• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.72-79
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• 2002

Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) may be released from plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) articles. In the cases of various methods for the quantitative analysis of migrating DEHP, there are much differences in migrating quantity according to the experimental methods. It is therefore important to make the comparison and analysis between these two results. A study of DEHP migration from blood and infusion bags has been carried out in different methods to evaluate the amount of DEHP migration using gas chromatograph and UV-vis spectrophotometry. Five PVC bags were cut into plane sheets in size of $40{\times}10{\times}0.4mm$, then were immersed in extraction solvent for an hour to release DEHP. It was determined by a gas chromatograph that $23.2{\sim}70.9{\mu}g/mL$ of DEHP was extracted. While extraction solvent was injected into PVC bags which were then placed for an hour to leach DEHP out. It was checked by a UV-vis spectrophotometer that the concentration of DEHP in extraction solvent was $24.8{\sim}41.3{\mu}g/mL$. Two results show different values according to the extraction conditions and experimental methods and the gas chromatographic results were converted into UV-vis spectroscopic results on condition that DEHP would be extracted equally per unit time and unit contact area. It was concluded that DEHP migrating amounts are approximately equal in two analytical methods.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.7-15
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• 2003

Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), is a widely used plasticizer known to be a suspected endocrine disrupter, but its exact effects on aquatic organisms are not yet known. When Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) were exposed from the time of hatching to 3 months of age to an aqueous DEHP solution at nominal concentrations of 1, 10, and 50 $\mu\textrm{g}$/l, DEHP treated female fish showed distinct reproductive effect. And the midge (Chironomus riparius.). an aquatic invertebrate, was exposed to DEHP to evaluate the effects on reproductive processes via sediment toxicity. The test endpoints included emergence, sex ratio, fecundity, and the viability of F1 offspring egg ropes. The result implied that the normal developmental and/or reproductive processes in C. riparius had been disrupted when exposed to DEHP, the effect also being displayed in the next generation. In summary, DEHP hinders the development of reproductive organs in the female Japanese medaka and C. riparius.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.89-95
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• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of endocrine interupter, Nonylphenol and DEHP on the cocoon production, the hatchability of cocoon and the number of offsprings per cocoon of Eisenia fetida. And the cocentrations of Nonylphenol and DEHP of sewage sludges in Pocheon city (Northeastern area of South Korea) were also investigated. Nonylphenol below the concentration of 100 mg $kg^{-1}$ did not reduce the cocoon production, the hatchability of cocoon and the number of offsprings per cocoon. DEHP above the concentration of 1,500 mg $kg^{-1}$ reduced the cocoon production, and DEHP over the concentration of 2,500 mg $kg^{-1}$ could reduce the hatchability. There was no Nonylphenol in sewage sludge of Pocheon city, but maximum concentration of DEHP was 1,640mg $kg^{-1}$, which could make the population of Eisenia fetida extinct gradually if sewage sludge of Pocheon was supplied to Eisenia fetida for a long time.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.96-100
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• 1997

Carcinogenicity of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate(DEHP) to the mose forestomach and its inhibitor activity for the initiation of Benzo[a]pyrene(BP)-induced mouse forestomach neoplasia were studied on the mouse forestomach carcinogenesis regimen. One hundred female ICR mice(6~7 weeks of age) were hosed in a poly-carbonate cage (4 mice/cage) in a humidity- and temperature-controlled room subjected to a semipurified diet for a week. Mice were divided into 4 treatment groups (25 mice/treatment): Basal diet, DEHP, BP, and BP+DEHP. On Monday and wednesday, 0.1ML DEHP mixed with 0.1ml olive oil (for DEHP and DEHP+BP treatment groups) or 0.1ml saline+0.1ml olive oil (for basal diet group) was intubated, p.o., and on Friday, 2mg BP dissolved in 0.2ml olive oil (for BP and BP+DEHP treatment groups) was intubated, p.o. This cycle was repeated for 4 weeks. Beginning with the first intubation of BP an continuing thereafter, body weight and food intake were recorded once and twice weekly, respectively. All surviving mice were sacrificed 22 weeks after the first dose of BP intubation and countered forestomach tumor. No tumor was formed by DEHP treatment. 5.75 tumors per mouse was formed by BP treatment, whereas its number was reduced to 4.53 by BP+DEHP treatment. Similar results were seen in the tumor incidence. Body weight gain was not affected by DEHP treatment, when compared to that b basal diet treatment. The body weight was significantly reduced by BP treatment, but its reduction was recovered to the level of the basal diet group by BP+DEHP treatment. No significant difference was seen in food intake among all treatment groups. These results indicate that DEHP lacks carcinogenic activity to the mose forestomach and rather inhibits the initiation of BP-induced mose forestomach neoplasia.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.209-212
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• 2007

