The role of Lactobacillus in dibutyl phthalate-induced gut and liver injury: Probiotic intervention and multi-omics evidence.

Shi-Xia Huo, Bing Li, Jian Du, Zhiming Cao

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf

Mar 31, 2026

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), a widespread environmental contaminant, induces hepatotoxicity. While the gut-liver axis is implicated, the specific role of gut microbiota, particularly key beneficial genera, remains obscure. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to elucidate whether Lactobacillus depletion is a central event in DBP-induced gut-liver axis disruption and to evaluate the therapeutic potential of probiotic intervention. METHODS: Mice were exposed to DBP (0, 50, 100, 200 mg/kg/day) for 28 days. An intervention group received DBP (100 mg/kg/day) co-administered with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG, 1 ×10CFU/day). Systemic toxicity was assessed via serum biochemistry and histopathology. Gut barrier integrity, oxidative stress, and inflammation were evaluated in the ileum and liver. Multi-omics analyses, including 16S rDNA sequencing of ileal microbiota, liver transcriptomics, and serum metabolomics, were integrated to uncover mechanistic links. RESULTS: DBP exposure induced dose-dependent hepatotoxicity (steatosis, elevated ALT/AST, oxidative stress, inflammation) and ileal injury (barrier disruption, dysbiosis). Crucially, DBP specifically and significantly depleted ileal Lactobacillus. Multi-omics integration revealed that Lactobacillus depletion was strongly correlated with disrupted sphingolipid metabolism, a pathway concurrently altered in the serum metabolome and liver transcriptome. Intervention with LGG significantly ameliorated both intestinal barrier dysfunction (restored tight junctions, reduced permeability) and hepatic injury (attenuated steatosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation). CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that DBP-induced hepatotoxicity is mediated, in part, through the specific depletion of intestinal Lactobacillus, leading to gut barrier failure and systemic metabolic disturbances, notably in sphingolipid signaling. Probiotic supplementation with LGG effectively counteracts these defects. This study identifies Lactobacillus as a critical target of DBP and highlights microbiota-directed strategies as a promising avenue for mitigating phthalate toxicity.