Peroxisome proliferators: mechanisms of adverse effects in rodents and molecular basis for species differences

Peroxisome proliferators (PPs), such as diethylhexylphthalate (DEHP), constitute a diverse class of chemicals with many therapeutic, industrial and environmental applications. In rodents, PPs are nongenotoxic hepatocarcinogens, raising concerns regarding the potential of PPs to harm human health. However, humans differ from rodents in their response to PPs and the weight of evidence supports the supposition that PPs do not pose a carcinogenic risk to humans. The effects of PPs in the rodent are mediated by peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α (PPARα). PPARα predominates in the liver whereas another isoform PPARγ predominates in adipose tissue and in the immune system. This tissue-specific pattern of PPARα expression is consistent with a role for PPARα but not PPARγ or PPARβ in PP-induced rodent hepatocarcinogenesis. Humans, marmosets and guinea-pigs appear refractory or less responsive to the adverse liver effects of PPs. However, humans give a therapeutic response to the fibrate PPs via an alteration in lipid metabolism mediated by PPARα. Such marked species differences may be explained by quantity of PPARα and/or the quality of the PPARα-mediated response. The lower expression of full-length functional PPARα in humans could be attributed to the presence of a truncated, inactive form of PPARα, which appears to be present in most individuals examined to date. In addition, there are species differences in sequence and responsiveness of the acyl CoA oxidase (ACO) gene promoter, suggesting that even in the presence of sufficient PPARα, the human equivalent of rodent genes associated with peroxisome proliferation may remain inactive. Received: 10 August 1999 / Accepted: 17 August 1999     

DEHP对新生雄性仔鼠毒性作用的实验研究

目的探讨邻苯二甲酸二乙基己基酯(DEHP)对新生雄性仔鼠毒性作用及机制。方法 DEHP分别以低、中、高3组剂量[10、100、750mg/(kg.d)]灌胃作用于怀孕12天到产后21天(GD12～PND21)的SD母鼠,观察DEHP对产后1天(PND1)及产后21天(PND21)雄性仔鼠体重、睾丸重量、肛生殖器距离(AGD)和其对胚胎Leydig细胞形态结构、促黄体生成素受体(LHR)及类固醇激素合成急性调节蛋白(StAR)的蛋白表达水平的影响。结果 PND1中、高剂量组雄仔鼠的体重下降明显,分别与对照组和低剂量组相比较均有显著性差异(P<0.01);高剂量组睾丸重量下降明显,与对照组相比较有显著性差异(P<0.05);中、高剂量组雄仔鼠的AGD均有不同程度缩短,与对照组和低剂量组相比缩短均有显著性差异(P<0.01)。PND21中、高剂量组雄仔鼠的体重下降明显,分别与对照组和低剂量组相比均有显著性差异(P<0.01);高剂量组睾丸重量下降明显,与对照组相比有显著性差异(P<0.01);中、高剂量组雄仔鼠的AGD缩短明显,分别与对照组比较有显著性差异(P<0.01)。光镜下低剂量组可见胚胎Leydig细胞(FLC)聚集呈簇分布,中剂量组与高剂量组均可见胚胎Leydig细胞呈瘤样增生。电镜示低剂量组Leydig细胞椭圆形、长梭形,脂质颗粒减少,线粒体、滑面内质网丰富。中、高剂量组Leydig细胞呈梭形或椭圆形,大小不一,核大、圆,胞质丰富,细胞聚集一起,胞质内可见丰富的脂质颗粒,脂质颗粒染色深,滑面内质网及线粒体扩张。中、高剂量组睾丸FLC的LHR蛋白表达明显减弱,与对照组比较有显著性差异(P<0.01);高剂量组睾丸FLC的StAR蛋白表达减弱明显,与对照组比较有显著性差异(P<0.01)。结论 DEHP对新生雄性仔鼠具有毒性作用,其可能机制是DEHP宫内暴露后,抑制睾丸FLC的LHR蛋白和StAR蛋白的表达从而影响睾丸的发育。     

Suppression of apoptosis and induction of DNA synthesis in vitro by the phthalate plasticizers monoethylhexylphthalate (MEHP) and diisononylphthalate (DINP): a comparison of rat and human hepatocytes in vitro

Diethylhexylphthalate (DEHP) and diisononylphthalate (DINP) are plasticizers with many important commercial, industrial and medical applications. However, both DEHP and DINP are rodent peroxisome proliferators (PPs), a class of compounds that cause rodent liver tumours associated with peroxisome proliferation, induction of hepatic DNA synthesis and the suppression of apoptosis. Despite these effects in the rodent, humans appear to be nonresponsive to the adverse effects of PPs. Previously, we have shown that the fibrate hypolipidaemic peroxisome proliferator, nafenopin, induced DNA synthesis and suppressed apoptosis in rat but not in human hepatocytes. In this work, we have examined species differences in the response of rat and human hepatocytes to DEHP and DINP in vitro. In rat hepatocytes in vitro, both DINP and MEHP (a principle metabolite of DEHP and the proximal peroxisome proliferator) caused a concentration-dependent induction of DNA synthesis and suppression of both spontaneous and transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1)-induced apoptosis. Similarly, both MEHP and DINP caused a concentration-dependent induction of peroxisomal β-oxidation although the response to DINP was less robust. In contrast to the pleiotropic response noted in rat hepatocytes, neither DINP nor MEHP caused an induction of β-oxidation, stimulation of DNA synthesis and suppression of apoptosis in human hepatocytes cultured from three separate donors. These data provide evidence for species differences in the hepatic response to the phthalates DEHP and DINP, confirming that human hepatocytes appear to be refractory to the hepatocarcinogenic effects of PPs first noted in rodents. Received: 16 August 1999 / Accepted: 21 September 1999