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Svanes C, Holloway JW, Krauss-Etschmann S. Preconception origins of asthma, allergies and lung function: The influence of previous generations on the respiratory health of our children. J Intern Med 2023; 293:531-549. [PMID: 36861185 DOI: 10.1111/joim.13611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Emerging research suggests that exposures occurring years before conception are important determinants of the health of future offspring and subsequent generations. Environmental exposures of both the father and mother, or exposure to disease processes such as obesity or infections, may influence germline cells and thereby cause a cascade of health outcomes in multiple subsequent generations. There is now increasing evidence that respiratory health is influenced by parental exposures that occur long before conception. The strongest evidence relates adolescent tobacco smoking and overweight in future fathers to increased asthma and lower lung function in their offspring, supported by evidence on parental preconception occupational exposures and air pollution. Although this literature is still sparse, the epidemiological analyses reveal strong effects that are consistent across studies with different designs and methodologies. The results are strengthened by mechanistic research from animal models and (scarce) human studies that have identified molecular mechanisms that can explain the epidemiological findings, suggesting transfer of epigenetic signals through germline cells, with susceptibility windows in utero (both male and female line) and prepuberty (male line). The concept that our lifestyles and behaviours may influence the health of our future children represents a new paradigm. This raises concerns for future health in decades to come with respect to harmful exposures but may also open for radical rethinking of preventive strategies that may improve health in multiple generations, reverse the imprint of our parents and forefathers, and underpin strategies that can break the vicious circle of propagation of health inequalities across generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilie Svanes
- Centre for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - John W Holloway
- Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Susanne Krauss-Etschmann
- Division of Early Life Origins of Chronic Lung Diseases, Research Center Borstel, Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Borstel, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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Post CM, Myers JR, Winans B, Lawrence BP. Postnatal administration of S-adenosylmethionine restores developmental AHR activation-induced deficits in CD8+ T cell function during influenza A virus infection. Toxicol Sci 2023; 192:kfad019. [PMID: 36847456 PMCID: PMC10109536 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfad019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental exposures can influence life-long health; yet, counteracting negative consequences is challenging due to poor understanding of cellular mechanisms. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) binds many small molecules, including numerous pollutants. Developmental exposure to the signature environmental AHR ligand 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) significantly dampens adaptive immune responses to influenza A virus (IAV) in adult offspring. CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are crucial for successful infection resolution, which depends on the number generated and the complexity of their functionality. Prior studies showed developmental AHR activation significantly reduced the number of virus-specific CD8+ T cells, but impact on their functions is less clear. Other studies showed developmental exposure was associated with differences in DNA methylation in CD8+ T cells. Yet, empirical evidence that differences in DNA methylation are causally related to altered CD8+ T cell function is lacking. The two objectives were to ascertain whether developmental AHR activation affects CTL function, and whether differences in methylation contribute to reduced CD8+ T cell responses to infection. Developmental AHR triggering significantly reduced CTL polyfunctionality, and modified the transcriptional program of CD8+ T cells. S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), which increases DNA methylation, but not Zebularine, which diminishes DNA methylation, restored polyfunctionality and boosted the number of virus-specific CD8+ T cells. These findings suggest that diminished methylation, initiated by developmental exposure to an AHR-binding chemical, contributes to durable changes in antiviral CD8+ CTL functions later in life. Thus, deleterious consequence of development exposure to environmental chemicals are not permanently fixed, opening the door for interventional strategies to improve health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Post
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Jason R Myers
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Bethany Winans
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - B Paige Lawrence
