MSGID: 1:317/3 6423bee5   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Phthalate alternative may harm brain development and health    
    Acetyl tributyl citrate, a leading phthalate alternative, found to   
   disrupt neuron-like cells    
      
     Date:   
         March 28, 2023   
     Source:   
         American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   
     Summary:   
         Growing concerns over the potential health effects of exposure to   
         phthalates have led to a search for safer alternatives. Researchers   
         found that the chemical acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) might not   
         be the best replacement.   
      
      
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   FULL STORY   
   ==========================================================================   
   Growing concerns over the potential health effects of exposure to   
   phthalates, a component of many plastics and also known as a plasticizer,   
   have led to a search for safer alternatives. In a new study conducted   
   in cell cultures, researchers found that the chemical acetyl tributyl   
   citrate (ATBC) might not be the best replacement because it appears to   
   interfere with the growth and maintenance of neurons.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   "In the past, industries have promptly shifted away from the usage of   
   toxic chemicals only to produce an equally toxic chemical, so this is   
   something we are actively trying to avoid repeating," said Kyle Sease,   
   a graduate student at Central Washington University in Ellensburg,   
   Washington. "Our study suggests that ATBC, but not other non-phthalate   
   alternatives, could interfere with cells that maintain brain health. We   
   think this finding warrants further testing of ATBC at different doses,   
   in different settings and in whole organism models."  Sease will present   
   the new research at Discover BMB, the annual meeting of the American   
   Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, March 25-28 in Seattle.   
      
   Phthalates are used in hundreds of products, often to enhance durability   
   or allow materials to bend and stretch. Studies have shown that phthalate   
   exposure can affect the reproductive system and early development   
   in a range of animals, although the health impacts in humans are not   
   clear. ATBC has emerged as a leading phthalate alternative as companies   
   seek to shift away from phthalates and is currently used in a variety   
   of materials and products, including food and food packaging.   
      
   For the study, researchers grew cultures of neuroblastoma cells, which,   
   in terms of growth and division, behave similarly to the glial cells that   
   support and protect neurons in the brain. They then used molecular methods   
   to study how ATBC and other chemicals affect genes and processes involved   
   in cellular division. They found that neuroblastoma cells exposed to ATBC   
   increased their expression of two genes associated with cellular stress   
   (known as Nrf2 and p53) and also increased their production of an enzyme   
   associated with cellular senescence (B-galactosidase), which can cause   
   cells to stop growing and dividing.   
      
   The findings suggest that ATBC could interfere with the ability for glial   
   cells to regenerate, which can reduce their ability to protect neural   
   cells and lead to neurodegeneration and accelerated aging. It is also   
   possible that ATBC exposure during early development -- when neurons   
   are actively growing and dividing -- could affect neurons directly and   
   interfere with brain development, the researchers said. Since neurons   
   do not typically regrow once damaged, any effects on the brain likely   
   would be permanent.   
      
   Two other phthalate alternatives, bis (2-ethylhexyl)-1,   
   4-benzenedicarboxylate (GPO) and dioctyl adipate (DOA), did not show the   
   same effects as ATBC. "We found that two other plasticizers did not appear   
   to affect cell division in these cells, so further understanding the   
   different effects of different plasticizers will allow us to understand   
   better how to make safe ones," Sease said.   
      
   Kyle Seasewillpresent this research from 4:30-6:30 p.m. PDT on Monday,   
   March 27, in Exhibit Hall 4AB of the Seattle Convention Center(Poster   
   Board No. 141) (abstract).   
      
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   ==========================================================================   
   Story Source: Materials provided by   
   American_Society_for_Biochemistry_and_Molecular_Biology.   
      
   Original written by Anne Frances Johnson. Note: Content may be edited   
   for style and length.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
      
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230328145501.htm   
      
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