Can tertiary-butyl hydroperoxide cause cardiovascular disease?

Abstract

Long term exposure to tertiary-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP: initiator of oxidation) in the manufacturing of polyester resin coatings might be a cardiovascular risk for workers. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of TBHP in the serum of rats by assessing the lipid profile and lipid oxidation as biomarkers of cardiovascular disease. Male Wistar rats (n = 6) aged 10 to 12 weeks were randomly placed in two groups (control and treatment) and fed ad lib with standard rat chow and water. Rats in the control group received an intraperitoneal injection of saline while the treatment group received TBHP (20 µM, 70% aqueous, Sigma Chemical Co, South Africa). Six rats were included in each group and injections (0.5 ml) were administered on 5 consecutive days per week for a period of 8 weeks. Cardiovascular biomarkers in the serum was determined by measuring the total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides (TG) and C-reactive protein (CRP), while the lipid peroxidation in serum was determined by the conjugated diene (CD) measurement, lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) and by thiobarbituric acid resistance substance (TBARS) assay. The serum of rats injected with 20 µM TBHP had significantly increased the levels of cardiovascular biomarkers and lipid peroxidation. The findings of the study indicate that TBHP injection in rats may increase the susceptibility of the serum to lipid peroxidation which could lead to cardiovascular disease.