An In Vitro and In Vivo Study of Thyroid Disruption of 1,2-Bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane(BTBPE)�A Novel Brominated Flame Retardant

The novel brominated flame retardant,1,2-bis-(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane(BTBPE),is an emerging environ-mental pollutant with undetermined toxicity.We investigated how BTBPE causes thyroid endocrine disruption with integrated in silico,in vitro,and in vivo assays.In yeast two-hybrid and T-Screen assays,BTBPE interacted with zebrafish thyroid hormone receptors with binding energies weaker than the TR agonist-3,3′,5-Triiodo-L-thyronine(T3),and disrupted thyroid function as a thyroid receptor(TR)agonist.We examined the bioconcentra-tion,developmental toxicity,and thyroid endocrine disruption in zebrafish after a 14-day exposure to BTBPE(1,3,10μg/L).Thyroxine(T4)was lower in BTBPE-treated larvae,whereas corticotropin-releasing hormone(CRH)and thyroid-stimulating hormone(TSH)were higher.The gene transcription alterations along the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid(HPT)axis were observed.Furthermore,reduced locomotion suggested that BTBPE imparts developmental neurotoxicity at zebrafish early developmental stage.Establishing that BTBPE has thyroid endocrine-disrupting effects is an important step for understanding and managing BTBPE toxicity.