Associations of Plastic Bottle Exposure with Infant Growth, Fecal Microbiota, and Short-Chain Fatty Acids
Background/Objectives: Murine models show that plastics, via their chemical constituents (e.g., phthalates), influence microbiota, metabolism, and growth. However, research on plastics in humans is lacking. Here, we examine how the frequency of plastic bottle exposure is associated with fecal microb...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-12-01
|
| Series: | Microorganisms |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/11/12/2924 |
| _version_ | 1797380017070538752 |
|---|---|
| author | Curtis Tilves Heather Jianbo Zhao Moira K. Differding Mingyu Zhang Tiange Liu Cathrine Hoyo Truls Østbye Sara E. Benjamin-Neelon Noel T. Mueller |
| author_facet | Curtis Tilves Heather Jianbo Zhao Moira K. Differding Mingyu Zhang Tiange Liu Cathrine Hoyo Truls Østbye Sara E. Benjamin-Neelon Noel T. Mueller |
| author_sort | Curtis Tilves |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background/Objectives: Murine models show that plastics, via their chemical constituents (e.g., phthalates), influence microbiota, metabolism, and growth. However, research on plastics in humans is lacking. Here, we examine how the frequency of plastic bottle exposure is associated with fecal microbiota, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and anthropometry in the first year of life. Subjects/Methods: In 442 infants from the prospective Nurture birth cohort, we examined the association of frequency of plastic bottle feeding at 3 months with anthropometric outcomes (skinfolds, length-for-age, and weight-for-length) at 12 months of age and growth trajectories between 3 and 12 months. Furthermore, in a subset of infants (<i>n</i> = 70) that contributed fecal samples at 3 months and 12 months of age, we examined plastic bottle frequency in relation to fecal microbiota composition and diversity (measured by 16S rRNA gene sequencing of V4 region), and fecal SCFA concentrations (quantified using gas chromatography mass spectrometry). Results: At 3 months, 67.6% of infants were plastic bottle fed at every feeding, 15.4% were exclusively breast milk fed, and 48.9% were exclusively formula fed. After adjustment for potential confounders, infants who were plastic bottle fed less than every feeding compared to those who were plastic bottle fed at every feeding at 3 months did not show differences in anthropometry over the first 12 months of life, save for lower length-for-age z-score at 12 months (adjusted β = −0.45, 95% CI: −0.76, −0.13). Infants who were plastic bottle fed less than every feeding versus every feeding had lower fecal microbiota alpha diversity at 3 months (mean difference for Shannon index: −0.59, 95% CI: −0.99, −0.20) and lower isovaleric acid concentration at 3 months (mean difference: −2.12 μmol/g, 95% CI: −3.64, −0.60), but these results were attenuated following adjustment for infant diet. Plastic bottle frequency was not strongly associated with microbiota diversity or SCFAs at 12 months after multivariable adjustment. Frequency of plastic bottle use was associated with differential abundance of some bacterial taxa, however, significance was not consistent between statistical approaches. Conclusions: Plastic bottle frequency at 3 months was not strongly associated with measures of adiposity or growth (save for length-for-age) over the first year of life, and while plastic bottle use was associated with some features of fecal microbiota and SCFAs in the first year, these findings were attenuated in multivariable models with infant diet. Future research is needed to assess health effects of exposure to other plastic-based products and objective measures of microplastics and plastic constituents like phthalates. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:31:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dc74898425be4d399a3e5cc7f0b90cfd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:31:22Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-dc74898425be4d399a3e5cc7f0b90cfd2023-12-22T14:26:05ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072023-12-011112292410.3390/microorganisms11122924Associations of Plastic Bottle Exposure with Infant Growth, Fecal Microbiota, and Short-Chain Fatty AcidsCurtis Tilves0Heather Jianbo Zhao1Moira K. Differding2Mingyu Zhang3Tiange Liu4Cathrine Hoyo5Truls Østbye6Sara E. Benjamin-Neelon7Noel T. Mueller8Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartment of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartment of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartment of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartment of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USADepartment of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USADepartment of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartment of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USABackground/Objectives: Murine models show that plastics, via their chemical constituents (e.g., phthalates), influence microbiota, metabolism, and growth. However, research on plastics in humans is lacking. Here, we examine how the frequency of plastic bottle exposure is associated with fecal microbiota, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and anthropometry in the first year of life. Subjects/Methods: In 442 infants from the prospective Nurture birth cohort, we examined the association of frequency of plastic bottle feeding at 3 months with anthropometric outcomes (skinfolds, length-for-age, and weight-for-length) at 12 months of age and growth trajectories between 3 and 12 months. Furthermore, in a subset of infants (<i>n</i> = 70) that contributed fecal samples at 3 months and 12 months of age, we examined plastic bottle frequency in relation to fecal microbiota composition and diversity (measured by 16S rRNA gene sequencing of V4 region), and fecal SCFA concentrations (quantified using gas chromatography mass spectrometry). Results: At 3 months, 67.6% of infants were plastic bottle fed at every feeding, 15.4% were exclusively breast milk fed, and 48.9% were exclusively formula fed. After adjustment for potential confounders, infants who were plastic bottle fed less than every feeding compared to those who were plastic bottle fed at every feeding at 3 months did not show differences in anthropometry over the first 12 months of life, save for lower length-for-age z-score at 12 months (adjusted β = −0.45, 95% CI: −0.76, −0.13). Infants who were plastic bottle fed less than every feeding versus every feeding had lower fecal microbiota alpha diversity at 3 months (mean difference for Shannon index: −0.59, 95% CI: −0.99, −0.20) and lower isovaleric acid concentration at 3 months (mean difference: −2.12 μmol/g, 95% CI: −3.64, −0.60), but these results were attenuated following adjustment for infant diet. Plastic bottle frequency was not strongly associated with microbiota diversity or SCFAs at 12 months after multivariable adjustment. Frequency of plastic bottle use was associated with differential abundance of some bacterial taxa, however, significance was not consistent between statistical approaches. Conclusions: Plastic bottle frequency at 3 months was not strongly associated with measures of adiposity or growth (save for length-for-age) over the first year of life, and while plastic bottle use was associated with some features of fecal microbiota and SCFAs in the first year, these findings were attenuated in multivariable models with infant diet. Future research is needed to assess health effects of exposure to other plastic-based products and objective measures of microplastics and plastic constituents like phthalates.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/11/12/2924anthropometryplasticmicrobiomeshort-chain fatty acids |
| spellingShingle | Curtis Tilves Heather Jianbo Zhao Moira K. Differding Mingyu Zhang Tiange Liu Cathrine Hoyo Truls Østbye Sara E. Benjamin-Neelon Noel T. Mueller Associations of Plastic Bottle Exposure with Infant Growth, Fecal Microbiota, and Short-Chain Fatty Acids Microorganisms anthropometry plastic microbiome short-chain fatty acids |
| title | Associations of Plastic Bottle Exposure with Infant Growth, Fecal Microbiota, and Short-Chain Fatty Acids |
| title_full | Associations of Plastic Bottle Exposure with Infant Growth, Fecal Microbiota, and Short-Chain Fatty Acids |
| title_fullStr | Associations of Plastic Bottle Exposure with Infant Growth, Fecal Microbiota, and Short-Chain Fatty Acids |
| title_full_unstemmed | Associations of Plastic Bottle Exposure with Infant Growth, Fecal Microbiota, and Short-Chain Fatty Acids |
| title_short | Associations of Plastic Bottle Exposure with Infant Growth, Fecal Microbiota, and Short-Chain Fatty Acids |
| title_sort | associations of plastic bottle exposure with infant growth fecal microbiota and short chain fatty acids |
| topic | anthropometry plastic microbiome short-chain fatty acids |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/11/12/2924 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT curtistilves associationsofplasticbottleexposurewithinfantgrowthfecalmicrobiotaandshortchainfattyacids AT heatherjianbozhao associationsofplasticbottleexposurewithinfantgrowthfecalmicrobiotaandshortchainfattyacids AT moirakdifferding associationsofplasticbottleexposurewithinfantgrowthfecalmicrobiotaandshortchainfattyacids AT mingyuzhang associationsofplasticbottleexposurewithinfantgrowthfecalmicrobiotaandshortchainfattyacids AT tiangeliu associationsofplasticbottleexposurewithinfantgrowthfecalmicrobiotaandshortchainfattyacids AT cathrinehoyo associationsofplasticbottleexposurewithinfantgrowthfecalmicrobiotaandshortchainfattyacids AT trulsøstbye associationsofplasticbottleexposurewithinfantgrowthfecalmicrobiotaandshortchainfattyacids AT saraebenjaminneelon associationsofplasticbottleexposurewithinfantgrowthfecalmicrobiotaandshortchainfattyacids AT noeltmueller associationsofplasticbottleexposurewithinfantgrowthfecalmicrobiotaandshortchainfattyacids |