TBPH is a brominated flame retardant that exacerbates hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) mouse models. It disrupts phospholipid metabolism, reducing levels of cardiolipin (CL) and phosphatidylserine (PS). TBPH impairs endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria (ER-Mito) contact, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. Additionally, TBPH induces lung injury through a mitochondrial-derived ds-DNA mediated inflammatory response. It is also used to investigate the role of MFN2-mediated ER-Mito contact in lipid metabolism homeostasis.
