Subacute effects of the chlorinated flame retardant dechlorane 602 on intestinal microenvironment in mice.

Background. Chlorinated flame retardant Dechlorane 602 (Dec 602) has been detected in daily food, indicating that it may pose a risk to intestinal health. The intestinal microenvironment plays an important role in intestinal health. Intestinal microbiota and metabolites are two important factors for maintaining the microenvironment. However, little is known about the effects of Dec 602 on intestinal microbiota and metabolites. Objectives. We aimed to probe the effects of Dec 602 on the intestine by revealing the changes that Dec 602 caused to the intestinal microbiota and metabolites. Methods. Adult female C57BL/6mice were exposed to Dec 602 (low/high doses: 1.0/10.0μg/kg body weight per day) orally for 7 consecutive days, and sacrificed after 7 days of recovery. The composition of colonic microbiota was measured by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and the colonic metabolites were determined by LC-ESI-MS/MS. Finally, the effects of Dec 602 on the colon were validated by histopathological analysis....