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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Germolec DR, Lebrec H, Anderson SE, Burleson GR, Cardenas A, Corsini E, Elmore SE, Kaplan BL, Lawrence BP, Lehmann GM, Maier CC, McHale CM, Myers LP, Pallardy M, Rooney AA, Zeise L, Zhang L, Smith MT. Consensus on the Key Characteristics of Immunotoxic Agents as a Basis for Hazard Identification. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:105001. [PMID: 36201310 PMCID: PMC9536493 DOI: 10.1289/ehp10800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Key characteristics (KCs), properties of agents or exposures that confer potential hazard, have been developed for carcinogens and other toxicant classes. KCs have been used in the systematic assessment of hazards and to identify assay and data gaps that limit screening and risk assessment. Many of the mechanisms through which pharmaceuticals and occupational or environmental agents modulate immune function are well recognized. Thus KCs could be identified for immunoactive substances and applied to improve hazard assessment of immunodulatory agents. OBJECTIVES The goal was to generate a consensus-based synthesis of scientific evidence describing the KCs of agents known to cause immunotoxicity and potential applications, such as assays to measure the KCs. METHODS A committee of 18 experts with diverse specialties identified 10 KCs of immunotoxic agents, namely, 1) covalently binds to proteins to form novel antigens, 2) affects antigen processing and presentation, 3) alters immune cell signaling, 4) alters immune cell proliferation, 5) modifies cellular differentiation, 6) alters immune cell-cell communication, 7) alters effector function of specific cell types, 8) alters immune cell trafficking, 9) alters cell death processes, and 10) breaks down immune tolerance. The group considered how these KCs could influence immune processes and contribute to hypersensitivity, inappropriate enhancement, immunosuppression, or autoimmunity. DISCUSSION KCs can be used to improve efforts to identify agents that cause immunotoxicity via one or more mechanisms, to develop better testing and biomarker approaches to evaluate immunotoxicity, and to enable a more comprehensive and mechanistic understanding of adverse effects of exposures on the immune system. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10800.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dori R. Germolec
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Herve Lebrec
- Translational Safety & Bioanalytical Sciences, Amgen Research, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Stacey E. Anderson
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Gary R. Burleson
- Burleson Research Technologies, Inc., Morrisville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andres Cardenas
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Emanuela Corsini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Sarah E. Elmore
- Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Barbara L.F. Kaplan
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
| | - B. Paige Lawrence
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Geniece M. Lehmann
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Curtis C. Maier
- In Vitro In Vivo Translation, Research and Development, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Cliona M. McHale
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - L. Peyton Myers
- Division of Pharm/Tox, Office of Infectious Diseases, Office of New Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Marc Pallardy
- Inserm, Inflammation microbiome immunosurveillance, Université Paris-Saclay, Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Andrew A. Rooney
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lauren Zeise
- Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Luoping Zhang
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Martyn T. Smith
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
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Canada's Colonial Genocide of Indigenous Peoples: A Review of the Psychosocial and Neurobiological Processes Linking Trauma and Intergenerational Outcomes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19116455. [PMID: 35682038 PMCID: PMC9179992 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The policies and actions that were enacted to colonize Indigenous Peoples in Canada have been described as constituting cultural genocide. When one considers the long-term consequences from the perspective of the social and environmental determinants of health framework, the impacts of such policies on the physical and mental health of Indigenous Peoples go well beyond cultural loss. This paper addresses the impacts of key historical and current Canadian federal policies in relation to the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples. Far from constituting a mere lesson in history, the connections between colonialist policies and actions on present-day outcomes are evaluated in terms of transgenerational and intergenerational transmission processes, including psychosocial, developmental, environmental, and neurobiological mechanisms and trauma responses. In addition, while colonialist policies have created adverse living conditions for Indigenous Peoples, resilience and the perseverance of many aspects of culture may be maintained through intergenerational processes.
