(Press-News.org) Florey researchers have found evidence of higher levels of the plastic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in pregnant mothers who gave birth to sons with autism.
Research published in Nature Communications, led by Florey scientists Dr Wah Chin Boon and Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby, supports the hypothesis of a possible link between autism and exposure to plastic chemicals in the womb.
Professor Ponsonby said the researchers analysed two large birth cohorts – the Barwon Infant Study (BIS) in Australia and the Columbia Centre for Children’s Health and Environment in the USA.
“Exposure to plastic chemicals during pregnancy has already been shown in some studies to be associated with subsequent autism in offspring,” Professor Ponsonby said.
“Our work is important because it demonstrates one of the biological mechanisms potentially involved. BPA can disrupt hormone controlled male fetal brain development in several ways, including silencing a key enzyme, aromatase, that controls neurohormones and is especially important in fetal male brain development. This appears to be part of the autism puzzle.”
The study examined children with lower levels of the enzyme aromatase, which in the brain converts testosterone to neuroestrogen, Professor Ponsonby said.
The link between BPA presence and autism was particularly evident in the top fifth of boys with vulnerability to the endocrine-disrupting properties of this chemical. That is, those with lower levels of the enzyme aromatase. The study found boys in that group, who were born to mothers with higher urinary BPA levels in late pregnancy were:
3.5 times more likely to have autism symptoms by age 2 years.
6 times more likely to have a verified autism diagnosis by age 11 years than those whose mothers had lower levels of BPA during pregnancy.
In both birth cohorts, mechanistic evidence demonstrated higher BPA levels were associated with epigenetic (gene switching) suppression of the aromatase enzyme overall.
In laboratory work, Dr Boon studied the impact of prenatal BPA on mice.
“We found that BPA suppresses the aromatase enzyme and is associated with anatomical, neurological and behavioural changes in the male mice that may be consistent with autism spectrum disorder,” Dr Boon said.
“This is the first time a biological pathway has been identified that might help explain the connection between autism and BPA,” she said.
Professor Ponsonby said BPA, similar bisphenols and other plastic chemicals with endocrine-disrupting effects are now widespread and almost impossible for individuals to avoid.
“We all ingest plastic chemicals in many ways – through ingesting plastic food and drink packaging, inhaling home renovation fumes, and through the skin from sources such as cosmetics. There are so many ways these chemicals enter our bodies, so, it’s not surprising that BPA was present in a large proportion of the women’s urine samples we studied. It’s important for us to understand how these plastics affect our health,” Professor Ponsonby said.
These findings are now feeding into public safety regulators which update safety recommendations on manufactured chemical exposure, including plastic chemicals, during pregnancy and early life.
The team also looked for ways to reduce the adverse effect of BPA on the aromatase system.
Dr Boon added that a type of fatty acid called 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid tested in mice could be worth further investigation.
“10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid shows early indications of potential in activating opposing biological pathways to improve autism-like characteristics when administered to animals that have been prenatally exposed to BPA. It warrants further studies to see whether this potential treatment could be realised in humans.”
END
Florey research finds association between prenatal exposure to plastics and autism in boys
Common plastic associated with autism in boys
2024-08-07
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
World’s highest-performance superconducting wire segment fabricated at UB
2024-08-07
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Our energy future may depend on high-temperature superconducting (HTS) wires. This technology’s ability to carry electricity without resistance at temperatures higher than those required by traditional superconductors could revolutionize the electric grid and even enable commercial nuclear fusion.
Yet these large-scale applications won’t happen until HTS wires can be fabricated at a price-performance metric equal to that of the plain copper wire sold at your ...
Bacterial gut diversity improves the athletic performance of racehorses
2024-08-07
The composition of gut bacteria of Thoroughbred racehorses at one-month-old can predict their future athletic performance, according to a new study from the University of Surrey. Foals with lower bacterial diversity at 28 days old also had a significantly increased risk of respiratory disease later in life.
Researchers from Surrey's School of Veterinary Medicine and School of Bioscience, led by Professor Chris Proudman, investigated the composition of gut bacteria in Thoroughbred foals bred for flat ...
Fishing is causing frightened fish to flee when they should flirt
2024-08-07
Populations of squaretail grouper face an uncertain future as new research shows fishing that targets their spawning sites is causing males to be repeatedly scared away from their territories during their short mating meet-ups.
By fleeing for safety, individuals are losing valuable time to catch the eye and court female fish.
A study, led by scientists at Lancaster University and published today in Biology Letters, shows that the impacts of fishing that targets squaretail grouper spawning sites goes beyond those fish that are caught, causing widespread behavioural change in those left behind.
These changes impact ability to reproduce. With disrupted mating, fewer offspring ...
Your best friend from high school? Here’s why their genes mattered
2024-08-07
Mom always said, “Choose your friends wisely.” Now a study led by a Rutgers Health professor shows she was onto something: Their traits can rub off on you – especially ones that are in their genes.
The genetic makeup of adolescent peers may have long-term consequences for individual risk of drug and alcohol use disorders, depression and anxiety, the groundbreaking study has found.
“Peers’ genetic predispositions for psychiatric and substance use disorders are associated with an individual's own risk of developing ...
How does an effective cancer therapy damage the heart?
