Objective: To investigate the oxidative damage of mice induced by diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP) and the mechanism of free radical oxidative damage caused by DiBP.
Methods: Sixty KunMing mice were divided by weight into 5 groups after accommodation to the experimental animal room for 3 days. The control group and 4 DiBP groups, group I, II, III and IV, were given DiBP in corn oil by gavages at the dosage of 0, 50, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg respectively. The mice were fed with normal diets and drinking water freely for 8 weeks. By the end of the experiment, the comet assay of blood and SOD, GSH-Px, MDA and 8-OHdG of liver were tested.
Results: The activities of SOD and GSH-Px in DiBP groups were significantly lower than the control group (P < 0.05); the MDA contents of DiBP group III and group IV were significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.05) and the 8-OHdG content of group II was significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.01). The comet assay showed that the oxidative damage of DNA in DiBP groups was significant in comparison with the control group (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Oxidative stress induced by diisobutyl phthalate can decrease the activities of antioxidative enzymes and result in oxidative damage of tissues.