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Wei Y, Zhou YF, Xiao L, Qin J, Cheng H, Cai H, Chen X, Zou Y, Yang L, Zhang H, Zhang Z, Yang X. Associations of Heavy Metals with Cognitive Function: An Epigenome-Wide View of DNA Methylation and Mediation Analysis. Ann Neurol 2024; 96:87-98. [PMID: 38661228 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Exposure to heavy metals has been reported to be associated with impaired cognitive function, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This pilot study aimed to identify key heavy metal elements associated with cognitive function and further explore the potential mediating role of metal-related DNA methylation. METHODS Blood levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead, copper, manganese, and zinc and genome-wide DNA methylations were separately detected in peripheral blood in 155 older adults. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator penalized regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression were used to identify metals associated with cognitive function. An epigenome-wide association study examined the DNA methylation profile of the identified metal, and mediation analysis investigated its mediating role. RESULTS The MMSE scores showed a significant decrease of 1.61 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.64, -0.59) with each 1 standard deviation increase in ln-transformed arsenic level; this association was significant in multiple-metal models and dominated the overall negative effect of 6 heavy metal mixture on cognitive function. Seventy-three differentially methylated positions were associated with blood arsenic (p < 1.0 × 10-5). The methylation levels at cg05226051 (annotated to TDRD3) and cg18886932 (annotated to GAL3ST3) mediated 24.8% and 25.5% of the association between blood arsenic and cognitive function, respectively (all p < 0.05). INTERPRETATION Blood arsenic levels displayed a negative association with the cognitive function of older adults. This finding shows that arsenic-related DNA methylation alterations are critical partial mediators that may serve as potential biomarkers for further mechanism-related studies. ANN NEUROL 2024;96:87-98.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wei
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Yan-Feng Zhou
- Department of Social Medicine, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Lili Xiao
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Jian Qin
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Hong Cheng
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Haiqing Cai
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Xing Chen
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Yunfeng Zou
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Li Yang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Haiying Zhang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Zhiyong Zhang
- Department of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Exposomics and Entire Lifecycle Heath Research, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Xiaobo Yang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
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Duan L, Su L, He X, Du Y, Duan Y, Xu N, Wu R, Zhu Y, Shao R, Unverzagt FW, Hake AM, Jin Y, Gao S. Multi-element Exposure and Cognitive Function in Rural Elderly Chinese. Biol Trace Elem Res 2024; 202:1401-1410. [PMID: 37715918 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-023-03774-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
To investigate the relationship between selenium (Se) based multi-element combined exposure and cognitive function in rural elderly individuals, a cross-sectional study was conducted. The study involved 416 older adults aged 60 and above, residing in four different areas of Enshi county, China, with varying soil Se levels. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was employed to measure the concentrations of Se, copper (Cu), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), and lead (Pb) in whole blood. Nine standard cognitive tests were applied to assess cognitive function. Analysis of the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression (LASSO), covariance (ANCOVA), and generalized linear model (GLM) were utilized to investigate the relationship between element exposure and cognitive function. The results of LASSO revealed that Se, Cu, Fe, Zn, Ca, and Pb were independently identified to be associated with cognition. Both ANCOVA and GLM demonstrated that Se and Ca were correlated with cognitive function. The multi-element model showed higher composite Z scores of 0.32 (95% CI: 0.09 to 0.55) for log-transformed Se (P = 0.007), 0.75 (95% CI: 0.01 to 1.49) for log-transformed Cu (P = 0.048), and a lower score of - 0.67 (95% CI: - 1.26 to - 0.08) for log-transformed Ca (P = 0.025). Furthermore, there was evidence that Se could counteract the negative impact of Ca on cognitive function (P for interaction = 0.031). Our findings suggested that higher levels of Se and Cu were associated with better cognitive function in the elderly and Se can counteract the cognitive damage caused by Ca.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidan Duan
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100050, China
- Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, 410000, China
| | - Liqin Su
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100050, China.