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Genetic and epigenetic processes linked to cancer. Cancer 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-91904-3.00013-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Montano L, Donato F, Bianco PM, Lettieri G, Guglielmino A, Motta O, Bonapace IM, Piscopo M. Semen quality as a potential susceptibility indicator to SARS-CoV-2 insults in polluted areas. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:37031-37040. [PMID: 34053043 PMCID: PMC8164491 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14579-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The epidemic of the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has impacted worldwide with its infectious spread and mortality rate. Thousands of articles have been published to tackle this crisis and many of these have indicated that high air pollution levels may be a contributing factor to high outbreak rates of COVID-19. Atmospheric pollutants, indeed, producing oxidative stress, inflammation, immuno-unbalance, and systemic coagulation, may be a possible significant co-factor of further damage, rendering the body prone to infections by a variety of pathogens, including viruses. Spermatozoa are extremely responsive to prooxidative effects produced by environmental pollutants and may serve as a powerful alert that signals the extent that environmental pressure, in a specific area, is doing damage to humans. In order to improve our current knowledge on this topic, this review article summarizes the relevant current observations emphasizing the weight that environmental pollution has on the sensitivity of a given population to several diseases and how semen quality, may be a potential indicator of sensitivity for virus insults (including SARS-CoV-2) in high polluted areas, and help to predict the risk for harmful effects of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. In addition, this review focused on the potential routes of virus transmission that may represent a population health risk and also identified the areas of critical importance that require urgent research to assess and manage the COVID-19 outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Montano
- Andrology Unit, EcoFoodFertility Project, Coordination Unit, Local Health Authority (ASL) Salerno, Oliveto Citra, Via M. Clemente, 84020 Oliveto Citra, SA Italy
| | - Francesco Donato
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties Radiological Sciences and Public Health, Unit of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Pietro Massimiliano Bianco
- ISPRA, Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Gennaro Lettieri
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Oriana Motta
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | - Ian Marc Bonapace
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria (VA), Varese, Italy
| | - Marina Piscopo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, 80126 Napoli, Italy
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Montano L, Donato F, Bianco PM, Lettieri G, Guglielmino A, Motta O, Bonapace IM, Piscopo M. Air Pollution and COVID-19: A Possible Dangerous Synergy for Male Fertility. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18136846. [PMID: 34202243 PMCID: PMC8297116 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18136846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Several studies indicate that semen quality has strongly declined in the last decades worldwide. Air pollution represents a significant co-factor with the COVID-19 impact and has negative effects on the male reproductive system, through pro-oxidant, inflammatory and immune-dysregulating mechanisms. It has recently been reported that chronic exposure to PM2.5 causes overexpression of the alveolar ACE2 receptor, the entry route of SARS-CoV-2 into the organism shared by the lungs and testis where expression is highest in the body. In the testis, the ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/MasR pathway plays an important role in the regulation of spermatogenesis and an indirect mechanism of testicular damage could be due to the blockade of the ACE2 receptor by SARS-CoV-2. This prevents the conversion of specific angiotensins, and their excess causes inflammation with the overproduction of cytokines. PM2.5-induced overexpression of the alveolar ACE2 receptor, in turn, could increase local viral load in patients exposed to pollutants, producing ACE2 receptor depletion and compromising host defenses. By presenting an overall view of epidemiological data and molecular mechanisms, this manuscript aims to interpret the possible synergistic effects of both air pollution and COVID-19 on male reproductive function, warning that the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the fertile years may represent a significant threat to global reproductive health. All of this should be of great concern, especially for men of the age of maximum reproductive capacity, and an important topic of debate for policy makers. Altered environmental conditions, together with the direct and indirect short- and long-term effects of viral infection could cause a worsening of semen quality with important consequences for male fertility, especially in those areas with higher environmental impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Montano
- Andrology Unit and Service of Lifestyle Medicine in UroAndrology, Local Health Authority (ASL) Salerno, Coordination Unit of the Network for Environmental and Reproductive Health (EcoFoodFertility Project), “Oliveto Citra Hospital”, 84020 Oliveto Citra, Italy
- PhD Program in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: (L.M.); (I.M.B.); (M.P.); Tel.: +39-0331-339452 (I.M.B.); +39-0816-79081 (M.P.)
| | - Francesco Donato
- Unit of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Public Health, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, 21100 Brescia, Italy;
| | - Pietro Massimiliano Bianco
- ISPRA, Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144 Roma, Italy;
| | - Gennaro Lettieri
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Napoli, Italy;
| | | | - Oriana Motta
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, 84081 Salerno, Italy;
| | - Ian Marc Bonapace
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy
- Correspondence: (L.M.); (I.M.B.); (M.P.); Tel.: +39-0331-339452 (I.M.B.); +39-0816-79081 (M.P.)
| | - Marina Piscopo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Napoli, Italy;
- Correspondence: (L.M.); (I.M.B.); (M.P.); Tel.: +39-0331-339452 (I.M.B.); +39-0816-79081 (M.P.)
