Toxicokinetics of the flame retardant hexabromocyclododecane gamma: effect of dose, timing, route, repeated exposure, and metabolism.

Hexabromocyclododecane-gamma (γ-HBCD) is the predominate diastereoisomer in the commercial HBCD mixture used as a flame retardant in a wide variety of consumer products. Three main diastereoisomers, alpha (α), beta (β), and gamma (γ), comprise the mixture. Despite the γ-diastereoisomer being the major diastereoisomer in the mixture and environmental samples, the α-diastereoisomer predominates human tissue and wildlife.

Strength trapped within weakness/ weakness trapped within strength: the influence of family of origin experiences on the lives of abused women.

By conceptualizing abused women as victims or survivors, the literature offers two contradictory narratives of abused women. The aim of this article is to show that these two narratives are not mutually exclusive but rather can be used simultaneously to represent battered women's existential experiences. The study sample was comprised of 20 Israeli battered women.

Maternal dioxin exposure combined with a diet high in fat increases mammary cancer incidence in mice.

Background: RESULTS from previous studies have suggested that breast cancer risk correlates with total lifetime exposure to estrogens and that early-life 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) exposure or diets high in fat can also increase cancer risk.

Objectives: Because both TCDD and diet affect the estrogen pathway, we examined how TCDD and a high-fat diet (HFD) interact to alter breast cancer susceptibility.

Methods: We exposed pregnant female FVB/NJ mice (12.

Developmental exposure to a commercial PBDE mixture, DE-71: neurobehavioral, hormonal, and reproductive effects.

Developmental effects of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been suspected due to their structural similarities to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This study evaluated neurobehavioral, hormonal, and reproductive effects in rat offspring perinatally exposed to a widely used pentabrominated commercial mixture, DE-71. Pregnant Long-Evans rats were exposed to 0, 1.

Exposure to asbestos-containing vermiculite ore and respiratory symptoms among individuals who were children while the mine was active in Libby, Montana.

Background: Libby, Montana, was home to the largest vermiculite ore mine in the United States. The processing, use, and transport of the ore, which was contaminated with amphibole asbestos, led to generalized contamination of the community. The mine closed in 1990.

Out of the frying pan and out of the fire: the indispensable role of exposure science in avoiding risks from replacement chemicals.

Exposure science can move us toward a more protective chemicals management policy by preventing human and ecological risks that may occur when existing "bad actors" are replaced with alternative chemicals that may not be as well studied.

Perfluorinated compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls, and organochlorine pesticide contamination in composite food samples from Dallas, Texas, USA.

Objectives: The objective of this article is to extend our previous studies of persistent organic pollutant (POP) contamination of U.S. food by measuring perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), organochlorine pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in composite food samples.

Partitioning of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in serum and milk from the same mothers.

We and others have previously described partitioning of chemicals, including polychlorinated-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and biphenyls in different types of human tissues and fluids, including blood and milk. Additionally, we previously reported the blood to milk partitioning of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in a group of 11 women. Partitioning is of importance in understanding the toxicokinetics of these compounds and also in clinical medicine in improving estimates of levels in different matrices including blood and milk.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclodecane (HBCD) in composite U.S. food samples.

Objectives: This study was designed to update previous U.S. market basket surveys of levels and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) dietary intake calculations.

An overview of the effects of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds on vertebrates, as documented in human and ecological epidemiology.

Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds are primary examples of persistent organic pollutants that induce toxicity in both wildlife and humans. Over the past 200 years these compounds have been almost exclusively generated by human activity and have left a string of disasters in the wake of their accidental release. Most recently, the contamination of the Irish pork supply with dioxins resulted in an international recall of all Irish pork products.

A physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for developmental exposure to BDE-47 in rats.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are used commercially as additive flame retardants and have been shown to transfer into environmental compartments, where they have the potential to bioaccumulate in wildlife and humans. Of the 209 possible PBDEs, 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) is usually the dominant congener found in human blood and milk samples. BDE-47 has been shown to have endocrine activity and produce developmental, reproductive, and neurotoxic effects.

Polybrominated diphenyl ether levels in foodstuffs collected from three locations from the United States.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to provide updated measurements of PBDEs in US food, to estimate possible difference in levels from differing geographical regions, and to provide an improved estimate of current dietary intake.

Methods: Thirty matched food samples for a total of 90 samples were collected from each of three cities (Los Angeles, California; Dallas, Texas; and Albany, New York) and were analyzed for 13 polybrominated diphenyl ether congeners (BDE 28, 47, 49, 66, 85, 99, 100, 138, 153, 154, 183, 203, and 209). Dietary intake of PBDEs was estimated by food type, age, and sex.

Approaches for assessing risks to sensitive populations: lessons learned from evaluating risks in the pediatric population.

Assessing the risk profiles of potentially sensitive populations requires a "tool chest" of methodological approaches to adequately characterize and evaluate these populations. At present, there is an extensive body of literature on methodologies that apply to the evaluation of the pediatric population. The Health and Environmental Sciences Institute Subcommittee on Risk Assessment of Sensitive Populations evaluated key references in the area of pediatric risk to identify a spectrum of methodological approaches.

Dietary fat alters body composition, mammary development, and cytochrome p450 induction after maternal TCDD exposure in DBA/2J mice with low-responsive aryl hydrocarbon receptors.

Background: Increased fat intake is associated with obesity and may make obese individuals uniquely susceptible to the effects of lipophilic aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) ligands.

Objectives: We investigated the consequences of high-fat diet (HFD) and AHR ligands on body composition, mammary development, and hepatic P450 expression.

Methods: Pregnant C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) dams, respectively expressing high- or low-responsive AHR, were dosed at mid-gestation with TCDD.

The effect of dose on 2,3,7,8-TCDD tissue distribution, metabolism and elimination in CYP1A2 (-/-) knockout and C57BL/6N parental strains of mice.

Numerous metabolism studies have demonstrated that the toxic contaminant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is poorly metabolized. A hallmark feature of TCDD exposure is induction of hepatic CYP1A2 and subsequent sequestration leading to high liver-to-fat concentration ratios. This study was initiated to determine whether TCDD was inherently poorly metabolized or unavailable for metabolism because of sequestration to CYP1A2.

Management of chronic allograft nephropathy: a systematic review.

Despite improving immunosuppressive protocols in renal transplantation, chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) remains a major impediment to long-term graft survival. The optimal immunosuppressive regimen for a patient with CAN is unknown. The aim of this study is to evaluate the various immunosuppressive management strategies of biopsy-proven CAN and of chronic allograft dysfunction (CAD) (no biopsy).