Dibutyl phthalate promotes central precocious puberty through primordial follicle activation by downregulating BMP15

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) has been reported to induce central precocious puberty (CPP). However, the mechanism by which DBP accelerates primordial follicle activation and contributes to CPP has not been studied. This study aims to explore the effects of DBP on puberty onset and the role of primordial...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yangcheng Yao, Wenjuan Liu, Maoxing Tang, Zhaoyi Wang, Xiqian Zhang, Yufeng Li, Xiaomin Xiao, Fenghua Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325008000
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849694469177212928
author Yangcheng Yao
Wenjuan Liu
Maoxing Tang
Zhaoyi Wang
Xiqian Zhang
Yufeng Li
Xiaomin Xiao
Fenghua Liu
author_facet Yangcheng Yao
Wenjuan Liu
Maoxing Tang
Zhaoyi Wang
Xiqian Zhang
Yufeng Li
Xiaomin Xiao
Fenghua Liu
author_sort Yangcheng Yao
collection DOAJ
description Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) has been reported to induce central precocious puberty (CPP). However, the mechanism by which DBP accelerates primordial follicle activation and contributes to CPP has not been studied. This study aims to explore the effects of DBP on puberty onset and the role of primordial follicle activation in DBP-related CPP. Female ICR pups (developed by the Institute of Cancer Research, USA) were exposed to DBP from PND5 to PND20. Vaginal opening, a marker of puberty onset, was monitored daily staring from PND20. The involvement of the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis (HPOA) was evaluated, and the activation of primordial follicles was analysed. To investigate the role of primordial follicle activation in CPP development, masitinib was used to establish a model of primordial follicle silencing. Additionally, a neonatal ovary in vitro culture model was developed to explore the mechanism by which DBP accelerates primordial follicle activation. Compared to the control group, the DBP-exposed group exhibited significantly earlier vaginal opening. The hypothalamic gene expression of KISS1, GPR54, as well as serum levels of LH and E2, were elevated. Moreover, the activation of primordial follicle was accelerated in the DBP group. However, these effects were blocked by masitinib treatment. In vitro culture of neonatal ovaries revealed that DBP downregulates AMH expression via the BMP15/p38-MAPK pathway. In conclusion, our study firstly demonstrates that the activation of primordial follicles is essential for CPP development, and DBP contributes to CPP by accelerating primordial follicle activation through the BMP15/p38-MAPK/AMH pathway.
format Article
id doaj-art-72b5017c6d7d47c0becaf3f477d9d2a9
institution DOAJ
issn 0147-6513
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
spelling doaj-art-72b5017c6d7d47c0becaf3f477d9d2a92025-08-20T03:20:04ZengElsevierEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety0147-65132025-07-0130011846010.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118460Dibutyl phthalate promotes central precocious puberty through primordial follicle activation by downregulating BMP15Yangcheng Yao0Wenjuan Liu1Maoxing Tang2Zhaoyi Wang3Xiqian Zhang4Yufeng Li5Xiaomin Xiao6Fenghua Liu7Department of Reproductive Medicine, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Reproductive Medicine, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Reproductive Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Reproductive Medicine, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Reproductive Medicine, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, ChinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Reproductive Medicine, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China; Correspondence to: No. 521 Xingnan Road Panyu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 511400, China.Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) has been reported to induce central precocious puberty (CPP). However, the mechanism by which DBP accelerates primordial follicle activation and contributes to CPP has not been studied. This study aims to explore the effects of DBP on puberty onset and the role of primordial follicle activation in DBP-related CPP. Female ICR pups (developed by the Institute of Cancer Research, USA) were exposed to DBP from PND5 to PND20. Vaginal opening, a marker of puberty onset, was monitored daily staring from PND20. The involvement of the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis (HPOA) was evaluated, and the activation of primordial follicles was analysed. To investigate the role of primordial follicle activation in CPP development, masitinib was used to establish a model of primordial follicle silencing. Additionally, a neonatal ovary in vitro culture model was developed to explore the mechanism by which DBP accelerates primordial follicle activation. Compared to the control group, the DBP-exposed group exhibited significantly earlier vaginal opening. The hypothalamic gene expression of KISS1, GPR54, as well as serum levels of LH and E2, were elevated. Moreover, the activation of primordial follicle was accelerated in the DBP group. However, these effects were blocked by masitinib treatment. In vitro culture of neonatal ovaries revealed that DBP downregulates AMH expression via the BMP15/p38-MAPK pathway. In conclusion, our study firstly demonstrates that the activation of primordial follicles is essential for CPP development, and DBP contributes to CPP by accelerating primordial follicle activation through the BMP15/p38-MAPK/AMH pathway.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325008000Dibutyl phthalateCentral precocious pubertyPrimordial follicleBMP15AMH
spellingShingle Yangcheng Yao
Wenjuan Liu
Maoxing Tang
Zhaoyi Wang
Xiqian Zhang
Yufeng Li
Xiaomin Xiao
Fenghua Liu
Dibutyl phthalate promotes central precocious puberty through primordial follicle activation by downregulating BMP15
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Dibutyl phthalate
Central precocious puberty
Primordial follicle
BMP15
AMH
title Dibutyl phthalate promotes central precocious puberty through primordial follicle activation by downregulating BMP15
title_full Dibutyl phthalate promotes central precocious puberty through primordial follicle activation by downregulating BMP15
title_fullStr Dibutyl phthalate promotes central precocious puberty through primordial follicle activation by downregulating BMP15
title_full_unstemmed Dibutyl phthalate promotes central precocious puberty through primordial follicle activation by downregulating BMP15
title_short Dibutyl phthalate promotes central precocious puberty through primordial follicle activation by downregulating BMP15
title_sort dibutyl phthalate promotes central precocious puberty through primordial follicle activation by downregulating bmp15
topic Dibutyl phthalate
Central precocious puberty
Primordial follicle
BMP15
AMH
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325008000
work_keys_str_mv AT yangchengyao dibutylphthalatepromotescentralprecociouspubertythroughprimordialfollicleactivationbydownregulatingbmp15
AT wenjuanliu dibutylphthalatepromotescentralprecociouspubertythroughprimordialfollicleactivationbydownregulatingbmp15
AT maoxingtang dibutylphthalatepromotescentralprecociouspubertythroughprimordialfollicleactivationbydownregulatingbmp15
AT zhaoyiwang dibutylphthalatepromotescentralprecociouspubertythroughprimordialfollicleactivationbydownregulatingbmp15
AT xiqianzhang dibutylphthalatepromotescentralprecociouspubertythroughprimordialfollicleactivationbydownregulatingbmp15
AT yufengli dibutylphthalatepromotescentralprecociouspubertythroughprimordialfollicleactivationbydownregulatingbmp15
AT xiaominxiao dibutylphthalatepromotescentralprecociouspubertythroughprimordialfollicleactivationbydownregulatingbmp15
AT fenghualiu dibutylphthalatepromotescentralprecociouspubertythroughprimordialfollicleactivationbydownregulatingbmp15