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Pascual F. Developmental Origins of Delayed Adult Immune Response: The AhR Connection. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2021; 129:54001. [PMID: 33979198 PMCID: PMC8116040 DOI: 10.1289/ehp9275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
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Brulport A, Lencina C, Chagnon MC, Le Corre L, Guzylack-Piriou L. Transgenerational effects on intestinal inflammation status in mice perinatally exposed to bisphenol S. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 262:128009. [PMID: 33182144 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence has highlighted the critical role of early life environment in shaping the future health outcomes of individuals in subsequent generations. Bisphenol S (BPS) has been widely used as a substitute for various plastic materials due to the limited application of Bisphenol A (BPA) which is an endocrine disruptor. However, the lack of efficient evaluation of BPS leaves doubts about the relevant substitute of BPA. Few studies of transgenerational inheritance have examined the effects of environmental exposures to endocrine disruptors on the immune system. In this study, we analyzed the transgenerational effects of BPS on intestinal inflammation and its consequence in metabolism. In this study, only F0 pregnant mice were exposed to BPS (1.5 μg/kg bw/day) from gestational day 0 until weaning of offspring. In this work, both F1 and F2 male offspring developed an inflammatory response in the ileum and colon at adulthood after F0 mothers were exposed to BPS; this phenomenon disappeared in F3. This inflammatory response in F1 male offspring is associated with a significant decrease of blood cholesterol without modification of metabolic status. Further, in F3 offspring male, the decrease of gut inflammatory response is associated with a decrease of fat weight and with an increase of blood glucose and cholesterol level. A sex-specific profile is observed in female offspring. We also observed that early life exposure to BPS was associated with strong abnormal intestinal immune status. The study presented here demonstrates that the immune system, like other organ systems, is vulnerable to transgenerational effects caused by environmental exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axelle Brulport
- Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, LNC UMR1231, 21000, Dijon, France; AgroSup, LNC UMR1231, 21000, Dijon, France; Nutrition Physiology and Toxicology Team (NUTox), INSERM, LNC UMR1231, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Corinne Lencina
- Toxalim, Université de Toulouse, INRAE, ENVT, INP-Purpan, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Marie-Christine Chagnon
- Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, LNC UMR1231, 21000, Dijon, France; AgroSup, LNC UMR1231, 21000, Dijon, France; Nutrition Physiology and Toxicology Team (NUTox), INSERM, LNC UMR1231, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Ludovic Le Corre
- Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, LNC UMR1231, 21000, Dijon, France; AgroSup, LNC UMR1231, 21000, Dijon, France; Nutrition Physiology and Toxicology Team (NUTox), INSERM, LNC UMR1231, 21000, Dijon, France
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Burke CG, Myers JR, Post CM, Boulé LA, Lawrence BP. DNA Methylation Patterns in CD4+ T Cells of Naïve and Influenza A Virus-Infected Mice Developmentally Exposed to an Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Ligand. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2021; 129:17007. [PMID: 33449811 PMCID: PMC7810290 DOI: 10.1289/ehp7699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early life environmental exposures can have lasting effects on the function of the immune system and contribute to disease later in life. Epidemiological studies have linked early life exposure to xenobiotics that bind the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) with dysregulated immune responses later in life. Among the immune cells influenced by developmental activation of the AhR are CD 4 + T cells. Yet, the underlying affected cellular pathways via which activating the AhR early in life causes the responses of CD 4 + T cells to remain affected into adulthood remain unclear. OBJECTIVE Our goal was to identify cellular mechanisms that drive impaired CD 4 + T-cell responses later in life following maternal exposure to an exogenous AhR ligand. METHODS C57BL/6 mice were vertically exposed to the prototype AhR ligand, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p -dioxin (TCDD), throughout gestation and early postnatal life. The transcriptome and DNA methylation patterns were evaluated in CD 4 + T cells isolated from naïve and influenza A virus (IAV)-infected adult mice that were developmentally exposed to TCDD or vehicle control. We then assessed the influence of DNA methylation-altering drug therapies on the response of CD 4 + T cells from developmentally exposed mice to infection. RESULTS Gene and protein expression showed that developmental AhR activation reduced CD 4 + T-cell expansion and effector functions during IAV infection later in life. Furthermore, whole-genome bisulfite sequencing analyses revealed that developmental AhR activation durably programed DNA methylation patterns across the CD 4 + T-cell genome. Treatment of developmentally exposed offspring with DNA methylation-altering drugs alleviated some, but not all, of the impaired CD 4 + T-cell responses. DISCUSSION Taken together, these results indicate that skewed DNA methylation is one of the mechanisms by which early life exposures can durably change the function of T cells in mice. Furthermore, treatment with DNA methylation-altering drugs after the exposure restored some aspects of CD 4 + T-cell functional responsiveness. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7699.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine G. Burke
