Exploring the mechanism of plastic additives on reproductive disorders based on network toxicology and molecular docking - PubMed
3 days ago
- #endocrine disruption
- #network toxicology
- #reproductive health
- Phthalate esters (PAEs) and organophosphate esters (OPEs) are endocrine-disrupting environmental pollutants linked to female reproductive disorders.
- An integrative network toxicology approach, including molecular docking and multi-omics analysis, identified disease-specific hub genes: ESR1 and MMP9 for PCOS, CTNNB1 and BCL2 for RPL, and IL6 and NFKB1 for endometriosis.
- Shared pathogenic mechanisms across disorders include NF-κB activation, PI3K-AKT dysregulation, and microRNA-mediated regulation.
- Molecular docking confirmed direct binding of plastic additives (DEHP, MEHP, TPHP) to key hub targets.
- Diagnostic nomograms based on hub genes showed high predictive accuracy (AUCs 0.72-0.94), suggesting their potential as biomarkers for risk assessment and prevention strategies.