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Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

Volume 286, 1 November 2024, 117187
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

Exposure to phthalate plasticizer compromises normal brain function
in an adult vertebrate

Author links open overlay panelBenedikt Maric, Stefan Schuster, Peter
Machnik
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.117187Get rights and content
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Highlights

  * *
    Acute exposure to phthalates affects fundamental aspects of adult
    brain function.
  * *
    The effects are massive both with DEHP and its substitute DINP.
  * *
    Both plasticizers affect neuronal signaling and central
    information processing.
  * *
    Both offset the balance between excitation and inhibition.
  * *
    Both cause a massive decline in conduction speed and potentially
    impact neuroglia.

Abstract

Phthalates are key additives in many plastic products and among the
most frequently used plasticizers. The release of some of them into
the environment has been shown to have serious effects on development
and reproduction. Based on such effects, diisononyl phthalate (DINP)
has been advocated as a safer alternative to di-2-ethylhexyl
phthalate (DEHP). Recently, it has been suggested that DEHP may
affect the vertebrate blood-brain barrier. This could have serious
consequences not only for the developing, but also for the adult
brain. Here we tested for such impact on neuronal function and
demonstrate acute exposure effects of both plasticizers on
fundamental aspects of brain function in an adult vertebrate. We used
the Mauthner neuron in the hindbrain of fish and its diverse inputs
from various sensory systems as a model. After exposing intact
goldfish to environmentally relevant plasticizer concentration
(either 100 ug L^-1, or 10 ug L^-1), we show from in vivo
intracellular recording that one month of environmental exposure to
DEHP or DINP affected the sensory input to this central neuron,
offset the balance between excitation and inhibition, and reduced its
conduction speed by 20 %. The effects of both plasticizers were
strong even at the concentration of 10 ug L^-1. In an adult
vertebrate, our findings thus demonstrate a previously neglected high
sensitivity of various crucial brain functions to the acute exposure
to phthalates.

Graphical Abstract

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Abbreviations

2-PE
2-phenoxyethanol
BBB
blood-brain barrier
DEHP
di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate
DINP
diisononyl phthalate
DMSO
dimethyl sulfoxide
MN
Mauthner neuron
PSP
postsynaptic potential

Keywords

Plasticizer
Phthalate
Plastic compound
Neuronal function
Brain function
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(c) 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.

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