Abstract
The hypolipidemic effects of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) exposure in humans have not been investigated. And the influences of maternal prenatal DEHP exposure on birth outcomes are not well-known. We aimed to estimate prenatal DEHP exposure in maternal blood, and evaluate its relationships to maternal blood triglyceride (TG) and fatty acid (FA) levels and to birth outcomes. We studied 318 mother-newborn pairs residing in Sapporo, Japan. Blood was taken one time during pregnancy for each mother. Maternal and infant characteristics were obtained from medical records and questionnaire survey. We measured DEHP metabolite, mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), along with TG and 9 FAs using maternal blood, and analyzed associations of MEHP level with maternal blood TG/FA levels and infant birth dimensions. Maternal blood TG and palmitoleic/oleic acid levels were higher, but stearic/docosahexaenoic acids and MEHP were lower during late pregnancy. Maternal blood MEHP levels inversely correlated with TG and palmitic/palmitoleic/oleic/linoleic/α-linolenic acids. After adjustment for confounders, we found that a tenfold increase in blood MEHP levels correlated with a decrease in TG of 25.1 mg/dl [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.8-45.3 mg/dl], and similar relations in palmitic (β = -581.8; 95 % CI -906.5, -257.0), oleic (β = -304.2; 95% CI -518.0, -90.5), linoleic (β = -348.6; 95% CI -510.6, -186.6), and α-linolenic (β = -6.3; 95% CI -9.5, -3.0) acids. However, we observed no correlations between maternal blood MEHP levels and infant birth weight, length, chest circumference, or head circumference. Ambient DEHP exposure during pregnancy inversely correlated with maternal blood TG and 4 FA levels, but not birth outcomes.
Highlights
Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) is the most widely used plasticizer of polyvinylchloride in the manufacture of a wide variety of consumer goods, such as food packaging, building products, clothing, car products, medical devices and children’s products [1, 2], the use of DEHP in the latter two goods has been decreasing recently due to several government restrictions [3, 4]
Maternal blood TG and palmitoleic/oleic acid levels were higher, but stearic/docosahexaenoic acids and mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) were lower during late pregnancy
Maternal blood MEHP levels inversely correlated with TG and palmitic/ palmitoleic/oleic/linoleic/a-linolenic acids
Summary
Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) is the most widely used plasticizer of polyvinylchloride in the manufacture of a wide variety of consumer goods, such as food packaging, building products, clothing, car products, medical devices and children’s products (but not in toys intended for mouthing) [1, 2], the use of DEHP in the latter two goods has been decreasing recently due to several government restrictions [3, 4]. DEHP is not chemically bound to polyvinylchloride and leaks from polyvinylchloride items with time and use. It is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant [1, 2]. Ambient exposure to DEHP in the general adult population may be in the range of 3–30 lg/kg body weight/day [5], while that in Japanese pregnant women has been estimated to be 3.45–41.6 lg/kg/day [6]: no difference in the exposure levels between the former and the latter. Fujimaki et al [6] identified that the maximum estimated intake level per body weight reached the old Tolerable Daily Intake level of 40–140 lg/kg/day set by Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. After entering the human body, DEHP is first metabolized to the monoester, mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), which can be oxidized further to oxidative metabolites [8]
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