Hypotension and Cardiac Arrest in Rats after Infusion of Mono(2-Ethylhexyl)phthalate (MEHP), a Contaminant of Stored Blood

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Abstract
To the Editor: Most medical devices used in blood storage and transfusion are manufactured with polyvinyl chloride containing the plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP).1 During exposure of blood to the plastic surface, the DEHP leaches into the plasma, where it is converted to mono(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (MEHP) by a plasma enzyme.2 3 4 Hepatocellular carcinoma5 , 6 and testicular atrophy7 , 8 are the long-term toxic effects of DEHP and MEHP observed in rats and mice. The most direct and concentrated human exposure to MEHP is through transfusion of blood components that have been collected and stored in plastic bags. Therefore, we have examined the acute toxic effects of MEHP . . .