The effect of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate on inflammation and lipid metabolic disorder in rats

Plasticizer di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) can induce lipid metabolic disorder. There was a chronic low level inflammatory response in adipose tissue of patients with lipid metabolic disorder. But the effect of inflammation on lipid metabolic disorder induced by DEHP is unclear. The present study was undertaken to explore the effect of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate on inflammation and lipid metabolic disorder in rats.

Eighty healthy 21-day-old Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups and administered DEHP by gavage at 0, 5, 50, and 500 mg/kg/ d for 8 weeks. Morphological changes of adipose tissue, the levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, LEP, and ADP in rat serum and adipose tissue, the serum TC, TG, HDL-C and LDL-C, the mRNA and protein expression levels of lipid metabolism-related gene CEBP/β and inflammation-related gene CD68 were measured.

After exposure to DEHP, the weight of rats in the high dose group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05). And the number of adipose tissue cells in the medium-dose and high-dose DEHP groups increased, with much more macrophage infiltrated. The levels of LDL-C, HDL-C, TC in serum and LEP in adipose tissue of rats exposed to 500 mg/kg DEHP were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05); while the level of ADP in adipose tissue in rats exposed to DEHP was significantly lower (p < 0.05). The levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in surum and adipose tissue of rats exposed to DEHP were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05). The mRNA and protein expression levels of CEBP/β and CD68 in adipose tissue of rats exposed to DEHP were significantly higher than those in the control group. The TC, LEP and ADP Levels of rats were significantly different among different subgroup of IL-1β and TNF-α, and in high level subgroup, the TC, LEP and ADP Levels were increased. The levels of TC and LEP was increased in high level subgroup of CD68.

DEHP induced more macrophage infiltrated in adipose tissue of rats, promoted the secretion of IL-1β, TNF-α and the formation of inflammation, and disturbed the normal lipid metabolism and lead to lipid metabolic disorders. What is more, the levels of inflammation were associated with the lipid levels.