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Jason R. Myers
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Christina M. Post
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Lisbeth A. Boulé
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - B. Paige Lawrence
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
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Mokshagundam S, Ding T, Rumph JT, Dallas M, Stephens VR, Osteen KG, Bruner-Tran KL. Developmental 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin exposure of either parent enhances the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis in neonatal mice. Birth Defects Res 2020; 112:1209-1223. [PMID: 32519502 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a rare, but potentially fatal intestinal inflammatory condition most often arising in premature infants. Infants provided formula are also at greater risk of developing this disease. Although the majority of formula-fed, preterm infants do not develop NEC, up to 30% of infants with the disease do not survive. Thus, identifying additional, currently unrecognized factors, which may predispose a specific infant to NEC development would be a significant clinical advancement. In this regard, we have previously reported that offspring of female or male mice with a history of developmental exposure to the environmental toxicant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) exhibit altered sensitivity to inflammatory challenges and are frequently born premature. Herein, we examined the possibility that, compared to unexposed mice (F1NONE ), developmental TCDD exposure of either parent (maternal, F1MTCDD , or paternal, F1PTCDD ) would enhance the risk of NEC in offspring (F2TCDD mice) in association with supplemental formula feeding. METHODS Beginning on postnatal day 7, all neonates were randomized to maternal milk only or maternal milk with up to 20 supplemental formula feedings. All pups remained with the Dams and were additionally allowed to nurse ad libitum. RESULTS Formula-fed F2NONE pups rarely developed NEC while this disease was common in formula-fed F2MTCDD and F2PTCDD mice. Unexpectedly, 50% of F2MTCDD pups that were not provided supplemental formula also developed NEC. CONCLUSIONS Our studies provide evidence that a history of parental TCDD exposure enhances the risk of NEC in offspring and suggest exposure to environmental immunotoxicants such as TCDD may also contribute to this inflammatory disease in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilpa Mokshagundam
- Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Tianbing Ding
- Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jelonia T Rumph
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Physiology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | | | - Victoria R Stephens
- Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Kevin G Osteen
- Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Kaylon L Bruner-Tran
- Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Tsatsakis A, Petrakis D, Nikolouzakis TK, Docea AO, Calina D, Vinceti M, Goumenou M, Kostoff RN, Mamoulakis C, Aschner M, Hernández AF. COVID-19, an opportunity to reevaluate the correlation between long-term effects of anthropogenic pollutants on viral epidemic/pandemic events and prevalence. Food Chem Toxicol 2020; 141:111418. [PMID: 32437891 PMCID: PMC7211730 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2020.111418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Occupational, residential, dietary and environmental exposures to mixtures of synthetic anthropogenic chemicals after World War II have a strong relationship with the increase of chronic diseases, health cost and environmental pollution. The link between environment and immunity is particularly intriguing as it is known that chemicals and drugs can cause immunotoxicity (e.g., allergies and autoimmune diseases). In this review, we emphasize the relationship between long-term exposure to xenobiotic mixtures and immune deficiency inherent to chronic diseases and epidemics/pandemics. We also address the immunotoxicologic risk of vulnerable groups, taking into account biochemical and biophysical properties of SARS-CoV-2 and its immunopathological implications. We particularly underline the common mechanisms by which xenobiotics and SARS-CoV-2 act at the cellular and molecular level. We discuss how long-term exposure to thousand chemicals in mixtures, mostly fossil fuel derivatives, exposure toparticle matters, metals, ultraviolet (UV)–B radiation, ionizing radiation and lifestyle contribute to immunodeficiency observed in the contemporary pandemic, such as COVID-19, and thus threaten global public health, human prosperity and achievements, and global economy. Finally, we propose metrics which are needed to address the diverse health effects of anthropogenic COVID-19 crisis at present and those required to prevent similar future pandemics. Developmental exposure to environmental factors can disrupt the immune system. Long-term low-dose exposure to chemical mixtures is linked to imunodeficiency Immunodeficiency contributes to chronic diseases and the current Covid-19 pandemics. Environmental chemicals and microorganisms share similar molecular pathomechanisms (AhR pathway). Understanding the underlying pathomechanisms helps to improve public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aristidis Tsatsakis
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Medical School, University of Crete, Voutes, 71409 Heraklion, Crete, Greece; Department of Analytical and Forensic Medical Toxicology, Sechenov University, 2-4 Bolshaya Pirogovskaya st., 119991 Moscow, Russia; Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA.
