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Cajachagua-Torres KN, Quezada-Pinedo HG, Wu T, Trasande L, Ghassabian A. Exposure to Endocrine Disruptors in Early life and Neuroimaging Findings in Childhood and Adolescence: a Scoping Review. Curr Environ Health Rep 2024; 11:416-442. [PMID: 39078539 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-024-00457-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Evidence suggests neurotoxicity of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during sensitive periods of development. We present an overview of pediatric population neuroimaging studies that examined brain influences of EDC exposure during prenatal period and childhood. RECENT FINDINGS: We found 46 studies that used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine brain influences of EDCs. These studies showed associations of prenatal exposure to phthalates, organophosphate pesticides (OPs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons and persistent organic pollutants with global and regional brain structural alterations. Few studies suggested alteration in functional MRI associated with prenatal OP exposure. However, studies on other groups of EDCs, such as bisphenols, and those that examined childhood exposure were less conclusive. These findings underscore the potential profound and lasting effects of prenatal EDC exposure on brain development, emphasizing the need for better regulation and strategies to reduce exposure and mitigate impacts. More studies are needed to examine the influence of postnatal exposure to EDC on brain imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim N Cajachagua-Torres
- Department of Pediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 555 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Hugo G Quezada-Pinedo
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tong Wu
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Leonardo Trasande
- Department of Pediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 555 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Akhgar Ghassabian
- Department of Pediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 555 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Milanković V, Tasić T, Leskovac A, Petrović S, Mitić M, Lazarević-Pašti T, Novković M, Potkonjak N. Metals on the Menu-Analyzing the Presence, Importance, and Consequences. Foods 2024; 13:1890. [PMID: 38928831 PMCID: PMC11203375 DOI: 10.3390/foods13121890] [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] [Received: 05/07/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Metals are integral components of the natural environment, and their presence in the food supply is inevitable and complex. While essential metals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, and copper are crucial for various physiological functions and must be consumed through the diet, others, like lead, mercury, and cadmium, are toxic even at low concentrations and pose serious health risks. This study comprehensively analyzes the presence, importance, and consequences of metals in the food chain. We explore the pathways through which metals enter the food supply, their distribution across different food types, and the associated health implications. By examining current regulatory standards for maximum allowable levels of various metals, we highlight the importance of ensuring food safety and protecting public health. Furthermore, this research underscores the need for continuous monitoring and management of metal content in food, especially as global agricultural and food production practices evolve. Our findings aim to inform dietary recommendations, food fortification strategies, and regulatory policies, ultimately contributing to safer and more nutritionally balanced diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vedran Milanković
- VINČA Institute of Nuclear Sciences—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Mike Petrovica Alasa 12-14, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (V.M.); (T.T.); (A.L.); (S.P.); (M.M.); (T.L.-P.)
| | - Tamara Tasić
- VINČA Institute of Nuclear Sciences—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Mike Petrovica Alasa 12-14, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (V.M.); (T.T.); (A.L.); (S.P.); (M.M.); (T.L.-P.)
| | - Andreja Leskovac
- VINČA Institute of Nuclear Sciences—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Mike Petrovica Alasa 12-14, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (V.M.); (T.T.); (A.L.); (S.P.); (M.M.); (T.L.-P.)
| | - Sandra Petrović
- VINČA Institute of Nuclear Sciences—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Mike Petrovica Alasa 12-14, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (V.M.); (T.T.); (A.L.); (S.P.); (M.M.); (T.L.-P.)
| | - Miloš Mitić
- VINČA Institute of Nuclear Sciences—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Mike Petrovica Alasa 12-14, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (V.M.); (T.T.); (A.L.); (S.P.); (M.M.); (T.L.-P.)
| | - Tamara Lazarević-Pašti
- VINČA Institute of Nuclear Sciences—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Mike Petrovica Alasa 12-14, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (V.M.); (T.T.); (A.L.); (S.P.); (M.M.); (T.L.-P.)
| | - Mirjana Novković
- Group for Muscle Cellular and Molecular Biology, Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 444a, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia;
| | - Nebojša Potkonjak
- VINČA Institute of Nuclear Sciences—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Mike Petrovica Alasa 12-14, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (V.M.); (T.T.); (A.L.); (S.P.); (M.M.); (T.L.-P.)
