Global DNA Methylation Patterns and Gene Expression Associated with Obesity-Susceptibility in Offspring of Pregnant Sprague-Dawley Rats Exposed to BDE-47 and BDE-209

• Published in: Korean journal of clinical laboratory science Vol. 49; no. 1; pp. 28 - 39
• Main Authors: Park, Byeong-Min, Yoon, Ok-Jin, Lee, Do-Hoon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 대한임상검사과학회 31.03.2017
• Subjects: 기타자연과학
• ISSN: 1738-3544; 2288-1662
• DOI: 10.15324/kjcls.2017.49.1.28

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can affect epigenetic mechanisms and obesity development. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)-widely used to make flames-are one of the important POPs. Prenatal exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as POPs, may affect global DNA methylation in long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE-1), increasing the risk of obesity later in life. Therefore, pregnant Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used to elucidate whether BDE-47 and BDE-209 transferred through placenta and breast milk cause epigenetic changes in LINE-1 and increase genetic susceptibility to obesity as obesogen during the developmental periods. Global DNA methylation in LINE-1 and gene expression related to obesity were measured in dams and offspring, using a methylation-sensitive high resolution melting analysis (MS-HRM) and direct bisulfite sequencing and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), respectively. The results of MS-HRM showed global DNA hypomethylation patterns in LINE-1 of exposed offspring (2 of total 4) at PND 4, but bisulfite sequencing showed no difference in both the exposed and non-exposed groups. Gene expression in dams related to β-oxidation pathway and those related to adipokines showed different patterns between the two groups. On the contrary, gene expressions of offspring showed a similar pattern. Gene expressions related to β-oxidation pathway and obesity were significantly increased when compared with `at birth`, but not PPAR-α. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the possibility that co-exposure to BDE-47 and BDE-209- via the placenta and breast milk-may affect epigenetic changes and modulate gene expression levels related to obesity. KCI Citation Count: 0