Molecular Mechanisms Of Obesity In Children Exposed To Phthalates In Utero

Introduction: The prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States and other countries has risen in the last 30 years. Animal and cell models show that phthalates are endocrine disruptors that can alter levels of biomarkers of obesity(e.g. adiponectin and leptin) and DNA methylation. However, there are knowledge gaps in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the potential effects of early life phthalate exposure in humans. We aimed to study the relationship of prenatal phthalate exposure with adipokines, DNA methylation, and anthropometry in children from birth through early adolescence. Methods: Eleven phthalate metabolites were measured in urine collected around the 13th and the 26th week of pregnancy from more than 400 women participating in the CHAMACOS study, an ongoing longitudinal birth cohort of primarily low-income Mexican-Americans living in agricultural Salinas, California. We measured adipokines and DNA methylation in bloods collected from children at birth (cord) and 9 years. W...