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Gagnon-Chauvin A, Fornasier-Bélanger M, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL, Courtemanche Y, Ayotte P, Bélanger RE, Muckle G, Saint-Amour D. Brain gray matter volume of reward-related structures in Inuit adolescents pre- and postnatally exposed to lead, mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls. Neurotoxicology 2024; 103:162-174. [PMID: 38880197 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2024.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to assess associations between prenatal and postnatal exposure to lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and gray matter volume of key regions of the brain reward circuit, namely the caudate nucleus, putamen, nucleus accumbens (nAcc), the amygdala, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was conducted in 77 Inuit adolescents (mean age = 18.39) from Nunavik, Canada, who also completed the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS-4) and Sensation Seeking - 2 (SS-2), two self-report questionnaires evaluating the tendency toward sensation seeking, which is a proxy of reward-related behaviors. Exposures to Pb, Hg and PCBs were measured in cord blood at birth, in blood samples at 11 years old and at time of testing (18 years old). Multivariate linear regressions were corrected for multiple comparisons and adjusted for potential confounders, such as participants' sociodemographic characteristics and nutrient fish intake. Results showed that higher cord blood Pb levels predicted smaller gray matter volume in the bilateral nAcc, caudate nucleus, amygdala and OFC as well as in left ACC. A moderating effect of sex was identified, indicating that the Pb-related reduction in volume in the nAcc and caudate nucleus was more pronounced in female. Higher blood Hg levels at age 11 predicted smaller right amygdala independently of sex. No significant associations were found between blood PCBs levels at all three times of exposure. This study provides scientific support for the detrimental effects of prenatal Pb and childhood Hg blood concentrations on gray matter volume in key reward-related brain structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avril Gagnon-Chauvin
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal, Québec H2X 3P2, Canada; Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, 3175, Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, Québec H3T 1C5, Canada
| | - Mathieu Fornasier-Bélanger
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal, Québec H2X 3P2, Canada; Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, 3175, Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, Québec H3T 1C5, Canada
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Drive, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Drive, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
| | - Yohann Courtemanche
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Hôpital Saint-Sacrement, 1050 Ch Ste-Foy, Québec, Québec G1S 4L8, Canada
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Hôpital Saint-Sacrement, 1050 Ch Ste-Foy, Québec, Québec G1S 4L8, Canada; Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, 1050, Avenue de la Médecine, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Richard E Bélanger
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Hôpital Saint-Sacrement, 1050 Ch Ste-Foy, Québec, Québec G1S 4L8, Canada; Département de Pédiatrie, Université Laval, Centre mère-enfant Soleil du CHU de Québec, 2705, Boulevard Laurier, Québec, Québec G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Hôpital Saint-Sacrement, 1050 Ch Ste-Foy, Québec, Québec G1S 4L8, Canada; École de Psychologie, Université Laval, 2325, rue des Bibliothèques, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal, Québec H2X 3P2, Canada; Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, 3175, Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, Québec H3T 1C5, Canada.
