ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS AND THE DOHAD HYPOTHESIS: NEONATAL PHTHALATE EXPOSURE BY BREASTMILK AFFECTS THE ENERGY BALANCE AND ADIPOSE TISSUE PHYSIOLOGY OF ADULT MALE RATS

Currently, we live in a highly industrialized world and these industries release a large amount of substances into the environment, which pollute and contaminate ecosystems. Many of these compounds are considered endocrine disruptors due to their ability to act on different mechanisms of synthesis, release and action of hormones involved in development, metabolism, reproduction and/or behavior. In this scenario, the group of phthalates stands out, plasticizers used by the industry in the production of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) for providing malleability and flexibility to plastics used in food packaging, personal care products, medical products and toys. Studies relate human exposure to phthalates (mainly DEHP – diethylhexyl – being the most used by industry) to disorders associated with obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, allergies and infertility. The critical periods of development (pregnancy, lactation and adolescence), phases susceptible to the influence of external factors, can lead to metabolic disorders in adult life mainly due to epigenetic alterations. However the role of endocrine disruptors in this context is not is not fully known. Therefore, evaluating the exposure that occurs during lactation and how this may influence the adult phenotype would shed light on the DOHaD effect arising from maternal exposure to DEHP phthalate during the critical period of development.