Maternal Disononyl Phthalate Exposure Activates Allergic Airway Inflammation via Stimulating the Phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt Pathway in Rat Pups

Objective To evaluate the effect of diisononyl phthalate(DINP) exposure during gestation and lactation on allergic response in pups and to explore the role of phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathway on it. Methods Female Wistar rats were treated with DINP at different dosages(0, 5, 50, and 500 mg/kg of body weight per day). The pups were sensitized and challenged by ovalbumin(OVA). The airway response was assessed; the airway histological studies were performed by hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining; and the relative cytokines in phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)/Akt pathway were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) and western blot analysis. Results There was no significant difference in DINP’s effect on airway hyperresponsiveness(AHR) between male pups and female pups. In the 50 mg/(kg·d) DINP-treated group, airway response to OVA significantly increased and pups showed dramatically enhanced pulmonary resistance(RI) compared with those from controls(P<0.05). Enhanced Akt phosphorylation and NF-κB translocation, and Th2 cytokines expression were observed in pups of 50 mg/(kg·d) DINP-treated group. However, in the 5 and 500 mg/(kg·d) DINP-treated pups, no significant effects were observed. Conclusion There was an adjuvant effect of DINP on allergic airway inflammation in pups. Maternal DINP exposure could promote OVA-induced allergic airway response in pups in part by upregulation of PI3K/Akt pathway.