Sunscreen filter octocrylene is a potential obesogen by acting as a PPARγ partial agonist

Area of Science:

• Environmental toxicology
• Endocrinology
• Cell biology

Background:

• Octocrylene (OC) is a widely used UV filter in sunscreens.
• OC is frequently detected in aquatic environments due to extensive use.
• Bioaccumulation of OC in aquatic organisms raises human health concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the metabolic effects of Octocrylene (OC).
• To explore OC's impact on adipogenesis in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs).
• To identify the molecular targets and mechanisms of OC's action.

Main Methods:

• Adipogenesis model using hBM-MSCs.
• Ligand binding assays to identify OC's protein targets.
• Molecular docking simulations to determine binding modes.
• Gene transcription profiling in human keratinocytes.

Main Results:

• OC promoted adiponectin production during adipogenesis in hBM-MSCs.
• OC directly bound to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ.
• OC acted as a partial agonist of PPARγ, recruiting coactivators SRC-1 and SRC-2.
• OC altered gene transcription of lipid-metabolism enzymes in keratinocytes.

Conclusions:

• Octocrylene (OC) is identified as a potential metabolic disruptor.
• OC functions as a PPARγ partial agonist, influencing lipid metabolism.
• The findings classify OC as a potential obesogen, with implications for human health.