Ancestral tributyltin exposure produces male-specific brown adipose thermogenic dysregulatoin

Ancestral tributyltin exposure impairs brown adipose thermoregulation in male F1 and F3 descendants, lowering core body temperature and dysregulating thermogenic and mitochondrial programs.

• Why it matters: Obesogens like tributyltin may disrupt energy balance across generations, but it was unclear whether developmental and ancestral exposure alters brown fat function and thermal homeostasis.
• What they did: F1 and F3 male descendants of exposed F0 dams were challenged with a high-fat diet, with measurements of body composition, resting core temperature, BAT gene expression, mtDNA content, and mitochondrial electron transport chain capacity.
• The result: TBT-line males showed lower pre-HFD core temperature, increased Ucp1 mRNA with decreased Ucp2 mRNA in F1, consistent downregulation of ETC genes, and reduced complex I- and II-associated respiratory capacity, with no consistent female effects.