Determination of dibutyl phthalate neurobehavioral toxicity in mice

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) is widely used as plasticizer in numerous kinds of products such as plastic packaging in food industries. There is a high risk of DBP exposure for human; it can easily migrate into the human bodies through food plastic packaging and be a potential hazard for human health. In this study the neurobehavioral effects of oral DBP for 14 days (6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) were investigated in mice, using open field, Y-maze, elevated plus maze, passive avoidance test, rotarod and grip strength test. The results showed that DBP could reduce total distance movement, impair memory function and induce anxiety in mice. Histological analysis (haematoxylin-eosin staining) also showed significant nuclei size reduction and condensation in dentate gyrus cells of the DBP treated mice. In conclusion oral DBP administration for 14 days may cause some neurobehavioral adverse effects in mice.