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Moyebi OD, Lebbie T, Carpenter DO. Standards for levels of lead in soil and dust around the world. REVIEWS ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2024; 0:reveh-2024-0030. [PMID: 38856075 DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2024-0030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Lead poisoning is a serious environmental health problem in every country in the world. Exposure to lead results in neurocognitive and behavioral changes, has adverse effects on the immune system, causes anemia, hypertension and perturbs other organ systems. The effects of lead poisoning are most critical for children because their bodies are growing and developing, and particularly because agents that reduce cognitive function and attention span as well as promote disruptive behavior will have life-long consequences. Lead exposure, especially to children, is a major health disparity issue. If the next generation starts with reduced cognitive ability, there will be significant barriers for development of skills and country-wide development. While there are many sources of exposure to lead, the commonest source is lead in soil and dust. Since lead is an element, it does not go away and past releases of lead into the environment remain as soil and dust contamination. This is an especially important route of exposure to children because children regularly play in soil and are exposed via hand-to-mouth activity. In addition to indoor sources of lead, contaminated soil is tracked on shoes or feet and blown by air currents into homes, accumulating in household dust which is a major source of exposure for both children and adults. The purpose of this review is to determine standards presumed to be health protective for lead and dust in different countries. We find that many countries have no standards for lead in soil and dust and rely on standards set by the World Health Organization or the US Environmental Protection Agency, and these standards may or may not be enforced. There is considerable variation in standards set by other countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omosehin D Moyebi
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, 1084 University at Albany , Rensselaer, NY, USA
- Nursing Program, School of Science, Navajo Technical University, Crownpoint, NM, USA
| | - Tamba Lebbie
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, 1084 University at Albany , Rensselaer, NY, USA
| | - David O Carpenter
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, 1084 University at Albany , Rensselaer, NY, USA
- A World Health Organization Collaborating Center on Environmental Health, 1084 Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany , Rensselaer, NY, USA
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Wylie AC, Short SJ, Fry RC, Mills-Koonce WR, Propper CB. Maternal prenatal lead levels and neonatal brain volumes: Testing moderations by maternal depressive symptoms and family income. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2024; 102:107322. [PMID: 38244816 PMCID: PMC10990786 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2024.107322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
There is considerable evidence that prenatal lead exposure is detrimental to child cognitive and socio-emotional development. Further evidence suggests that the effects of prenatal lead on developmental outcomes may be conditional upon exposure to social stressors, such as maternal depression and low socioeconomic status. However, no studies have examined associations between these co-occurring stressors during pregnancy and neonatal brain volumes. Leveraging a sample of 101 mother-infant dyads followed beginning in mid-pregnancy, we examined the main effects of prenatal urinary lead levels on neonatal lateralized brain volumes (left and right hippocampus, amygdala, cerebellum, frontal lobes) and total gray matter. We additionally tested for moderations between lead and depressive symptoms and between lead and family income relative to the federal poverty level (FPL) on the same neurodevelopmental outcomes. Analyses of main effects indicated that prenatal lead was significantly (ps < 0.05) associated with reduced right and left amygdala volumes (βs = -0.23- -0.20). The testing and probing of cross-product interaction terms using simple slopes indicated that the negative effect of lead on the left amygdala was conditional upon mothers having low depressive symptoms or high income relative to the FPL. We interpret the results in the context of trajectories of prenatal and postnatal brain development and susceptibility to low levels of prenatal lead in the context of other social stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda C Wylie
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States; Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States.
| | - Sarah J Short
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States; Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States; Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
| | - W Roger Mills-Koonce
- School of Education, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Cathi B Propper
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States; School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
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Reuben A, Ward R, Rothbaum AO, Cornelison VL, Huffman S, McTeague LM, Schmidt MG, Specht AJ, Kilpatrick DG. Who tests for lead and why? A 10-year analysis of blood lead screening, follow-up and CNS outcomes in a statewide US healthcare system. Occup Environ Med 2024; 81:101-108. [PMID: 38272665 PMCID: PMC11099936 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2023-109210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aims to determine (1) which providers in US healthcare systems order lead tests, why and at what frequency and (2) whether current patient population lead levels are predictive of clinical outcomes. METHODS Retrospective medical record study of all blood lead tests in the Medical University of South Carolina healthcare system 2012-2016 and consequent evidence of central nervous system (CNS)-related disease across a potential 10-year window (2012-2022). RESULTS Across 4 years, 9726 lead tests resulted for 7181 patients (49.0% female; 0-94 years), representing 0.2% of the hospital population. Most tests were for young (76.6%≤age 3) and non-Hispanic black (47.2%) and Hispanic (26.7%) patients. A wide variety of providers ordered tests; however, most were ordered by paediatrics, psychiatry, internal medicine and neurology. Lead levels ranged from ≤2.0 µg/dL (80.8%) to ≥10 µg/dL (0.8%; max 36 µg/dL). 