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Ali M, Kumar Das S, Shetake NG, Pandey BN, Kumar A. Enhanced thorium decorporation and mitigation of toxicity through combined use of Liv52® and diethylenetriamine pentaacetate. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 477:135234. [PMID: 39042990 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Thorium-232 (Th-232) is a promising fuel for advanced nuclear reactors. However, in case of internal human exposure to Th, there is currently no effective modality for its removal from liver and skeleton or for mitigating its effect. The FDA-approved agent, diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (DTPA), can remove Th and other actinides from blood circulation only. For the first time, a rationally-selected polyherbal hepatoprotective i.e. Liv52® (L52S), was evaluated in-combination with DTPA for its Th decorporation ability in Swiss mice. Inductively-coupled plasma mass spectroscopic analysis showed that oral administration of L52S in conjunction with DTPA significantly decreased Th burden from liver (20 %) and skeleton (33 %) as well as enhanced Th excretion (∼2.5 folds) through urine in comparison to DTPA or L52S alone. The combinatorial therapy was found to be complementary in-action, ameliorating Th-induced tissue damage in liver, spleen, and bone more effectively than monotherapy. Furthermore, markers of liver function (alanine transaminase) and liver inflammation and fibrosis (NF-κB & keratin) further validated the beneficial effect of L52S. The human consumption of L52S for various liver disorders further supports its clinical application for Th decorporation and mitigation of its health effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manjoor Ali
- Radiation Biology & Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085, India
| | - Sourav Kumar Das
- Radiation Biology & Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Neena G Shetake
- Radiation Biology & Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - B N Pandey
- Radiation Biology & Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- Radiation Biology & Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, India.
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Das SK, Ali M, Shetake NG, Pandey BN, Kumar A. Thorium Alters Lung Surfactant Protein Expression in Alveolar Epithelial Cells: In Vitro and In Vivo Investigation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:12330-12342. [PMID: 38772857 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Thorium-232 (Th), the most abundant naturally occurring nuclear fuel, has been identified as a sustainable source of energy. In view of its large-scale utilization and human evidence of lung disorders and carcinogenicity, it is imperative to understand the effect of Th exposure on lung cells. The present study investigated the effect of Th-dioxide (1-100 μg/mL, 24-48 h) on expression of surfactant proteins (SPs) (SP-A, SP-B, SP-C, and SP-D, which are essential to maintain lung's surface tension and host-defense) in human lung cells (WI26 and A549), representative of alveolar cell type-I and type-II, respectively. Results demonstrated the inhibitory effect of Th on transcriptional expression of SP-A, SP-B, and SP-C. However, Th promoted the mRNA expression of SP-D in A549 and reduced its expression in WI26. To a significant extent, the effect of Th on SPs was found to be in accordance with their protein levels. Moreover, Th exposure altered the extracellular release of SP-D/A from A549, which remained unaltered in WI26. Our results suggested the differential role of oxidative stress and ATM and HSP90 signaling in Th-induced alterations of SPs. These effects of Th were found to be consistent in lung tissues of mice exposed to Th aerosols, suggesting a potential role of SPs in Th-associated lung disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourav Kumar Das
- Radiation Biology & Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400 094, India
| | - Manjoor Ali
- Radiation Biology & Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India
| | - Neena Girish Shetake
- Radiation Biology & Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400 094, India
| | - Badri Narain Pandey
- Radiation Biology & Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400 094, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- Radiation Biology & Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400 094, India
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Ma M, Wang R, Xu M. Thorium(IV) triggers ferroptosis through disrupting iron homeostasis and heme metabolism in the liver following oral ingestion. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 452:131217. [PMID: 36940529 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Thorium is a byproduct of the rare earth mining industry and can be utilized as fuel for the next-generation nuclear power facilities, which may pose health risks to the population. Although published literature has shown that the toxicity of thorium possibly originates from its interactions with iron/heme-containing proteins, the underlying mechanisms are still largely unclear. Since the liver plays an irreplaceable role in iron and heme metabolism in the body, it is essential to investigate how thorium affects iron and heme homeostasis in hepatocytes. In this study, we first assessed the liver injury in mice exposed to tetravalent thorium (Th(IV)) in the form of thorium nitrite via the oral route. After a two-week oral exposure, thorium accumulation and iron overload were observed in the liver, which are both closely associated with lipid peroxidation and cell death. Transcriptomics analysis revealed that ferroptosis, which has not previously been documented in cells for actinides, is the main mechanism of programmed cell death induced by Th(IV). Further mechanistic studies suggested that Th(IV) could activate the ferroptotic pathway through disrupting iron homeostasis and generating lipid peroxides. More significantly, the disorder of heme metabolism, which is crucial for maintaining intracellular iron and redox homeostasis, was found to contribute to ferroptosis in hepatocytes exposed to Th(IV). Our findings may shed light on a key mechanism of hepatoxicity in response to Th(IV) stress and provide in-depth understanding of the health risk of thorium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ruixia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Ming Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China.
