DDT Exposure During Pregnancy Linked to Obesity, Diabetes Risk in Female Offspring

DDT exposure during pregnancy might increase the risk of obesity, diabetes and several other chronic health complications in female offspring, a new study has found.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of California, Davis, was based on mice models. The researchers found that DDT exposure slowed down metabolism of female mice, but not of males.

The researchers said that the chemical increases the risk of metabolic syndrome in mice. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions such as high blood pressure, high sugar levels etc, that increase cardiovascular and diabetes risk.

DDT or dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane was developed in the 1940s as an insecticide. It helped curb spread of malaria and other mosquito-related illnesses in several parts of the world. The chemical was banned in the U.S in the 1970s due to its negative impact on wildlife and human health. DDT is still used in developing nations for mosquito control.  

In the study, mice were given DDT doses comparable to the exposure of people living in malaria-infested areas as well as women living in the U.S who are now around 50 years of age.

"The women and men this study is most applicable to in the United States are currently at the age when they're more likely to develop metabolic syndrome, because these are diseases of middle- to late adulthood," said lead author Michele La Merrill, assistant professor of environmental toxicology at UC Davis.

The team found that DDT exposure reduced metabolism in female offspring and even decreased their ability to tolerate cold temperatures.

"As mammals, we have to regulate our body temperature in order to live," La Merrill said in a news release. "We found that DDT reduced female mice's ability to generate heat. If you're not generating as much heat as the next guy, instead of burning calories, you're storing them."

The researchers found strong gender difference in the effects of DDT exposure. In females, the chemical increased obesity and diabetes risk. However, in males, DDT exposure was linked to just spikes in blood sugar levels. The team said that further research is required to understand the sex differences.

The study is published in the journal PLOS One.