Mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate induces both pro- and anti-inflammatory responses in rat alveolar macrophages through crosstalk between p38, the lipoxygenase pathway and PPARα

Abstract

Airway inflammation is important in asthma pathogenesis. Recent epidemiological data have indicated an association between asthma symptoms in children and exposure to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Thus, we have studied inflammatory responses in primary rat alveolar macrophages (AMs) after exposure to mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), the major primary metabolite of DEHP. First, we show that MEHP induces a dose-dependent release of the pro-inflammatory tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in AMs, giving a maximal (5-fold) increase at 0.7 mM. This concentration also induced some cell death. MEHP also induced phosphorylation of MAPK p38, while the p38 inhibitor SB 202190 reduced MEHP-induced TNF-α, suggesting a p38-dependent cytokine production. Next, we elucidated possible effects of MEHP on the 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) pathway and found that MEHP caused increased leukotriene (LTB₄) release. Further, we found that the 5-LO inhibitor nordihydrogualaretic acid (NDGA) significantly reduced both MEHP-induced TNF-α release and MEHP-induced formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), supporting an involvement of the 5-LO pathway in MEHP induced inflammatory reactions. Last, we found that MK-886, a known inhibitor of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), increased the MEHP-induced TNF-α response. This indicates that MEPH-PPARα binding mediates an anti-inflammatory signal.

Keywords::

• Alveolar macrophages
• inflammatory responses
• phthalates

Acknowledgements

We thank Tonje Skuland, Hans Jørgen Dahlman, Edel Marie Lilleaas, Trine Isaksen, and Tonje Wisting Elvestad for excellent technical assistance in the laboratory. This work was supported by grant 153875/310 from the Research Council of Norway.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.