, the reproductive effects of PBDE 209 through breast-feeding are still unclear. The aim of this study is to assess whether maternal exposure of PBDE 209 via breast milk affects sperm function in offspring mice. Female mice were treated via oral gavage with 10, 100, 500, and 1500 mg/kg/day of PBDE 209 in lactation. During the pup's lactational period, developmental landmarks were recorded. On postnatal day 71, the mice were evaluated for their sperm functions. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the landmark of development between control and PBDE 209-treated groups. Further, there were no significant differences observed in the sperm count, sperm chromatin structure assay, sperm mitochondrial membrane potential, and generation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide anion (O2-·).