| | - Xiaohong He
- Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Enshi, 445000, China
| | - Yegang Du
- Shenzhen Academy of Metrology & Quality Inspection, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Yanying Duan
- Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, 410000, China
| | - Ning Xu
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Rangpeng Wu
- Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Enshi, 445000, China
| | - Yunfeng Zhu
- Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Enshi, 445000, China
| | - Ranqi Shao
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Frederick W Unverzagt
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Ann M Hake
- Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Yinlong Jin
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Sujuan Gao
- Department of Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
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Schrenk D, Bignami M, Bodin L, Chipman JK, del Mazo J, Grasl‐Kraupp B, Hogstrand C, Hoogenboom L(R, Leblanc J, Nebbia CS, Nielsen E, Ntzani E, Petersen A, Sand S, Vleminckx C, Wallace H, Barregård L, Benford D, Broberg K, Dogliotti E, Fletcher T, Rylander L, Abrahantes JC, Gómez Ruiz JÁ, Steinkellner H, Tauriainen T, Schwerdtle T. Update of the risk assessment of inorganic arsenic in food. EFSA J 2024; 22:e8488. [PMID: 38239496 PMCID: PMC10794945 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The European Commission asked EFSA to update its 2009 risk assessment on arsenic in food carrying out a hazard assessment of inorganic arsenic (iAs) and using the revised exposure assessment issued by EFSA in 2021. Epidemiological studies show that the chronic intake of iAs via diet and/or drinking water is associated with increased risk of several adverse outcomes including cancers of the skin, bladder and lung. The CONTAM Panel used the benchmark dose lower confidence limit based on a benchmark response (BMR) of 5% (relative increase of the background incidence after adjustment for confounders, BMDL05) of 0.06 μg iAs/kg bw per day obtained from a study on skin cancer as a Reference Point (RP). Inorganic As is a genotoxic carcinogen with additional epigenetic effects and the CONTAM Panel applied a margin of exposure (MOE) approach for the risk characterisation. In adults, the MOEs are low (range between 2 and 0.4 for mean consumers and between 0.9 and 0.2 at the 95th percentile exposure, respectively) and as such raise a health concern despite the uncertainties.
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Zhang Y, Zhang C, Zhang C, Bin X, Jiang J, Huang C. Leukocyte telomere length mediates the association between cadmium exposure and cognitive function in US older adults. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 169:166-173. [PMID: 38039691 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long-term exposure to cadmium-polluted environments may lead to shortened leukocyte telomere length and cognitive decline. This study aims to investigate (1) the associations among blood cadmium levels, leukocyte telomere length, and cognitive function, and (2) the mediating role of leukocyte telomere length between blood cadmium levels and cognitive function among older adults in the United States. METHODS Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2002. Cadmium exposure level was assessed by measuring cadmium levels in blood samples. Leukocyte telomere length was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and cognitive function was measured by the digit symbol substitution test (DSST). RESULTS A total of 2185 older adults aged over 60 were included in this study, comprising 1109 (49.65%) males. Elevated blood cadmium levels were significantly associated with the risk of a decline in cognitive function (β = - 2.842, p = 0.018). Shorter leukocyte telomere lengths were significantly associated with a higher risk of a decline in cognitive function (β = 4.144, p = 0.020). The total indirect effect on the blood cadmium level and cognitive function via leukocyte telomere length was - 0.218 (p = 0.012). The mediation effect was estimated to be 0.218/2.084 × 100% = 10.46%. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that cadmium exposure may increase the risk of cognitive impairment by causing shortened leukocyte telomere length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongpeng Zhang
- Department of General Practice, First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
| | - Caiyun Zhang
- Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunlei Zhang
- Department of General Practice, First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
| | - Xueqiong Bin
- Department of General Practice, First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
| | - Jinghan Jiang
- Department of General Practice, First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China.
| | - Changbao Huang
- Emergency Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China.
