EFFECTS OF CHRONIC DI(2-ETHYLHEXYL) PHTHALATE INTAKE ON THE SECRETIONAND REMOVAL RATE OF TRIGLYCERIDE-RICH LIPOPROTEINS IN RATS

This work intends to characterize the nature of the plasma triglycerid e level decrease in male Wistar rats fed with diets supplemented with 2% (w/w) di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a packaged-food chemical c ontaminant. After being fed for 21 days, the animals were assessed to determine plasma and liver lipids or to quantify the in vivo hepatic s ecretion and in vitro plasma removal of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins . The liver cholesterol and triglyceride contents in DEHP-fed rats wer e closely similar to those found in controls, co-existing with a decre ase in plasma cholesterol (19%), phospholipid (14%) and triglyceride ( 36%) levels. The decrease of the plasma triglyceride pool size was not associated with a reduction in hepatic secretion of triglyceride. The total triglyceride lipase activity rose (32%) due to a remarkable inc rease (100%) of the extrahepatic lipoprotein lipase activity. We can c onclude that extrahepatic lipoprotein lipase activity accounts for the hypotriglyceridaemic effect of DEHP through an increase of triglyceri de removal rate. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.