3.2. Multi-generational effects on lipid metabolism
The multigenerational effects of DEHTP on the lipid metabolites, including TG, NEFA, ACA and FA-CoA, are shown in Figure S2. In F1, at 0.8 mg/L DEHTP inhibited TG, ACA, lipase, ATGL, ACS, CPT and ACC but stimulated NEFA, FA-CoA, GPAT and FAS. In F2 to F4, the effects showed alterations between inhibition and stimulation without specific tendencies or relationships (Figure S2).
Notably, there were opposite effects on TG and NEFA, with 60% of the cases where the stimulations on TG were usually accompanied with inhibitions on NEFA and vice versa (Figure 3(A)). The opposite effects were also found between lipase and ATGL (40% of the total cases), and also between the effects on ATGL and GPAT (55% of the total cases) (Figure 3(B)).
The Spearman’s correlation analysis demonstrated the connection between the metabolites and the enzymes (Figure 3(C)). The significant stimulations of DEHTP on ACA were accompanied with positively correlated stimulation on a series of enzymes in ACA metabolism (ACS, CPT and ACC) and also in the balance between TG and NEFA (ATGL and GPAT). Combining the apical and biochemical effects, there were positive correlations between the effects on reproduction and with those on FAS and FA-CoA, and negative ones between the influences on behavior and those on FA-CoA, ACA and GPAT (Figure 3(E)).