J Biomed Transl Res.  2023 Sep;24(3):67-82. 10.12729/jbtr.2023.24.3.67.

Effect of inhaled 1,2-dichlorobenzene on cytochrome P450s and lipid peroxidation in B6C3F1 mice

• Cho ES
• Kim YS
• Choi Hy
• Rim KT

• KMID: 2549242
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12729/jbtr.2023.24.3.67

Abstract

1,2-Dichlorobenzene (1,2-DCB) is in various industries as solvents in herbicides, pesticides, and wax, and as degreasers or in the production of dyes. Studies on the hazards and risks of 1,2-DCB showed that this substance can cause skin corrosion, skin irritability, respiratory irritability, and certain target organ toxicity. Industrial workers are exposed to 1,2-DCB by inhalation or skin exposure and there is a lack of information on human hazards even though they can be exposed to organic compounds such as benzene or other DCB complexes rath-er than a single substance. In this study, we investigated the specific organ toxicity of 1,2-DCB and sex differences using whole-body inhalation in laboratory mice. Male and female mice were exposed to 0–120 ppm of the test substance for 13 weeks. After euthanization, the organs were collected, histopathological assessments and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed, and lipid peroxidation was analyzed. Macro and microscopic lesions were observed in the livers of male mice exposed to the test substance, and microscopic alterations were observed in the nasal cavities of male and female mice. IHC analysis of the liver confirmed a greater increase in cytochrome P450 induction in males than in female mice, and malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal were increased in both sexes by 1,2-DCB in-halation. Based on the relevant literature and experimental results, 1,2-DCB is believed to cause specific organ toxicity in the livers of male mice and the nasal cavities of both sexes of mice, which is supposed to be related to sex differences in cytochrome P450 induction and changes in lipid and oxidative products associated with the early metabolites of the test substance.

Keyword

1,2-dichlorobenzene; inhalation toxicity; liver toxicity; B6C3F1; cytochrome P-450 enzyme system