Elucidating the mechanism of dibutyl phthalate on Alzheimer's disease through network toxicology, molecular docking and validation in mouse neuroblastoma cells

Abstract

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), a widely used plasticizer, has been suggested to be neurotoxic. We aim to explore possible molecular mechanisms of DBP on Alzheimer's disease (AD) using a combined approach of network toxicology, molecular docking and experimental validations. We retrieved targets of DBP from ChEMBL and STITCH databases, while obtaining AD-related targets from GeneCards and OMIM databases. We identified 193 overlapping targets, and highlighted 13 core targets by protein-protein interaction analysis. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses revealed that these targets are mainly enriched in neuroinflammation, synaptic signaling, and metabolic pathways. Molecular docking showed strong binding affinities for AD-related proteins, including translocator protein (TSPO), transcription factor c-Jun (JUN), estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (CDKN1A), and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2). In validation, we exposed DBP (0-200 μM) to N2a mouse neuroblastoma cells for 48 h. Western-blot demonstrated significant upregulation of TSPO, JUN, CDKN1A, and PTGS2, while ESR1 showed an upward trend without statistical significance. In conclusion, DBP may contribute to AD development by affecting AD targets expression (TSPO, JUN, CDKN1A, and PTGS2) and modulating pathways associated with neuroinflammation and synaptic function, providing mechanistic insights on how environmental toxicants may influence neurodegenerative processes.

Keywords: CDKN1A; JUN; Neurotoxicity; PTGS2; Phthalate plasticizers; TSPO.