A comparative study of the effects of administration of diethylhexyl phthalate on hepatic mitochondria of the rat and the mouse.
Dietary administration (2%, wt/wt) of the common plasticizer diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP)(I) [117-81-7] for 30 days increased liver wt. (40-50%) both rats and mice. Proliferation of hepatic mitochondria and depression of serum cholesterol [57-88-5] were obsd. only in rats. Inhibition of respiratory activity on administration of DEHP was obsd. in mitochondria isolated from the livers of rats and not of mice. Administration of the plasticizer increased the activity of a-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase [9075-65-4] in hepatic mitochondria of the rat (6-fold) and mouse (20%). The activity of carnitine acetyltransferase [9029-90-7] was increased in liver mitochondria of rats and mice. However, the extent of increase was more pronounced in the rat than in the mouse.