The in vitro serum protein-binding characteristics of bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and its principal metabolite, mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate.

The metabolism and toxicity of the ubiquitous plasticizer, bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and its principal metabolite, mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), have been extensively investigated. In an attempt to understand their disposition in man, we studied the in vitro serum protein-binding characteristics of these compounds, using ultracentrifugation and agarose gel electrophoresis. The association of DEHP and lipoproteins was shown to be highly dependent upon, and proportional to, the lipid concentration of the serum. It appears that more than half of the serum DEHP is bound to proteins with density greater than 1.21 g/mL when the concentration of cholesterol is below 300 mg/dL or the cholesterol and triglyceride total concentration is less than 600 mg/dL. As the cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations increase, the percent DEHP bound to VLDL, IDL, and LDL increases. MEHP is bound principally to nonlipoprotein constituents in the serum, and this binding distribution is unaffected by lipid concentration. The percent binding of DEHP and MEHP to individual proteins was also found to be unaffected by their concentrations in serum. These data indicate that the protein-binding characteristics of these compounds, in vitro, is somewhat more complex than previously reported.