Prevalence of diabetes was high across all three ethnic groups. Ethnic differences in prevalence of diabetes, insulin resistance, central obesity, hypertension, smoking, and lipid profile could explain the differential coronary heart disease rates in the three major ethnic groups in Singapore.

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Bisphenol A (BPA) and Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) are common environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that exert a range of potential adverse health effects. EDC exposure can occur in utero and during early postnatal life, when organ systems are differentiating resulting in a number of disorders in adulthood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunotoxic effect of prenatal exposure to individual and combinations of BPA and DEHP on male and female rat thymus. From gestational day 6 till 21, Sprague Dawley dams were orally administered either saline (control; n=7), BPA (5μg/Kg BW; n=7), DEHP (7.5mg/Kg BW; n=7), or a mixture of BPA and DEHP (B+D; n=7). Male and female offspring were sacrificed at 16 weeks of age. Thymus and spleen were dissected, weighed, and stored for further processing. Our data showed that spleen weight to body weight (BW) ratio of EDC treated offspring were comparable to those from age‐matched control rats. However, male offspring (but not females) that were prenatally exposed to BPA alone exhibited a 40% decrease (p<0.01) and those exposed to DEHP alone had a 27% reduction in thymus/BW ratio (p<0.05). To understand if prenatal EDC exposure was promoting early thymus involution through apoptosis, we performed Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining of nicked DNA on thymic sections. There was significant apoptosis in the thymic cortex in both male and female offspring that were prenatally exposed to individual EDCs. Apoptosis was hardly detected in the medullary region. Apoptosis in the B+D group was markedly reduced compared to individual EDC exposures. These results suggest that prenatal exposure to even low BPA and moderate DEHP levels can promote apoptosis in the thymus. This could possibly affect immune functions in adulthood. Interestingly, exposure to a mixture of these EDCs did not produce any significant change in apoptosis in the thymus.Support or Funding InformationSupported by UGA Research Foundation and start‐up funds.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as bisphenols and phthalates are produced in high volume in the US and all over the world. They are capable of leaching out of plastics and entering the food chain. They produce a variety of effects on the body, but not all effects are understood. Epidemiological evidence indicates that there is a marked increase in the incidence of hypertension and pre‐hypertension in young children. We hypothesized that exposure to these EDCs during pregnancy can affect brain circuits and cause high blood pressure in offspring. The risk is even greater for female offspring who are subsequently exposed to an environmental estrogen or oral contraceptives in adulthood. To test this, we exposed pregnant Sprague Dawley dams to saline, or 1μg/kg BW of bisphenol‐F (BPF). Two female offspring from each dam were either sham implanted or implanted with estradiol‐17β (E2) pellets that were capable of releasing 20 ng of E2/day for 90 days. Animals were also implanted with a telemeter (Data Sciences International; HD‐S10) in the femoral artery and were allowed to recover. Blood pressure recordings were obtained for once a week for 12 weeks over a 24‐hour time period. In control rats that were treated with E2, there was a modest increase in systolic BP. When prenatal BPF exposure was followed by exposure to E2 in adulthood, it produced a greater increase in systolic BP (p = 0.0031 during the day; p= 0.0081 at night). In contrast, prenatal BPF exposure followed by sham implantation resulted in marked increases in diastolic BP. These results indicate that prenatal exposure to BPF can increase BP in female rats. This risk is augmented when females are subjected to chronic low dose E2 exposure in adulthood. Further studies are needed to understand the underlying mechanisms.Support or Funding InformationSupported by UGA research foundation and start‐up funds.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Objective: The study is aimed at investigating the effects of oral administration of aqueous and methanol extract of the root of Sphenocentrum jollyanum on testicular size, testosterone, folliclestimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and prolactin levels in male Wistar albino rats. Methods: A total of 24 Wistar albino rats of equal sexes were randomly distributed into three groups having 4-rats each of both sexes. Group 1 served as the control and was administered distilled water ad libitum while groups 2 and 3 were administered 400 mg/kg body weight methanol and aqueous extracts respectively. Oral administration lasted for 14 days at the end of which animals were sacrificed and blood samples were collected from all the groups through ocular Egba et al.; ARRB, 18(3): 1-8, 2017; Article no.ARRB.36598 2 puncture into plain sample bottles for hormonal assay. The serum level of progesterone, estradiol, testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and prolactin were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. The testicular weight of the animals was equally determined. Results: There was a non-significant (p˃ 0.05) variation in the mean testicular size of the treated and control rats, although the testicular size of the treated rats increased within the period when compared with the control group. Furthermore the administration of both aqueous and methanol root extracts of S. jollyanum caused non-significant (p>0.05) decrease in estradiol concentration when compared to the control. The levels of progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and prolactin significantly (p<0.05) decreased when compared to the control in the aqueous-treated group while the methanol extract-treated group showed a non-significant (p>0.05) difference in the luteinizing hormone and prolactin levels while follicle stimulating hormone was significantly (p<0.05) decreased. All comparisons were made against the control group. A significant (p<0.05) decrease in testosterone concentration of the aqueous group and a nonsignificant (p>0.05) decrease in the methanol extract group was seen in male rats. The result of follicle stimulating hormone level showed a significant (p<0.05) decrease in both aqueous and methanol extracts treated groups while a non-significant (p>0.05) reduction in luteinizing hormone was observed in both extract administered rats. Original Research Article Conclusion:The results of this study showed that the aqueous and methanol root extracts of the S. jollyanum may possess anti-fertility properties in both sexes and can have some implications for fertility and contraception.