Concentrations of bisphenol A and its associations with urinary albumin creatinine ratios across the various stages of renal function

Sexual dimorphism association of combined exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOC) with kidney damage

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological evidence emphasizes air pollutants' role in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) contribute to air pollution, yet research on VOCs and kidney damage, especially gender disparities, is limited.

METHODS

This study analyzed NHANES data to explore associations between urinary VOC metabolite mixtures (VOCMs) and key kidney-related parameters: estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and albuminuria. Mediation analyses assessed the potential mediating roles of biological aging (BA) and serum albumin in VOCM mixtures' effects on kidney damage. Sensitivity analyses were also conducted.

RESULTS

The mixture analysis unveiled a noteworthy positive association between VOCM mixtures and the risk of developing CKD, coupled with a significant negative correlation with eGFR within the overall participant cohort. These findings remained consistent when examining the female subgroup. However, among male participants, no significant link emerged between VOCM mixtures and CKD or eGFR. Furthermore, in both the overall and female participant groups, there was an absence of a significant correlation between VOCM mixtures and either ACR or albuminuria. On the other hand, in male participants, while no significant correlation was detected with albuminuria, a significant positive correlation was observed with ACR. Pollutant analysis identified potential links between kidney damage and 1,3-butadiene, toluene, ethylbenzene, styrene, xylene, acrolein, crotonaldehyde and propylene oxide. Mediation analyses suggested that BA might partially mediate the relationship between VOCM mixtures and kidney damage.

CONCLUSION

The current findings highlight the widespread exposure to VOCs among the general U.S. adult population and indicate a potential correlation between exposure to VOC mixtures and compromised renal function parameters, with notable gender disparities. Females appear to exhibit greater sensitivity to impaired renal function resulting from VOCs exposure. Anti-aging treatments may offer some mitigation against kidney damage due to VOCs exposure.

Bisphenol A (BPA) and Cardiovascular or Cardiometabolic Diseases

Bisphenol A (BPA; 4,4'-isopropylidenediphenol) is a well-known endocrine disruptor. Most human exposure to BPA occurs through the consumption of BPA-contaminated foods. Cardiovascular or cardiometabolic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, acute kidney disease, chronic kidney disease, and heart failure are the leading causes of death worldwide. Positive associations have been reported between blood or urinary BPA levels and cardiovascular or cardiometabolic diseases. BPA also induces disorders or dysfunctions in the tissues associated with these diseases through various cell signaling pathways. This review highlights the literature elucidating the relationship between BPA and various cardiovascular or cardiometabolic diseases and the potential mechanisms underlying BPA-mediated disorders or dysfunctions in tissues such as blood vessels, skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, liver, pancreas, kidney, and heart that are associated with these diseases.

Toxic ties: Unraveling the complex relationship between endocrine disrupting chemicals and chronic kidney disease

Environmental pollution is inherently linked to several metabolic diseases and high mortality. The kidney is more susceptible to environmental pollutants compared to other organs as it is involved in concentrating and filtering most of these toxins. Few epidemiological studies revealed the intrinsic relationship between exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) and CKD development. Though EDCs have the potential to cause severe pathologies, the specific molecular mechanisms by which they accelerate the progression of CKD remain elusive. In particular, our understanding of how pollutants affect the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) through the gut-kidney axis is currently limited. EDCs modulate the composition and function of the gut microbial community and favor the colonization of harmful gut pathogens. This alteration leads to an overproduction of uremic toxin and membrane vesicles. These vesicles carry several inflammatory molecules that exacerbate inflammation and renal tissue damage and aggravate the progression of CKD. Several experimental studies have revealed potential pathways by which uremic toxin further aggravates CKD. These include the induction of membrane vesicle production in host cells, which can trigger inflammatory pathways and insulin resistance. Reciprocally, CKD can also modulate gut bacterial composition that might further aggravate CKD condition. Thus, EDCs pose a significant threat to kidney health and the global CKD burden. Understanding this complicated issue necessitates multidisciplinary initiatives such as strict environmental controls, public awareness, and the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting EDCs.

