2. Academic Validation
  3. Differential Disruption of Glucose and Lipid Metabolism Induced by Phthalates in Human Hepatocytes and White Adipocytes

Differential Disruption of Glucose and Lipid Metabolism Induced by Phthalates in Human Hepatocytes and White Adipocytes

  • Toxics. 2024 Mar 14;12(3):214. doi: 10.3390/toxics12030214.
Yaru Tian 1 2,  Miao Xu 3,  Hailin Shang 4,  Lijuan You 5,  Jing Yang 5,  Xudong Jia 2,  Hui Yang 2,  Yongning Wu 2,  Xingfen Yang 1,  Yi Wan 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Food Safety and Health Research Center, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
  • 2 NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China.
  • 3 Department of Clinical Nutrition, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610044, China.
  • 4 Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
  • 5 School of Public Health, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261053, China.
PMID: 38535947 DOI: 10.3390/toxics12030214
Abstract

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs), commonly used as plasticizers, are pervasive in the environment, leading to widespread human exposure. The association between phthalate exposure and metabolic disorders has been increasingly recognized, yet the precise biological mechanisms are not well-defined. In this study, we explored the effects of monoethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP) and monocyclohexyl phthalate (MCHP) on glucose and lipid metabolism in human hepatocytes and adipocytes. In hepatocytes, MEHP and MCHP were observed to enhance lipid uptake and accumulation in a dose-responsive manner, along with upregulating genes involved in lipid biosynthesis. Transcriptomic analysis indicated a broader impact of MEHP on hepatic gene expression relative to MCHP, but MCHP particularly promoted the expression of the gluconeogenesis key Enzymes G6PC and FBP1. In adipocytes, MEHP and MCHP both increased lipid droplet formation, mimicking the effects of the Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor γ (PPARγ) agonist rosiglitazone (Rosi). Transcriptomic analysis revealed that MEHP predominantly altered fatty acid metabolism pathways in mature adipocytes (MA), whereas MCHP exhibited less impact. Metabolic perturbations from MEHP and MCHP demonstrate shared activation of the PPARs pathway in hepatocytes and adipocytes, but the cell-type discrepancy might be attributed to the differential expression of PPARγ. Our results indicate that MEHP and MCHP disrupt glucose and lipid homeostasis in human liver and adipose through mechanisms that involve the PPAR and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathways, highlighting the nuanced cellular responses to these environmental contaminants.

Keywords

PPARs; adipocytes; hepatocytes; metabolism; phthalates.

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