title: The commonly used nonionic surfactant Span 80 has RXRα transactivation activity, which likely increases the obesogenic potential of oil dispersants and food emulsifiers.
abstract: Obesity has reached pandemic proportions, and there is mounting evidence that environmental exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals known as "obesogens" may contribute to obesity and associated medical conditions. The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill resulted in a massive environmental release of crude oil and remediation efforts applied large quantities of Corexit dispersants to the oil spill. The Corexit-enhanced Water Accommodated Fraction (CWAF) of DWH crude oil contains PPARγ transactivation activity, which is attributed to dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DOSS), a probable obesogen. In addition to its use in oil dispersants, DOSS is commonly used as a stool softener and food additive. Because PPARγ functions as a heterodimer with RXRα to transcriptionally regulate adipogenesis we investigated the potential of CWAF to transactivate RXRα and herein demonstrated that the Corexit component Span 80 has RXRα transactivation activity. Span 80 bound to RXRα in the low micromolar range and promoted adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Further, the combination of DOSS and Span 80 increased 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation substantially more than treatment with either chemical individually, likely increasing the obesogenic potential of Corexit dispersants. From a public health standpoint, the use of DOSS and Span 80 as food additives heightens concerns regarding their use and mandates further investigations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Bowers
authors.affiliation: Marine Biomedical Sciences Program, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Alexis M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Temkin
authors.affiliation: Marine Biomedical Sciences Program, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Louis J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Guillette
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Baatz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Marine Biomedical Sciences Program, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. Electronic address: spyropdd@musc.edu.
authors.forename: Demetri D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Spyropoulos
mesh_terms: D041721:3T3-L1 Cells; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D004143:Dioctyl Sulfosuccinic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D045703:Emulsifying Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005502:Food; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006601:Hexoses / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009765:Obesity / Q000473:pathology*; D019301:Oleic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000235:genetics; D010578:Petroleum; D059392:Petroleum Pollution; D047490:Retinoid X Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D045703:Emulsifying Agents; D006601:Hexoses; D047495:PPAR gamma; D010578:Petroleum; D047490:Retinoid X Receptor alpha; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; C018665:sorbitan monooleate; D004143:Dioctyl Sulfosuccinic Acid; D019301:Oleic Acid
keywords: Adipogenesis; Endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC); Obesity; Obesogen; Peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ); Retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRα); Span 80