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Song S, Liu N, Wang G, Wang Y, Zhang X, Zhao X, Chang H, Yu Z, Liu X. Sex Specificity in the Mixed Effects of Blood Heavy Metals and Cognitive Function on Elderly: Evidence from NHANES. Nutrients 2023; 15:2874. [PMID: 37447200 DOI: 10.3390/nu15132874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The way that males and females react to environmental exposures and negative impacts on their neurological systems is often different. Although previous research has examined the cognitively impairing effects of solitary metal exposures, the relationship between metal mixtures and cognitive function, particularly when considering an individual's sex, remains elusive. This study aimed to investigate the sex differences in the association between multiple metal combinations and cognitive function in older Americans. This research employed the 2011-2014 NHANES survey of elderly Americans. The association between five mixed metals and four cognitive tests (the animal fluency test (AFT), the digit symbol substitution test (DSST), the instant recall test (IRT), and the delayed recall test (DRT)) were investigated with generalized linear regression model (GLM), Bayesian kernel machine regression model (BKMR), weighted quantile sum regression model (WQS), and quantile g-computation regression model (Qgcomp). A total of 1833 people, including 883 males and 950 females, enrolled in this cross-sectional study. We discovered that blood lead and blood cadmium were negatively associated with cognitive performance, while blood selenium demonstrated a positive association with cognitive function in older people. The negative relationship of heavy metal combinations on cognitive function might be somewhat reduced or even reversed via selenium. The IRT, AFT, and DSST are three of the four cognitive tests where men had more dramatic positive or negative results. There was a sex-specific connection between blood metal ratios and cognitive function among older Americans, as evidenced by the more significant relationship between mixed metals and cognitive performance in men (either positively or negatively). These results emphasize the impacts of ambient heavy metal exposure on cognitive function by employing sex-specific methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuaixing Song
- Center for Clinical Single-Cell Biomedicine, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450003, China
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Nan Liu
- Institute of Environment and Health, South China Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Guoxu Wang
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Yulin Wang
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Xiaoan Zhang
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
| | - Hui Chang
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
| | - Zengli Yu
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Xiaozhuan Liu
- Center for Clinical Single-Cell Biomedicine, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450003, China
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Liu X, Yao C, Tang Y, Liu X, Duan C, Wang C, Han F, Xiang Y, Wu L, Li Y, Ji A, Cai T. Role of p53 methylation in manganese-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression in BV2 microglial cells. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 241:113824. [PMID: 36068751 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Manganese (Mn) is an essential cofactor for many enzymes and plays an important role in normal growth and development. However, excess exposure to manganese (Mn) may be an important environmental factor leading to neurodegeneration. The overexpression of microglial cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) plays a key role in neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases. The existing data suggest that Mn can induce neuroinflammation by up-regulating COX-2 expression. However, the mechanisms involved in Mn-induced microglial COX-2 up-regulation remain to be determined. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of p53 in Mn-induced COX-2 expression in microglial cells. The results showed that Mn exposure induced the up-regulation of COX-2 and inhibited the expression of p53 in BV2 microglial cells. The addition of p53 activator and the over-expression of p53 blocked the expression of COX-2 and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a COX-2 downstream effector, induced by Mn. Further, Mn increased the methylation of p53 DNA in microglia, while the addition of demethylation reagent 5-Aza-dC enhanced the expression of p53 but decreased the expression of COX-2. These results suggested that Mn may inhibit p53 expression through induction of DNA methylation, which can further induce the expression of COX-2 in microglial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoling Liu
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Preventive Medicine, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Chunyan Yao
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Preventive Medicine, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Yan Tang
- Experimental Teaching Center, School of Public Health, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyan Liu
- The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Chenggang Duan
- Department of Pathophysiology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Chunmei Wang
- Experimental Teaching Center, School of Public Health, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Fei Han
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Ying Xiang
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Preventive Medicine, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Long Wu
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Preventive Medicine, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Yafei Li
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Preventive Medicine, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Ailing Ji
- Department of Preventive Medicine & Chongqing Engineering Research Center of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical College, Chongqing, China.
| | - Tongjian Cai
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Preventive Medicine, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China.
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