By Sasha Murphy

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Parrish Waters

Abstract

Phthalates, a group of industrial chemicals used to increase the flexibility of plastics, have been implicated in various health concerns, including neurotoxicity. This study aims to investigate the effects of phthalate exposure on spatial memory impairment, blood-brain barrier permeability, and neurogenesis in mouse models. Ten CD-1 mice were treated with 50 µg/kg of monoethyl phthalate for 21 days before undergoing the Barnes maze test to assess spatial memory. Brain tissue samples of 50 µm were obtained using a cryostat with the goal of assessing glial fibrillary acidic protein, doublecortin, and neuronal nuclei via fluorescence microscopy. By assessing both physiological and behavioral dependent variables, this research hoped to shed light on the potential mechanisms by which phthalates may affect brain function.