Chronic exposure of mice to propylparaben enhances inflammatory response and promotes uterine fibrosis

Parabens are a class of chemical compounds commonly used as antimicrobial preservatives in cosmetics, food products, and medicines, and propylparaben (PP) is one of the most used parabens. It is readily detected in women’s urine samples (> 93%), indicating continuous exposure to this compound. Previous studies have suggested a potential link between parabens and reproductive problems potentially due to their ability to mimic the steroid hormone estrogen. However, the impact of chronic exposure to PP on the uterus remains unknown. Thus, we conducted studies in which adult female CD-1 mice were exposed for 6 months to either corn oil (vehicle control) or environmentally relevant doses of PP (2, 20, and 200 µg/kg/day). Our studies revealed that chronic exposure to PP at 2 µg/kg/day led to a significant decrease in the thickness of the endometrial layer compared to controls, indicating aberrant uterine histology in response to PP exposure. Since uterine function is acutely dependent on signaling by sex steroid hormone receptors, we first determined estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) and progesterone receptor (PGR) levels in the PP-exposed and unexposed uteri. While ESR1 or PGR levels were comparable between the groups, RNA sequencing analysis revealed an upregulation of the ESR1-dependent signaling pathway following prolonged PP exposure at 2 µg/kg/day. Consistent with the enhanced ESR1 signaling, we also observed the upregulation of genes involved in uterine inflammation and fibrosis upon PP exposure. Thus, our findings suggest that prolonged exposure to PP in mice adversely affects uterine function and homeostasis.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

VMS - Comparative Biosciences

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Kaushik, Anshu

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bagchi, indrani C

• Propylparaben (pp)
• Uterus

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Anshu Kaushik

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124723

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F124723