Background Numerous epidemiological findings have shown that di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP), one of industrial plasticizers with endocrine-disrupting properties, positively contributes to high incidence of obesity. However, potential pathogenesis of dietary DEHP exposure-induced obesity remains largely unknown. Methods Chronic DEHP exposure at different doses (0.05 and 5 mg/kg body weight) to mice had been continuously lasted for 14 weeks through the diet. A combination of targeted quantitative metabolomics (LC/GC-MS) with global 1H NMR-based metabolic profiling to explore the effects of dietary DEHP exposure with different doses on host lipid metabolism of mice. Metagenomics (16S rRNA gene sequencing) was also employed to examine the alterations of gut microbiota composition in the cecal contents of mice after dietary DEHP exposure. Results Dietary exposure to DEHP at both doses induced weight gain and hepatic lipogenesis of mice by promoting the uptake of fatty acids and disrupting phospholipids and choline metabolism. Dietary DEHP exposure altered the gut microbiota community with disruption of intestinal morphology and reduction of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio in the cecal contents of mice. Furthermore, DEHP exposure activated gut microbiota fermentation process producing excess short chain fatty acids of mice. Conclusion These findings provide systematic evidence that long-term chronic DEHP exposure induces obesity through disruption of host lipid metabolism and gut microbiota in mice, which not only confirm the epidemiological results, but also expand our understanding of metabolic diseases caused by environmental pollutants exposure.
