Pulmonary toxicity induced by exposure to phthalates, an experimental study

Background: A plasticizer product, di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), is widely used in many consumer products, such as food packages, personal care products, children` toys, and medical devices. Phthalates are known to be released into the biological fluids and redistributed into various tissues linked with multiple health problems. Aim: We aimed to study the possible toxic effect of phthalate exposure on the lung tissues. Methods: Thirty male Wister rats were randomly divided into three groups equally, received the following for two weeks once daily via gastric intubation: control group; received normal saline. The DEHP treated group received 2,85mg/kg per BW of DEHP dissolved in normal saline. The DEHP recovery group, received the same as the treated group, followed by two weeks without any treatment. For light microscopic study; the lung tissues were dissected, cut into small pieces, processed, embedded in paraffin wax, sectioned and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin as well as Masson trichrome stains. For electron microscopic study; the lung tissues were fixed in glutaraldehyde, processed, embedded in epoxy, cut into ultrathin sections, and stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. Results: Compared to the control group, the alveolar tissues in the treated group showed a significant increase in collagen deposition and inflammatory cellular infiltration. The number of type-II pneumocytes and alveolar macrophages/field were also significantly increased. However, these pathological changes improved slightly after stopping exposure to DEHP. Conclusion: DEHP has a toxic effect on the lung tissues, which after its withdrawal did not improve completely.