Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent environmental pollutants considered as neurotoxicants and endocrine disruptors with important biological effects ranging from alterations in growth, reproduction, and effects on the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. The vasopressinergic (AVPergic) system is a known target for pentaBDEs mixture (DE-71) and the structurally similar chemicals, polychlorinated biphenyls. However, the potential adverse effects of mixtures containing octaBDE compounds, like DE-79, on the AVPergic system are still unknown. The present study aims to examine the effects of perinatal DE-79 exposure on the AVPergic system. Dams were dosed from gestational day 6 to postnatal day 21 at doses of 0 (control), 1.7 (low) or 10.2 (high) mg/kg/day, and male offspring from all doses at 3-months-old were subjected to normosmotic and hyperosmotic challenge. Male offspring where later assessed for alterations in osmoregulation (i.e. serum osmolality and systemic vasopressin release), and both vasopressin immunoreactivity (AVP-IR) and gene expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei. Additionally, to elucidate a possible mechanism for the effects of DE-79 on the AVPergic system, both neuronal nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivity (nNOS-IR) and mRNA expression were investigated in the same hypothalamic nuclei. The results showed that perinatal DE-79 exposure AVP-IR, mRNA expression and systemic release in adulthood under normosmotic conditions and more evidently under hyperosmotic stimulation. nNOS-IR and mRNA expression were also affected in the same nuclei. Since NO is an AVP regulator, we propose that disturbances in NO could be a mechanism underlying the AVPergic system disruption following perinatal DE-79 exposure leading to osmoregulation deficits.

中文翻译：

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围产期暴露于八溴二苯醚混合物DE-79会改变成年大鼠的血管加压能系统。

多溴二苯醚（PBDEs）是持久性环境污染物，被视为神经毒剂和内分泌干扰物，具有重要的生物学作用，包括生长，繁殖的改变以及对下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴的影响。血管加压素（AVPergic）系统是五溴二苯醚混合物（DE-71）和结构相似的化学物质多氯联苯的已知靶标。但是，尚不清楚含八溴二苯醚化合物的混合物（如DE-79）对AVPergic系统的潜在不利影响。本研究旨在检查围产期DE-79暴露对AVPergic系统的影响。从妊娠第6天到出生后第21天，按0（对照），1.7（低）或10.2（高）mg / kg /天的剂量给药水坝，在3个月大时，所有剂量的雄性和雄性后代均受到常渗和高渗攻击。雄性后代随后评估渗透调节的改变（即血清渗透压和全身性加压素释放），以及下丘脑室旁和视上核中加压素的免疫反应性（AVP-IR）和基因表达。另外，为了阐明DE-79对AVPergic系统的影响的可能机制，在同一下丘脑核中研究了神经元一氧化氮合酶免疫反应性（nNOS-IR）和mRNA表达。结果表明，成年期在正常条件下，以及在高渗刺激下，围产期DE-79暴露的AVP-1R，mRNA表达和全身释放更为明显。在同一细胞核中，nNOS-1R和mRNA表达也受到影响。