Increased levels of IL-17 and autoantibodies following Bisphenol A exposure were associated with activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and abnormal autophagy in MRL/lpr mice

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a common environmental endocrine disruptor which mimic the effect of estrogen. The immunotoxicity of BPA has attracted widespread attention in recent years. However, the effects and mechanism of BPA on autoimmune disease were rarely reported. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a typical autoimmune disease, and its etiology and mechanism are complex and unclear. Currently, inflammation and the production of autoantibodies are considered to be important pathological mechanisms of SLE, and estrogen contributes to the occurrence and development of SLE. Therefore, in order to explore whether BPA exposure can affect the development of SLE and its possible mechanism, we used MRL/lpr (lupus-prone mice) and C57/BL6 female mice exposed to 0.1 and 0.2 µg/mL BPA for 6 weeks. We discovered that BPA exposure increased the concentration of serum anti-dsDNA antibody and IL-17, and the level of RORγt protein (the transcription factor of Th17 cells). Moreover, there were higher expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT, p-mTOR, ULK, Rubicon, P62, Becline1 and LC3 protein in spleen tissue of BPA exposed MRL/lpr mice compared with the control. However, there were no significant changes in the expression of IL-17, RORγt or mTOR in C57 mice exposed to BPA at the same dose. Our study implied that BPA exposure induced the development of SLE, which might be related to the up-regulation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and abnormal autophagy. Our study indicated that lupus mice were more susceptible to BPA, and provided a new insight into the mechanism by which BPA exacerbated SLE. Therefore, our study suggested that autoimmune patients and susceptible population should be considered when setting thresholds for environmental BPA exposure.

The Relationship between Typical Environmental Endocrine Disruptors and Kidney Disease

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are exogenous substances that alter the endocrine function of an organism, to result in adverse effects on growth and development, metabolism, and reproductive function. The kidney is one of the most important organs in the urinary system and an accumulation point. Studies have shown that EDCs can cause proteinuria, affect glomeruli and renal tubules, and even lead to diabetes and renal fibrosis in animal and human studies. In this review, we discuss renal accumulation of select EDCs such as dioxins, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), bisphenol A (BPA), and phthalates, and delineate how exposures to such EDCs cause renal lesions and diseases, including cancer. The regulation of typical EDCs with specific target genes and the activation of related pathways are summarized.

Exposure to phthalates and environmental phenols in association with chronic kidney disease (CKD) among the general US population participating in multi-cycle NHANES (2005-2016)

Exposure to consumer chemicals has been associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) among humans, but their associations with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) are inconsistent. Such observations may be due to potential bias caused by the method of urine dilution adjustment and lack of consideration for multiple chemical exposure in the association models. This study aimed to identify major urinary chemicals associated with CKD by applying an alternative adjustment method of urine dilution ('novel' covariate-adjusted creatinine adjustment vs 'traditional' creatinine adjustment) and with a mixture exposure concept in the association model. For this purpose, the adult participants of US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2016 (n = 9008) were used, and the associations of urinary exposure biomarkers of major consumer chemicals, e.g., phthalates, bisphenol A, benzophenone-3, and parabens, with CKD related parameters of eGFR and albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), were assessed. The use of the novel covariate-adjusted creatinine standardization resulted in significant inverse associations with eGFR for most measured chemicals, unlike the results with the use of the conventional creatinine adjustment. Phthalate metabolites, such as monobutyl phthalate (MBP) and mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP), were positively associated with ACR. Even in mixture exposure models using weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, MBzP, metabolites of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and bisphenol A (BPA) were revealed as major drivers of the association with eGFR or ACR. Results of sensitivity analyses with the subpopulation with normal eGFR range (n = 7041) were generally similar. Our observation suggests that exposure to benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), DEHP, and BPA may be responsible for declined eGFR and increased ACR even at the exposure levels occurring among general adults.

Bisphenol a Exposure and Kidney Diseases: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and NHANES 03-16 Study

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a compound that is especially widespread in most commonly used objects due to its multiple uses in the plastic industry. However, several data support the need to restrict its use. In recent years, new implications of BPA on the renal system have been discovered, which denotes the need to expand studies in patients. To this end, a systematic review and a meta-analysis was performed to explore existing literature that examines the BPA-kidney disease paradigm and to determine what and how future studies will need to be carried out. Our systematic review revealed that only few relevant publications have focused on the problem. However, the subsequent meta-analysis revealed that high blood concentrations of BPA could be a factor in developing kidney disease, at least in people with previous pathologies such as diabetes or hypertension. Furthermore, BPA could also represent a risk factor in healthy people whose urinary excretion is higher. Finally, the data analyzed from the NHANES 03-16 cohort provided new evidence on the possible involvement of BPA in kidney disease. Therefore, our results underline the need to carry out a thorough and methodologically homogeneous study, delving into the relationship between urinary and blood BPA, glomerular filtration rate, and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio, preferably in population groups at risk, and subsequently in the general population, to solve this relevant conundrum with critical potential implications in Public Health.