AQP1 Deficiency Drives Phthalate-Induced Epithelial Barrier Disruption through Intestinal Inflammation

Abstract

Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is frequently used as a plasticizer to enhance the plasticity and durability of agricultural products, which pose adverse effects to human health and the environment. Aquaporin 1 (AQP1) is a main water transport channel protein and is involved in the maintenance of intestinal integrity. However, the impact of DEHP exposure on gut health and its potential mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we determined that DEHP exposure induced a compromised duodenum structure, which was concomitant with mitochondrial structural injury of epithelial cells. Importantly, DEHP exposure caused duodenum inflammatory epithelial cell damage and strong inflammatory response accompanied by activating the TLR4/MyD88/ NF-κB signaling pathway. Mechanistically, DEHP exposure directly inhibits the expression of AQP1 and thus leads to an inflammatory response, ultimately disrupting duodenum integrity and barrier function. Collectively, our findings uncover the role of AQP1 in phthalate-induced intestinal disorders, and AQP1 could be a promising therapeutic approach for treating patients with intestinal disorders or inflammatory diseases.

Inhibition of the p62-Nrf2-GPX4 Pathway Confers Sensitivity to Butachlor-Induced Splenic Macrophage Ferroptosis

“…Total RNA was isolated using Trizol reagent as in the previous approach. , The cDNA was produced through a reverse transcriptase kit (TransGen Biotech, Beijing, China). qRT-PCR was performed using a QuantStudio 5 Real-Time PCR System (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA).…”