| | - Demetrious Petrakis
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Medical School, University of Crete, Voutes, 71409 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
| | | | - Anca Oana Docea
- Department of Toxicology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
| | - Daniela Calina
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
| | - Marco Vinceti
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, I-41125 Modena, Italy.
| | - Marina Goumenou
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Medical School, University of Crete, Voutes, 71409 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Ronald N Kostoff
- School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Gainesville, VA, 20155, USA.
| | - Charalampos Mamoulakis
- Department of Urology, University General Hospital of Heraklion, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Analytical and Forensic Medical Toxicology, Sechenov University, 2-4 Bolshaya Pirogovskaya st., 119991 Moscow, Russia; Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA.
| | - Antonio F Hernández
- Department of Legal Medicine and Toxicology, University of Granada School of Medicine, 180016 Granada, Spain.
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Anderson G, Reiter RJ. Melatonin: Roles in influenza, Covid-19, and other viral infections. Rev Med Virol 2020; 30:e2109. [PMID: 32314850 PMCID: PMC7235470 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
There is a growing appreciation that the regulation of the melatonergic pathways, both pineal and systemic, may be an important aspect in how viruses drive the cellular changes that underpin their control of cellular function. We review the melatonergic pathway role in viral infections, emphasizing influenza and covid-19 infections. Viral, or preexistent, suppression of pineal melatonin disinhibits neutrophil attraction, thereby contributing to an initial "cytokine storm", as well as the regulation of other immune cells. Melatonin induces the circadian gene, Bmal1, which disinhibits the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC), countering viral inhibition of Bmal1/PDC. PDC drives mitochondrial conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA), thereby increasing the tricarboxylic acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, and ATP production. Pineal melatonin suppression attenuates this, preventing the circadian "resetting" of mitochondrial metabolism. This is especially relevant in immune cells, where shifting metabolism from glycolytic to oxidative phosphorylation, switches cells from reactive to quiescent phenotypes. Acetyl-CoA is a necessary cosubstrate for arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase, providing an acetyl group to serotonin, and thereby initiating the melatonergic pathway. Consequently, pineal melatonin regulates mitochondrial melatonin and immune cell phenotype. Virus- and cytokine-storm-driven control of the pineal and mitochondrial melatonergic pathway therefore regulates immune responses. Virus-and cytokine storm-driven changes also increase gut permeability and dysbiosis, thereby suppressing levels of the short-chain fatty acid, butyrate, and increasing circulating lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The alterations in butyrate and LPS can promote viral replication and host symptom severity via impacts on the melatonergic pathway. Focussing on immune regulators has treatment implications for covid-19 and other viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Russel J. Reiter
- Department of Cellular and Structural BiologyUniversity of Texas Health Science at San AntonioSan Antonio, Texas
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Rumph JT, Stephens VR, Archibong AE, Osteen KG, Bruner-Tran KL. Environmental Endocrine Disruptors and Endometriosis. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY, EMBRYOLOGY, AND CELL BIOLOGY 2020; 232:57-78. [PMID: 33278007 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-51856-1_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
As a consequence of industrialization, thousands of man-made chemicals have been developed with few undergoing rigorous safety assessment prior to commercial use. Ubiquitous exposure to these compounds, many of which act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), has been suggested to be one factor in the increasing incidence of numerous diseases, including endometriosis. Endometriosis, the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterus, is a common disorder of reproductive-age women. Although a number of population-based studies have suggested that exposure to environmental EDCs may affect a woman's risk of developing this disease, results of epidemiology assessments are often equivocal. The development of endometriosis is, however, a process occurring over time; thus, a single assessment of toxicant body burden cannot definitively be linked to causation of disease. For this reason, numerous investigators have utilized a variety of rodent models to examine the impact of specific EDCs on the development of experimental endometriosis. These studies identified multiple chemicals capable of influencing physiologic processes necessary for the establishment and/or survival of ectopic tissues in rodents, suggesting that these compounds may also be of concern for women. Importantly, these models serve as useful tools to explore strategies that may prevent adverse outcomes following EDC exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelonia T Rumph
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Victoria R Stephens
- Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Anthony E Archibong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kevin G Osteen
- Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.,VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kaylon L Bruner-Tran
- Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
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