Hepatic mixed function oxidases and cytochrome P-450 contents in rat pups exposed to di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate through mother's milk.

Effects of di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) on the detoxification mechanisms of xenobiotics were investigated in neonatal rat pups of mothers receiving 2000 mg phthalate/kg daily from day 1 of birth. The nursing rat pups of mothers exposed to DEHP showed decreases in body weight gain and activities of aniline hydroxylase, ethylmorphine N-demethylase, and arylhydrocarbon hydroxylase and decreased levels of cytochrome P-450 at 21 days of age. Significant quantities of DEHP were also detected in the liver of pups in this interval. These results suggest that the livers of developing animals could be affected by the lactational transfer of DEHP, a commonly used plasticizer.