Induction of laurate omega-hydroxylase by di (2-ethylhexyl)phthalate in rat liver microsomes

Liver microsomes, prepared from rats fed a diet containing di (2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, were observed to hydroxylate lauric acid at carbon 12 at a specific activity 6 times greater than control rats. There was no increase in the specific activity of the laurate 11-hydroxylase. The specific activity of hepatic microsomal NADPH-cytochrome c reductase was increased 2-fold by phthalate feeding, but no effect was observed in the specific contents of cytochromes b5 or P-450. These results indicate that di (2-ethylhexyl)phthalate is similar to the hypolipidemic agent and peroxisomal proliferator , clofibrate, which was previously reported to be a novel inducer of the cytochrome P-450 mediated omega-hydroxylation of fatty acids.