The impact of dioctyl phthalate exposure on multiple organ systems and gut microbiota in mice

Qiang Zhang; Chunjing Qiu; Wenya Jiang; Pengya Feng; Xia Xue; Ihtisham Bukhari; Yang Mi; Pengyuan Zheng

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22677

The impact of dioctyl phthalate exposure on multiple organ systems and gut microbiota in mice

Heliyon. 2023 Nov 20;9(12):e22677. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22677. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

Qiang Zhang^{1

2}, Chunjing Qiu¹, Wenya Jiang^{1

3}, Pengya Feng^{1

4}, Xia Xue¹, Ihtisham Bukhari¹, Yang Mi¹, Pengyuan Zheng¹

Affiliations

¹ Henan Key Laboratory of Helicobacter pylori & Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer, Marshall Medical Research Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
² Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan Province, China.
³ Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan Province, China.
⁴ Department of Children Rehabilitation Medicine, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.

Abstract

Dioctyl phthalate, commonly known as bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), is a widely used plasticizer in various industries and has been shown to directly or indirectly impact human health. However, there is a lack of comprehensive studies evaluating the potential health risks associated with DEHP accumulation in different organs across various age groups. This study aimed to assess the effects of low (50 mg/kg·bw) and high (500 mg/kg·bw) doses of DEHP on five different organs in mice at young (4-week-old) and aged (76-week-old) life stages. Our findings revealed that both low and high doses of DEHP exposure led to significant dose-dependent inflammation in the liver, spleen, and kidney. Furthermore, regardless of age, DEHP exposure resulted in elevated activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the liver, as well as increased levels of creatinine (Cr) and urea in the kidney. Moreover, analysis of the fecal microbiota using 16S rRNA sequencing demonstrated that DEHP exposure disrupted the homeostasis of the gut microbiota, characterized by an increased abundance of pathogenic bacteria such as Desulfovibrio and Muribaculum, and a decreased abundance of beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus. This study provides compelling evidence that DEHP at different concentrations can induce damage to multiple organs and disrupt gut microbiota composition. These findings lay the groundwork for further investigations into DEHP toxicity in various human organs, contributing to a better understanding of the potential health risks associated with DEHP exposure.

Keywords: DEHP; Gut microbiota; Inflammation; Organs; Toxicity.