Efeitos no tecido ósseo de ratos submetidos à exposição de desreguladores endócrinos durante a vida fetal e a lactação

Abstract

Substances called endocrine disruptors (EDs) can compromise bone homeostasis. They mimic or block the action of natural hormones, interfering with aspects of their synthesis, secretion, and associated processes, such as the regulation of cell development for the formation of the body's tissues. The aim was to evaluate the bones of 420-day-old rats, offspring of rats fed a mixture of these compounds, from the 7th day of gestation to the 21st day of lactation, with consequent weaning of the offspring and the end of exposure to these foods. The animals were divided into two groups: the Control Group and the Endocrine Disruptors (EDs) Group. The pregnant or lactating rats received the treatment on the 7th day of gestation until the 21st postnatal day. The male pups were weaned on the 22nd day. They were then given only water and food until they were euthanized at 14 months. The femurs were then evaluated by mechanical and Raman analysis (spectral band ratios of 430/1272, 960/1660 and 1070/1660). The maximum resistance force and absorbed energy were similar between the two groups. However, the Endocrine Disruptors group proved to be 16.4% more deformable and 22.1% less rigid compared to the Control group. For Raman spectroscopy, the three band ratios analyzed were different between the groups. These bands were higher in the EDs group, indicating alterations in the bone matrix. Exposure to EDs during pregnancy and lactation led to impaired bone quality in adulthood.