Mitochondrial dysfunction due to in vitro exposure to atrazine and its metabolite in striatum

Lycopene Protects against Atrazine-Induced Kidney STING-Dependent PANoptosis through Stabilizing mtDNA via Interaction with Sam50/PHB1

Atrazine (ATR) is a widely used herbicide worldwide that can cause kidney damage in humans and animals by accumulation in water and soil. Lycopene (LYC), a carotenoid with numerous biological activities, plays an important role in kidney protection due to its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The current study sought to investigate the role of interactions between mtDNA and the cGAS-STING signaling pathway in LYC mitigating PANoptosis and inflammation in kidneys induced by ATR exposure. In our research, 350 mice were orally administered LYC (5 mg/kg BW/day) and ATR (50 or 200 mg/kg BW/day) for 21 days. Our results reveal that ATR exposure induces a decrease in mtDNA stability, resulting in the release of mtDNA into the cytoplasm through the mPTP pore and the BAX pore and the mobilization of the cGAS-STING pathway, thereby inducing renal PANoptosis and inflammation. LYC can inhibit the above changes caused by ATR. In conclusion, LYC inhibited ATR exposure-induced histopathological changes, renal PANoptosis, and inflammation by inhibiting the cGAS-STING pathway. Our results demonstrate the positive role of LYC in ATR-induced renal injury and provide a new therapeutic target for treating renal diseases in the clinic.

Developmental regulation of cellular metabolism is required for intestinal elongation and rotation

Malrotation of the intestine is a prevalent birth anomaly, the etiology of which remains poorly understood. Here, we show that late-stage exposure of Xenopus embryos to atrazine, a widely used herbicide that targets electron transport chain (ETC) reactions, elicits intestinal malrotation at high frequency. Interestingly, atrazine specifically inhibits the cellular morphogenetic events required for gut tube elongation, including cell rearrangement, differentiation and proliferation; insufficient gut lengthening consequently reorients the direction of intestine rotation. Transcriptome analyses of atrazine-exposed intestines reveal misexpression of genes associated with glycolysis and oxidative stress, and metabolomics shows that atrazine depletes key glycolytic and tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolites. Moreover, cellular bioenergetics assays indicate that atrazine blocks a crucial developmental transition from glycolytic ATP production toward oxidative phosphorylation. Atrazine-induced defects are phenocopied by rotenone, a known ETC Complex I inhibitor, accompanied by elevated reactive oxygen species, and rescued by antioxidant supplementation, suggesting that malrotation may be at least partly attributable to redox imbalance. These studies reveal roles for metabolism in gut morphogenesis and implicate defective gut tube elongation and/or metabolic perturbations in the etiology of intestinal malrotation.

ATR induces hepatic lipid metabolism disorder in rats by activating IRE1α/XBP1 signaling pathway

Atrazine (ATR) is a widely used herbicide and due to its persistence in environment and bioaccumulation, it can cause harmful impacts on human health. ATR exposure can lead to disorders of lipid metabolism in the liver, but its underlying mechanism is still unclear. 40 eight-week-old rats were given different doses of ATR (0, 0.5, 5 and 50 mg/kg/d) for 90 days. The liver tissue and serum were collected for histological observation and biochemical analysis. The levels of lipid and oxidative stress were assessed using colorimetry. Changes in MMP and ROS of liver cells were observed through flow cytometry. The expression of mRNA and protein was detected using Real-Time PCR and western blot. The results showed that TC and HDL-C levels in both the liver and serum were increased in the ATR-treated groups. The levels of MDA were accumulated, while the levels of SOD and GSH were depleted in the liver with ATR exposure. The expression of liver lipid metabolism related genes (SCD1, DGAT2, ACC1, PPARγ) was elevated. The liver ERS was activated and the gene expression of IRE1α/XBP1 signal pathway and GRP78, GRP94 in the liver was increased. There was a correlation between the levels of ERS and the levels of lipid metabolism. These results suggested that ATR can activate ERS and promote the expression of IRE1α/XBP1 signaling pathway, and further lead to lipid metabolism disorders in rat liver. This study can provide valuable insights as a reference for the prevention and control of hazards associated with agricultural residues.

Bioinformatics analysis of the potential mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease induced by exposure to combined triazine herbicides

BACKGROUND

The development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is promoted by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Notably, combined exposure to triazine herbicides atrazine (ATR), simazine (SIM), and propazine (PRO) may promote the development of AD, but the mechanism is unknown.

AIM

To study the molecular mechanism of AD induced by triazine herbicides.

METHODS

Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of AD patients and controls were identified. The intersectional targets of ATR, SIM, and PRO for possible associations with AD were screened through network pharmacology and used for gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. The binding potentials between the core targets and herbicides were validated by molecular docking and molecular dynamics.

RESULTS

A total of 1,062 DEGs were screened between the AD patients and controls, which identified 148 intersectional targets of herbicides causing AD that were screened by network pharmacology analysis. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that cell cycling and cellular senescence were important signalling pathways. Finally, the core targets EGFR, FN1, and TYMS were screened and validated by molecular docking and molecular dynamics.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that combined exposure to triazine herbicides might promote the development of AD, thereby providing new insights for the prevention of AD.