To evaluate the estrogenic activities of di-ethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) and di-butyl phthalate (DBP), two phthalates known as endocrine disrupters, we used MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line. As results, DBP and DEHP had estrogenic effects. In brief, the concentration of maximal MCF-7 cell proliferation was $10^{-7}M\;and\;10^{-8}M$ for DEHP and DBP, respectively. The ratio of maximal cell yield of the test compounds to that of $17{\beta}-estradiol$ was 87.5% for DEHP and 73.4% for DBP. In summary, both DEHP and DBP had cell proliferation potencies in the MCF-7 cell. Potencies ranged from approximately 10 to 100 times less than 17beta-estradiol. DBP was stronger than DEHP in the concentration of maximal efficacy. However, DEHP was stronger than DBP in the MCF-7 cell proliferation. Results from this study suggested that DEHP and DBP may play an important role in the estrogenic activity. Therefore, it is suggested that DEHP and DBP are estrogenic.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.199-204
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• 2005

Three hundred sixty-eight samples of domestic PVC food packaging were analyzed fir DEHP(di-(2-ethyhexyl) phthalate) used in plasticizer by GC/FID and GC/MSD. The number of samples collected were 47(2000), 143(2001), 88(2002) and 89(2004) from local markets in Gyeonggi-Do. In $2000\∼2001$, DEHP was highly detected in 86 out of 190 samples and the level of DEHP were ranged from 1.3 g/kg to 82.8 g/kg. In 2002, meanwhile, DEHP was detected in 8 out ot 88 samples and the level of DEHP were shown to from 1.3 g/kg to 51.5 g/kg. In 2004, DEHP was detected in only one out of 89 samples and the amount was 30.5 g/kg. As a result of this study, it was made clear that the detection rates of DEHP in PVC food packaging were rapidly decrease every year.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.147-154
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• 2006

Phthalates such as di(2-ethyl hexyl)phthalate(DEHP) are industrial chemicals with wide-ranging human exposures because of their use in plastics and other common consumer products. Consequently, their adverse effects as endocrine disruptor in the reproductive physiology of both laboratory rodents and human have been studied extensively. The present study was undertaken to examine whether prepubertal exposure to DEHP affects on the onset of puberty and the associated reproductive parameters such as hormone receptor expressions in female rats. DEHP(100mg/kg/day) was administered daily from postnatal day 25(PND 25) through the day when the first vaginal opening(VO) was observed, and the animals were sacrificed on the next day. Gross anatomy and weight of reproductive tissues were compared to test the DEHP's effects on the cell proliferation. Furthermore, histological studies were performed to assess the structural alterations in the tissues. Specific radioimmunoassay was carried out to measure serum LH levels. To determine the transcriptional changes in progesterone receptor(PR), total RNAs were extracted and applied to the semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). As a result, delayed VO was shown in the DEHP group(PND $37.3{\pm}0.7$) compared to the control group(PND $35.3{\pm}0.7$; p<0.05). DEHP treatment significantly decreased the wet weight of ovaries and uteri compared to the control group(p<0.05). Interestingly, elevation of serum LH levels was shown in the DEHP group(p<0.05). Graafian follicles and corpora lutea were observed only in the ovaries from the control animals. Numerous primary, secondary follicles and small atretic follicles were observed in the ovaries from DEHP-treated animals. Similarly, hypotrophy of luminal and glandular uterine epithelium was found in the DEHP-treated group. These effects were probably due to the inhibitory effects of DEHP on the synthesis and secretion of estrogen from granulosa cells. In the semiquantitative RT-PCR studies, the transcriptional activities of PR in both ovary(p<0.05) and uterus(p<0.01) from DEHP-treated animals were significantly lower than those from the control animals. The present studies demonstrated that the acute exposure to DEHP during the critical period of prepubertal stage could inactivate the reproductive system resulting delayed puberty in female rats.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.3 s.108
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• pp.313-318
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• 2004

Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is a widely used plasticizer known to be a suspected xenoestrogen and a causative agent of oxidative damage to the RBC cell membrane ir vitro. We evaluated the toxic effects of a scarcely documented aquatic environmental pollutant, DEHP, on selected haematological endpoints in the bagrid catfish, Pseudobagrus fulvidraco. Bagrid catfish were exposed to DEHP (300, 1,000 mg DEHP kg body weight$^{-1}$) through thrice intraperitoneal injection and effects were assessed in blood of the exposed organisms. Haematological property, serum organic and inorganic chemistry were monitored in blood of Bagrid catfish. DEHP exposed-fish showed erythropenia; low hematocrit (Ht) and hemoglobin (Hb) content and red blood cell count showed a significantly higher than in that of the control group. The treatment group showed a significantly lower concentration of serum total protein, cholesterol and triglyceride compared with those in the control group. The value of calcium and osmolality were significantly decreased in the DEHP treatment group, compared with the control group.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.91-97
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• 2004

The objective of this study was to assess that the effects of DEHP administration on reproductive characteristics and blood hematological and chemical values in pups born after DEHP administration in pregnant mice. DEHP was administrated to pregnant mice by intraperitoneally injection with 0, 0.5, 1.0 and 10.0mg/kg B.W, 5 times at 3 days interval from Day 1 to Day 16 in the gestation period. The body weight and reproductive organ weight(testis, epididymis and coagulating gland) in male pups on 45 day after birth was not affected in all experimental groups, but vesicular gland in DEHP groups was significantly lower than that of control group(P<0.05). The semen characteristics of male pups were not affected in DEHP treatment groups. The WBC, HB, HT, MCH and albumin values in male pups were not affected in all experimental groups, but RBC MCV, MCHC, PLT and total protein values were significantly different among the experimental groups(P<0.05). In female pups, the effects of DEHP administration were not affected the body and uterus weight, but the left ovary in 10.0mg DEHP group was significantly heavier than in control and 0.5mg DEHP group(P<0.05). The WBC, MCV, MCH, MCHC, PLT, albumin, BUN and total protein values in female were not different in all experimental groups. The RBC, HB and HT values were significantly different among the experimental gruop(P<0.05). The historical evaluation of testis in male pups that were grown to 45 days after birth was not different in all experimental groups. The ovary in female pups had many corpus luteum in 10.0mg DEHP group. The endometriosisi of uterus was significantly decreased in DEHP group. There results suggest that low concentration of DEHP administration in pup born after DEHP administration in pregnant mice was not affered on reproductive characteristic, but was affected on blood hematological and chemical values.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.251-259
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• 2008

The plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate(DEHP) is one of the most well known endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) because of its strong anti-androgenic effects on the reproductive and developmental process in male rodents and human. The present study was performed to examine whether prepubertal exposure to DEHP can make any alteration during the maturation of accessory sex organs in male rats. As a result, there was no significant change in body weights, serum T levels and tissue weights except of seminal vesicle and ventral prostate in DEHP-treated animals compared to vehicle-treated ones. The seminal vesicle weights in high-dose group (200 mg/kg) were significantly lower than those from the control group (p<0.05), and ventral prostate weights were significantly lower than those from the control group (p<0.05) in both low-dose (20 mg/kg) and high-dose group. Histological studies revealed that the seminal vesicles from DEHP-treated groups showed reduced areas of mucosal folds. Pseudostratified columnar epithelia were observed in the ventral prostates of DEHP-treated samples while cuboidal epithelia were found in the control group. The transcriptional activities of ER-$\alpha$ in seminal vesicle from high-dose group (p<0.05) were significantly higher than those from the control group, and ER-$\beta$ expression was significantly decreased in low-dose group (p<0.05) compared to the control. In ventral prostate, ER-$\beta$ mRNA levels from low-dose group (p<0.05) were significantly lower than those from the control group, and significantly increased in high-dose group (p<0.01). AR expressions, however, were not significantly different in all experimental groups of both seminal vesicle and ventral prostate. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that (i) adverse effect (s) of DEHP on sexual maturation during prepubertal period could be limited, (ii) seminal vesicle and prostate gland were sensitive targets to DEHP in prepubertal rats and (iii) the deleterious effects of DEHP might be mediated through ER-associated mechanism.