Paternal preconception plasticizer alters sperm methylome and embryonic programming.

Preconception environmental conditions have been demonstrated to shape sperm epigenetics and subsequently offspring health and development. Our previous findings in humans showed that urinary anti-androgenic phthalate metabolites in males were associated with altered sperm methylation and blastocyst-stage embryo development. To corroborate this, we examined the effect of preconception exposure to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) on genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression profiles in mice. Our findings indicate that spermatogenesis in adult may represent a sensitive window in which exposure to DEHP alters the sperm methylome as well as DNA methylation and gene expression in the developing embryo.