2024-08-07
Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) is a protein receptor on T immune cells that prevents the cells from killing other cells, such as cancer cells. Blocking CTLA-4 with a specific antibody is an effective treatment for some cancers, but it can damage the heart. New research published in The FASEB Journal reveals the mechanisms involved in this side effect—a finding that could be used to help prevent it.
Experiments conducted in mice showed that blocking CTLA-4 activates certain T cells called Th17 cells, which increase inflammation. Inhibiting this activation reversed ...
How well will different US forests remove atmospheric carbon in the future?
2024-08-07
Forests absorb carbon by capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making forest carbon stocks an important resource against climate change. In research published in Ecology and Evolution, investigators examined existing tree regeneration patterns to develop an indicator of potential changes to future carbon stocks across forests in the northeastern and midwestern United States.
The scientists’ comparison of carbon stock predictions from tree and seedling composition suggested that 29% of plots were poised ...
Medical issues experienced by women and children after returning from Hamas captivity
2024-08-07
Among the 250 individuals who were kidnapped during the Hamas terror attack on Israeli towns in October 2023, 19 children and 7 women were released and admitted to Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel after approximately 50 days in captivity, during a cease-fire deal. A new study published in Acta Paediatrica reports on the physical and psychological state of these returnees upon their return.
The most common clinical findings included significant weight loss, psychological trauma, complications of poor hygiene (such as head lice), and complications of recent shrapnel injuries. Tests revealed that returnees also often had ...
Do dieticians have weight biases towards themselves and others?
2024-08-07
In a survey-based study, UK dietitians exhibited significant weight stigma, both towards themselves and towards others.
The study in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics involved an online survey completed in 2022 by 402 registered dietitians aged 20–70 years old. Most respondents reported personally experiencing weight stigma prior to (51%) and after becoming (59.7%) registered dieticians, and nearly a quarter (21.1%) felt that their weight influenced their own ability to perform as a dietitian.
Weight stigma was experienced across the weight spectrum. Participants reported explicit (or conscious) weight bias attitudes, moderate beliefs that obesity is ...
Can nanomaterials enhance plant tolerance to high soil salt levels?
2024-08-07
Soil salt concentrations above the optimal threshold for plant growth can threaten global food security by compromising agricultural productivity and crop quality. An analysis published in Physiologia Plantarum examined the potential of nanomaterials—which have emerged over the past decade as a promising tool to mitigate such “salinity stress”—to address this challenge.
Nanomaterials, which are tiny natural or synthetic materials, can modulate a plant’s response to salinity stress ...
Study on planet-warming contrails “a spanner in the works” for aviation industry
2024-08-07
Modern commercial aircraft flying at high altitudes create longer-lived planet-warming contrails than older aircraft, a new study has found.
The result means that although modern planes emit less carbon than older aircraft, they may be contributing more to climate change through contrails.
Led by scientists at Imperial College London, the study highlights the immense challenges the aviation industry faces to reduce its impact on the climate. The new study also found that private jets produce more contrails than previously thought, ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Face‑/edge‑shared 3D perovskitoid single crystals with suppressed ion migration for stable X‑ray detector
Multiple solutions help fly embryos overcome the fundamental problem of ‘tissue tectonic collision’
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs pose hidden risks for young women
Strategies for enhancing energy‑level matching in perovskite solar cells: An energy flow perspective
3D‑printed boron‑nitrogen doped carbon electrodes for sustainable wastewater treatment via MPECVD
Screening anionic groups within zwitterionic additives for eliminating hydrogen evolution and dendrites in aqueous zinc ion batteries
New tectonic geodynamics textbook bridges scientific disciplines
Tiny and powerful – metamaterial lenses for your phones and drones
Study used AI models to improve prediction of chronic kidney disease progression to end stage renal disease
Peanut shell biochar composite shows promise for removing antibiotic-resistant bacteria from aquaculture wastewater
Compact genetic light switches transform disease control
Sunglasses for plants, and sustainable agriculture
Nearly half of those with diabetes unaware they have the disease
Emergency department visits by uninsured children in Texas soar 45% after COVID-era federal funding ends
Bright children from poorer backgrounds twice as likely to receive hospital mental health treatment than affluent high-achievers
‘Artificial cartilage’ could improve arthritis treatment
Breathing device could have profound impact on survival for people with sleep apnoea and type 2 diabetes
Artificial intelligence assessment indicates stress levels in farmed Amazonian fish
Keith Cole receives grant to conduct integrated research on mobility, cognition and aging
Internationally recognized malaria researcher Stefan Kappe, Ph.D., appointed new director of the UM School of Medicine's Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health
Lung cancer genetics study launches open-source data platform to research community
Pre-conception radiation exposure from CT scans increases risk for miscarriage and birth defects
Boston University appoints Kenneth Lutchen to top research job
For video-on-demand platforms, release strategy matters: streaming episodes gradually boosts consumers’ searches, subscription rates
Sleep strengthens muscle and bone by boosting growth hormone levels. Here's how
Only 1 in 7 online health images show proper technique to accurately measure blood pressure
Children receiving biofeedback speech therapy improved faster than with traditional methods
Scientists discover why the flu is more deadly for older people
The salmon superfood you’ve never heard of
How does chemotherapy disrupt circadian rhythms?
[Press-News.org] Florey research finds association between prenatal exposure to plastics and autism in boysCommon plastic associated with autism in boys