201 children (3.1%) had initial lead levels over the reference value for case management at the time (5.0 µg/dL). Many high level children did not receive follow-up testing in the system (36.3%) and those that did often failed to see levels fall below 5.0 µg/dL (80.1%). Non-Hispanic black and Hispanic patients were more likely to see lead levels stay high or go up over time. Over follow-up, children with high lead levels were more likely to receive new attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder diagnoses and new psychiatric medications. No significant associations were found between lead test results and new CNS diagnoses or medications among adults. CONCLUSIONS Hospital lead testing covers a small portion of patients but includes a wide range of ages, presentations and provider specialities. Lack of lead decline among many paediatric patients suggests there is room to improve provider guidance around when to test and follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Reuben
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Ralph Ward
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Alex O Rothbaum
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Vickey L Cornelison
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Sarah Huffman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Lisa M McTeague
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Michael G Schmidt
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Aaron J Specht
- College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Dean G Kilpatrick
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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Buford KN, Snidow CR, Curiel TG, Dark HE, Purcell JB, Grey DK, Mrug S, Knight DC. Hippocampal and amygdala volumes vary with residential proximity to toxicants at Birmingham, Alabama's 35th Avenue Superfund site. Behav Neurosci 2023; 137:330-338. [PMID: 37471045 PMCID: PMC10528239 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental toxicants have serious implications for the general health and well-being of children, particularly during pivotal neurodevelopmental stages. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Superfund program has identified several areas (Superfund sites) across the United States with high levels of environmental toxicants, which affect the health of many residents in nearby communities. Exposure to these environmental toxicants has been linked to changes in the structure and function of the brain. However, limited research has investigated the relationship between the proximity of childhood homes to a Superfund site and the development of subcortical structures like the hippocampus and amygdala. The present study investigated the hippocampal and amygdala volumes of young adults in relation to the proximity of their childhood homes to Birmingham, Alabama's 35th Avenue Superfund site. Forty participants who either lived within or adjacent to the Superfund site (Proximal group; n = 20) or who lived elsewhere in the greater Birmingham metropolitan area (Distal group; n = 20) were included in this study. Both groups were matched on age, sex, race, and years of education. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to compare the gray matter volume of the hippocampus and amygdala between groups. Differences in bilateral hippocampal and left amygdala volumes were observed. Specifically, hippocampal and amygdala volumes were greater in the Proximal than Distal group. These findings suggest that the proximity of children's homes to environmental toxicants may impact the development of the hippocampus and amygdala. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen N. Buford
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Carly R. Snidow
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Tasha G. Curiel
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Heather E. Dark
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Juliann B. Purcell
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Devon K. Grey
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Sylvie Mrug
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - David C. Knight
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
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Wang T, Guan RL, Zou YF, Zheng G, Shen XF, Cao ZP, Yang RH, Liu MC, Du KJ, Li XH, Aschner M, Zhao MG, Chen JY, Luo WJ. MiR-130/SNAP-25 axis regulate presynaptic alteration in anterior cingulate cortex involved in lead induced attention deficits. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 443:130249. [PMID: 36332276 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Brain volume decrease in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) after lead (Pb) exposure has been linked to persistent impairment of attention behavior. However, the precise structural change and molecular mechanism for the Pb-induced ACC alteration and its contribution to inattention have yet to be fully characterized. The present study determined the role of miRNA regulated synaptic structural and functional impairment in the ACC and its relationship to attention deficit disorder in Pb exposed mice. Results showed that Pb exposure induced presynaptic impairment and structural alterations in the ACC. Furthermore, we screened for critical miRNA targets responsible for the synaptic alteration. We found that miR-130, which regulates presynaptic vesicle releasing protein SNAP-25, was responsible for the presynaptic impairment in the ACC and attention deficits in mice. Blocking miR-130 function reversed the Pb-induced decrease in the expression of its presynaptic target SNAP-25, leading to the redistribution of presynaptic vesicles, as well as improved presynaptic function and attention in Pb exposed mice. We report, for the first time, that miR-130 regulating SNAP-25 mediates Pb-induced presynaptic structural and functional impairment in the ACC along with attention deficit disorder in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wang
- Department of Occupational & Environmental Health and the Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
| | - Rui-Li Guan
- Department of Occupational & Environmental Health and the Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Yun-Feng Zou
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Gang Zheng
- Department of Occupational & Environmental Health and the Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Xue-Feng Shen
