Nonylphenol ethoxylate plastic additives inhibit mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I.

摘要

To the Editor:The first and major entry point of electrons into the mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) occurs through NADH-coenzyme Q reduc-tase (complex I). Decreased complex I activity is associated with a wide range of conditions, including inherited mitochondrial diseases and neu-rodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson disease (1-2). More than 60 natural and commercial compounds are reported to inhibit complex I activity, among them certain pesticides, agrochemicals, and MPTP (l-methyl-4-phenyl-l,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine), a neurotoxin that induces parkinsonism in humans; thus, exposure to these compounds may be harmful (3). We report here that nonylphenol ethoxylate (NP) surfactants leach from disposable laboratory plastic-ware and inhibit mitochondrial complex I.