IFL SCIENCE - Chemicals commonly used in flame retardants can lead to diabetes in the offspring of female mice exposed to them, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. The substances are known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs).
For the study, the scientists exposed mice to low levels of PBDEs during their pregnancy and lactation. The levels are believed to be comparable to average human environmental exposure during a similar period. While some of the mouse mothers developed glucose intolerance, their female offsprings were significantly more affected by glucose intolerance, which is a hallmark of diabetes in humans.
“This study is unique because we tested both the mothers and their offspring for all the hallmarks of diabetes exhibited in humans,” corresponding author of the study Dr. Margarita Curras-Collazo, from UC Riverside (UCR), said in a statement. “This kind of testing has not been done before, especially on female offspring.”