Mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP) promoted lipid accumulation via JAK2/STAT5 and aggravated oxidative stress in BRL-3A cells

Mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), as the major metabolite of Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), can induce lipid accumulation in hepatocytes and further leads to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), while the underlying mechanism is unclear. We aim to clarify the effects of JAK2/STAT5 pathway on lipid accumulation induced by MEHP and the role of oxidation stress in NAFLD. BRL-3A hepatocytes were exposed to MEHP (0, 10, 50, 100 and 200 pM) for 24 h and 48 h. Then the lipid droplets in cells were observed by Oil-Red-O staining and quantified by isopropyl alcohol. The levels of TG, SOD, TBARS, AST and ALT were all detected by commercial kits. RT-PCR was used to detect mRNA expression, and western blotting was used to detect the expression of proteins encoded by JAK2/STAT5 pathway genes and lipid metabolism-related genes. As a result, MEHP promoted the lipid synthesis and accumulation in BRL-3A cells. MEHP down-regulated the expression and inhibited the activation of JAK2/STAT5. Moreover, the lipid metabolism-related kinases levels were elevated after MEHP exposure. In addition, the SOD levels were gradually decreased and the TBARS levels were increased in MEHPtreated groups. The lipid metabolism-related proteins levels were correlated with the oxidation stress levels. Furthermore, the ALT and AST levels were elevated after MEHP exposure. Therefore, we concluded that MEHP led to lipid accumulation through inhibiting JAK2/STAT5 pathway, resulted in damaging liver parenchyma and NAFLD by aggravating oxidation stress.