Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40595203›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Impact of prenatal Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate exposure on pubertal development in female offspring rats: A focus on ERα-Mediated IGF-1/NKB crosstalk in the hypothalamus.

Xiuying Li, Chunyan Li, Qingjie Li, Yuzhuo Wang, Modi Yang, Zhongsheng Zhou, Bo Zhang, Hang Li, Yingying Xu, Te Liu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Elevated phthalate exposure and metabolic susceptibility increased breast cancer risk: A 20-y follow-up study in Taiwan.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Xiuying Li *Scientific Research Center, Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
Chunyan Li *Department of Medical Administration, Inner Mongolia Xilinguo League Central Hospital, Xilinhot, China.
Qingjie LiInformation Department of Huolinguole City People's Hospital, Huolinguole, China.
Yuzhuo WangDepartment of Orthodontics, Schottol and Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
Modi YangDepartment of Orthopeadics, Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
Zhongsheng ZhouScientific Research Center, Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
Bo ZhangDepartment of Pediatric Neurology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
Hang LiDepartment of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Union Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
Yingying XuDepartment of Ultrasound, Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China. xyy321@jlu.edu.cn.
Te LiuScientific Research Center, Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China. iamliute@jlu.edu.cn.

Funding

the construction project of Chun Lei plan of China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University No. 2023CL06the Jilin Scientific and Technological Development Program No.20240404029ZPthe Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province No. 2023NSFSC1600
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), renowned for its efficacy in enhancing the pliability of plastic products, serves predominantly as a plasticizer and additive in the plastics industry. A growing body of research in both animal models and human populations has elucidated that the maternal environment prior to birth exerts a significant influence on the growth and development of offspring. Consequently, our research is designed to investigate the effects of prenatal DEHP exposure on the pubertal reproductive development of female rat offspring and to decipher the underlying mechanisms. This study utilized Wistar rats as the experimental animal model, with exposure to varying doses of DEHP during pregnancy for group allocation and treatment. Transmission electron microscopy was used to examine ultrastructural changes in the hypothalamus of DEHP-exposed female offspring rats. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed to quantitatively analyze the amino acid levels in the hypothalamus of the female offspring. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to quantitatively measure hormone levels in both the hypothalamus and peripheral blood. Immunohistochemistry was applied to quantify the expression of ERα and GnRH in the hypothalamus. Additionally, precise immunofluorescence analysis was conducted to assess the expression levels of IGF-1 and NKB in the rat hypothalamus. Spearman correlation analysis was employed to elucidate the associations between key factors in the hypothalamus. Our findings reveal that prenatal exposure to Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) precipitates the onset of puberty in female rat offspring, concurrently altering the expression of key puberty-regulating genes in the hypothalamus. This elucidation sheds light on the molecular mechanisms underpinning the role of hypothalamic ERα in modulating the IGF-1 and NKB pathways, contributing to DEHP-induced precocious puberty in females, and underscores the critical regulatory function of IGF-1/NKB crosstalk in this phenomenon. Consequently, our research posits that prenatal exposure to DEHP is likely transmitted from the mother to the embryo, precipitating developmental anomalies and the onset of precocious puberty in offspring. This underscores the significance of pregnancy as a pivotal period for endocrine disruption, offering a novel theoretical foundation for the prophylaxis and management of precocious puberty in female children.

Indexed as

Diethylhexyl PhthalateEstrogen Receptor alphaHypothalamusInsulin-Like Growth Factor INeurokinin BPrenatal Exposure Delayed EffectsSexual MaturationAnimalsFemaleGonadotropin-Releasing HormonePregnancyRatsRats, WistarDiethylhexyl PhthalateEstrogen Receptor alphaGonadotropin-Releasing HormoneInsulin-Like Growth Factor INeurokinin BDi(2-ethylhexyl) phthalateHypothalamusPrecocious pubertyPrenatal exposure

Identifiers

PMID40595203
PMCPMC12218987

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.