- Department of Occupational & Environmental Health and the Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Zi-Peng Cao
- Department of Occupational & Environmental Health and the Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Rui-Hua Yang
- Department of Nutrition & Food Hygiene and the Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Ming-Chao Liu
- Department of Occupational & Environmental Health and the Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Ke-Jun Du
- Department of Occupational & Environmental Health and the Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Xue-Hang Li
- Department of Occupational & Environmental Health and the Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Ming-Gao Zhao
- Precision Pharmacy & Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
| | - Jing Yuan Chen
- Department of Occupational & Environmental Health and the Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
| | - Wen-Jing Luo
- Department of Occupational & Environmental Health and the Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
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Zheng J, Reynolds JE, Long M, Ostertag C, Pollock T, Hamilton M, Dunn JF, Liu J, Martin J, Grohs M, Landman B, Huo Y, Dewey D, Kurrasch D, Lebel C. The effects of prenatal bisphenol A exposure on brain volume of children and young mice. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 214:114040. [PMID: 35952745 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114040] [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: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic chemical used for the manufacturing of plastics, epoxy resin, and many personal care products. This ubiquitous endocrine disruptor is detectable in the urine of over 80% of North Americans. Although adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes have been observed in children with high gestational exposure to BPA, the effects of prenatal BPA on brain structure remain unclear. Here, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we studied the associations of maternal BPA exposure with children's brain structure, as well as the impact of comparable BPA levels in a mouse model. Our human data showed that most maternal BPA exposure effects on brain volumes were small, with the largest effects observed in the opercular region of the inferior frontal gyrus (ρ = -0.2754), superior occipital gyrus (ρ = -0.2556), and postcentral gyrus (ρ = 0.2384). In mice, gestational exposure to an equivalent level of BPA (2.25 μg BPA/kg bw/day) induced structural alterations in brain regions including the superior olivary complex (SOC) and bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST) with larger effect sizes (1.07≤ Cohens d ≤ 1.53). Human (n = 87) and rodent (n = 8 each group) sample sizes, while small, are considered adequate to perform the primary endpoint analysis. Combined, these human and mouse data suggest that gestational exposure to low levels of BPA may have some impacts on the developing brain at the resolution of MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zheng
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jess E Reynolds
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Madison Long
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Curtis Ostertag
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Tyler Pollock
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Max Hamilton
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jeff F Dunn
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jiaying Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Jonathan Martin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Melody Grohs
- Department of Paediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Bennett Landman
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yuankai Huo
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Deborah Dewey
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Deborah Kurrasch
- Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Catherine Lebel
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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No association between prenatal lead exposure and neurodevelopment during early childhood in the Japan Environment and Children's Study. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15305. [PMID: 36097036 PMCID: PMC9468004 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19509-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Compared with the relatively well-investigated effects of childhood exposure to lead on neurocognitive deficits, those of prenatal exposure remain relatively inconclusive. We aimed to investigate the association between prenatal blood lead levels and neurodevelopmental delay during the first three years of life. From a prospective cohort of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, we analyzed a total of 80,759 children. The exposure factors were prenatal lead concentrations measured from maternal whole blood in the second/third trimesters and umbilical cord blood at birth. Neurodevelopment was assessed at 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months old using a screening tool, the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, third edition (ASQ). The outcome measures were any suspected neurodevelopmental delay (sNDD) identified via the ASQ during the first (sNDD-1Y), second (sNDD-2Y), and third (sNDD-3Y) years of life. sNDD-1Y, 2Y, and 3Y were identified in 18.0%, 16.2%, and 17.2% of children, respectively. The geometric means of blood lead concentration in this study were much lower (0.62 μg/dL in maternal blood and 0.50 μg/dL in cord blood) than previously investigated levels. Multivariable regression models revealed that there were no associations between maternal blood lead and sNDD-1Y and 2Y and between cord blood lead and sNDD-1Y, 2Y, and 3Y. Although a higher maternal blood lead was associated with a reduced risk of sNDD-3Y (adjusted relative risk: 0.84, 95% confidence interval 0.75–0.94, per 1 increase in common logarithm of lead concentration), there were no dose–response relationships in the analysis using quintiles of lead concentrations. Using a large-scale data set, the present study demonstrated no convincing evidence for an inverse association between levels of prenatal blood lead and neurodevelopment in early childhood. Longitudinal measurements of prenatal and postnatal lead levels are needed to understand the relationship between lead exposure and neurocognitive development.
