To replace harmful chemicals like phthalates (e.g., DEHP), which have been banned due to their known health risks, alternatives like diisononylcyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DINCH) are now being used. While DINCH is considered a safer alternative to phthalates and has not been linked to obesity in animal studies, recent research indicates that one of its metabolised products may stimulate the growth of fat cells and impair their function. However, the full impact of DINCH on the body in living organisms is still not well understood. A research team led by Matthias Blüher from the Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic, Obesity and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) of Helmholtz Munich and Martin von Bergen from the Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research GmbH investigated how DINCH affects fat tissue and overall body function in mice.
In this project, on which Sontje Krupka worked in her doctoral thesis, DINCH and its metabolites were found to accumule in adipose and liver tissues, even after a recovery period. Further, they invested sex-specific metabolic changes, including effects on insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism. Moreover, alterations in energy metabolism and immune response suggest a broader systemic effects of DINCH.
While DINCH is widely used as a safer alternative to DEHP, this research contributes to a better understanding of its metabolic impact, helping to inform future risk assessments. This work has been conducted and financed within the CRC 1052 “Obesity Mechanisms”.
