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5630801 
Journal Article 
Abstract 
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate induced reproductive toxicity involved in DNA damage-dependent oocyte apoptosis using alternative Caenorhabditis elegans model 
Liu, R; Jian, Z; Yang, D; Pu, Y; Yin, L 
2016 
1 
Toxicology Letters
ISSN: 0378-4274
EISSN: 1879-3169 
258 
Supplement 
S70-S71 
English 
WOS:000402436700207 
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a widely used plasticizer with a generally high environmental exposure level. In this study the mechanism of reproductive toxicity of DEHP was discussed using the alternative Caenorhabditis elegans model. L4 C. elegans larvae were exposed to DEHP for 24 h to evaluate the changes in brood size and generation time. High DEHP exposure significantly reduced the brood sizes (P < 0.05) but not the generation time in comparison with the control group. The oocyte numbers was dose-dependently reduced when exposed to DEHP. By contrast, no significant difference in the fluorescence intensity of distal-tip cells (DTCs) was noted between the exposure and control groups. Moreover the apoptotic oocytes from the unilateral gonad arm were significantly increased induced by DEHP. And mutants with apoptosis-related gene (cep-1, egl-1, ced-4, or ced-3 respectively) knockout showed the fallback of apoptotic oocyte numbers compared with wild-type N2 C. elegans when exposed to PAEs. Fluorescence analysis of HUS-1 showed that DEHP exposure induced the overexpression of the HUS-1 protein involved in DNA repair. The results suggest that DEHP could cause reproductive toxicity by affecting C. elegans oogenesis. Oocyte number is an earlier indicator of reproductive toxicity than generation time and brood size. The decreased oocyte numbers in C. elegans when exposed to DEHP may involve the abnormal oocyte apoptosis induced by DNA damage.