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Yu L, Lin Z, Cheng X, Chu J, Li X, Chen C, Zhu T, Li W, Lin W, Tang W. Thorium inhibits human respiratory chain complex IV (cytochrome c oxidase). JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 424:127546. [PMID: 34879532 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Thorium is a radioactive heavy metal and an emerging environmental pollutant. Ecological and human health risks from thorium exposure are growing with the excavation of rare earth metals and implementation of thorium-based nuclear reactors. Thorium poisoning is associated with carcinogenesis, liver impairments, and congenital anomalies. To date, the biomolecular targets that underlie thorium-induced toxicity remain unknown. Here, we used in vitro enzymatic activity assays to comprehensively evaluate the effects of thorium on the mitochondrial respiration process. Thorium was found to inhibit respiratory chain complex IV (cytochrome c oxidase) at sub-micromolar concentrations (IC50 ~ 0.4 μM, 90 μg/L). This is lower than the thorium level limit (246 μg/L) in drinking water specified by the World Health Organization. The inhibitory effects were further verified in mitochondria from human bone and liver cells (thorium mainly deposits in these organs). The inhibition of cytochrome c oxidase can readily rationalize well-documented cellular toxicities of thorium, such as alteration of mitochondrial membrane potential and production of reactive oxygen species. Therefore, cytochrome c oxidase is potentially a key molecular target underlying thorium-induced toxicological effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libing Yu
- Institute of Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621907, China.
| | - Zhaozhu Lin
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xuedan Cheng
- Institute of Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621907, China; School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China
| | - Jian Chu
- Institute of Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621907, China
| | - Xijian Li
- Institute of Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621907, China
| | - Chun Chen
- Institute of Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621907, China
| | - Tinghua Zhu
- Guizhou Shengyada Biotech Co., Ltd., Guiyang 550000, China
| | - Wenjing Li
- Institute of Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621907, China; School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China
| | - Wei Lin
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
| | - Wei Tang
- Institute of Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621907, China.
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Yadav R, Das SK, Ali M, Pandey BN, Kumar A. Role of calcium ion channels and cytoskeletal proteins in Thorium-232 induced toxicity in normal human liver cells (WRL 68) and its validation in swiss mice. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 288:132557. [PMID: 34653484 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Hepatic disorders reported in humans exposed to Thorium-232 (Th-232) rationalizes the present study investigating the toxicological response of normal human liver cells (WRL 68) and its validation in Swiss mice. Cell count analysis of WRL 68 cells-treated with Th-nitrate (1-200 μM) estimated IC50 of ∼24 μM (at 24 h) and 35 μM (at 48 h). Analysis of cell viability (trypan blue assay) showed the IC50 of ∼172 μM. Phase contrast bright-field microscopy revealed Th-induced morphological changes and cell-released microvesicle-like structures in extracellular space. Th-estimation by ICP-MS (Inductively-coupled plasma mass-spectrometry) showed uptake of Th by cells as a function of concentration and incubation time. Employing DTPA as a chelating agent in cell harvesting solution, cell-internalized/strongly-bound Th was estimated to be ∼42% of total incubated Th. Th-uptake studies in the presence of ion-channel specific inhibitors (e.g. nifedipine, thapsigargin) revealed the role of plasma membrane calcium channels and cytoplasmic calcium in modulating the Th-uptake. Transmission electron microscopy of Th-treated cells showed cell-derived extracellular vesicles, alterations in the shape and size of nucleus and mitochondria as well as cytoplasmic inclusions. The order of Th accumulation in various sub-cellular protein fractions was found to be as cytoskeleton (43%) > cytoplasmic (15%) > chromatin (7%) > nuclear (5%) & membrane (5%). Immunofluorescence analysis of WRL 68 cells showed that Th significantly altered the expression of cytoskeleton proteins (F-actin and keratin), which was further validated in liver tissues of Swiss mice administered with Th-232. Findings herein highlight the role of calcium channels and cytoskeleton in Th-induced toxicity. Keywords: Thorium toxicity; Liver cells; Calcium channels; Sub-cellular targets, Cytoskeleton; Swiss Mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakhee Yadav
- Radiation Biology & Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400 085, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400 094, India
| | - Sourav Kumar Das
- Radiation Biology & Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400 085, India
| | - Manjoor Ali
- Radiation Biology & Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400 085, India
| | - Badri N Pandey
- Radiation Biology & Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400 085, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400 094, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- Radiation Biology & Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400 085, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400 094, India.
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