Tissue-specific uptake and distribution of liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) in mice

Yi Kong; Yong Wen; Guanyong Su; Ying Peng; Xinyi Cui

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2023.107894

Tissue-specific uptake and distribution of liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) in mice

Environ Int. 2023 Apr:174:107894. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107894. Epub 2023 Mar 21.

Authors

Yi Kong¹, Yong Wen¹, Guanyong Su², Ying Peng³, Xinyi Cui⁴

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
² Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China.
³ Key Lab of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China. Electronic address: lizzycui@nju.edu.cn.

PMID: 37003217
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107894

Abstract

Increasing evidence indicated that liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) in liquid crystal displays can be released into the environment, and ubiquitously detected in environmental matrices and even human bodies. Yet databases regarding its uptake and distribution in mammals are lacking. In this study, four LCMs (namely 3dFB, 2OdF3B, 2teFT, and 6OCB) with various physiochemical properties and structures were selected as the target compounds. The LCMs were in vivo and in vitro exposed to mice and rat liver microsomes (RLM). LCMs were found in all mouse tissues, including brain. Pharmacokinetics parameters, C_max-tissue/C_max-blood, ranged from 27.5 to 214, indicating the preferential deposition of LCMs to tissues rather than blood. The LCMs distributed preferentially to lipophilic tissues, and relative mass contribution of LCMs from liver and adipose was 43-98 %. The physicochemical properties (i.e., Kow, molecular weight, and functional groups) had pronounced effect on distribution and accumulation of LCMs. The 2teFT with the highest Kow and molecular weight showed the relatively higher accumulation potential and half elimination time in all the tissues. The 6OCB containing cyano-group was more accumulative than the fluorinated 3dFB with the comparable Kow. In RLM assays, 2teFT and 6OCB were resistant to metabolic degradation. While 3dFB and 2OdF3B underwent rapid degradation with 93.7 % and 72.4 % being metabolized at 360 min. Findings in this study bear significant implications for the biomonitoring and overall risk evaluation of LCMs.

Keywords: Liquid crystal monomers; Mice; Rat liver microsome; Tissue distribution.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Brain / metabolism
Humans
Liquid Crystals*
Liver
Mammals
Mice
Microsomes, Liver
Rats