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11
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Migneron-Foisy V, Muckle G, Jacobson JL, Ayotte P, Jacobson SW, Saint-Amour D. Impact of chronic exposure to legacy environmental contaminants on the corpus callosum microstructure: A diffusion MRI study of Inuit adolescents. Neurotoxicology 2022; 92:200-211. [PMID: 35995272 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2022.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental contaminants is an important public health concern for the Inuit population of northern Québec, who have been exposed to mercury (Hg), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and lead (Pb). During the last 25 years, the Nunavik Child Development Study (NCDS) birth cohort has reported adverse associations between these exposures and brain function outcomes. In the current study, we aimed to determine whether contaminant exposure is associated with alterations of the corpus callosum (CC), which plays an important role in various cognitive, motor and sensory function processes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was administered to 89 NCDS participants (mean age ± SD = 18.4 ± 1.2). Diffusion-weighted imaging was assessed to characterize the microstructure of the CC white matter in 7 structurally and functionally distinct regions of interest (ROIs) using a tractography-based segmentation approach. The following metrics were computed: fiber tract density, fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD). Multiple linear regression models adjusted for sex, age, current alcohol/drug use and fish nutrients (omega-3 fatty acids and selenium) were conducted to assess the association between diffusion-weighted imaging metrics and Hg, PCB 153 and Pb concentrations obtained at birth in the cord blood and postnatally (mean values from blood samples at 11 and 18 years of age). Exposures were not associated with fiber tract density. Nor were significant associations found with cord and postnatal blood Pb concentrations for FA. However, pre- and postnatal Hg and PCB concentrations were significantly associated with higher FA of several regions of the CC, namely anterior midbody, posterior midbody, isthmus, and splenium, with the most pronounced effects observed in the splenium. FA results were mainly associated with lower RD. This study shows that exposure to Hg and PCB 153 alters the posterior microstructure of the CC, providing neuroimaging evidence of how developmental exposure to environmental chemicals can impair brain function and behavior in late adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Migneron-Foisy
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- School of Psychology, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada; Centre de Recherche du CHUQ de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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12
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Cardenas-Iniguez C, Burnor E, Herting MM. Neurotoxicants, the developing brain, and mental health. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 2:223-232. [PMID: 35911498 PMCID: PMC9337627 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
While life in urban environments may confer a number of benefits, it may also result in a variety of exposures, with toxic consequences for neurodevelopment and neuropsychological health. Neurotoxicants are any of a large number of chemicals or substances that interfere with normal function and/or compromise adaptation in the central and/or peripheral nervous system. Evidence suggests that neurotoxicant effects have a greater effect when occurring in utero and during early childhood. Recent findings exploring neural-level mechanisms provide a crucial opportunity to explore the ways in which environmental conditions may get “under the skin” to impact a number of psychological behaviors and cognitive processes, ultimately allowing for greater synergy between macro- and microlevel efforts to improve mental health in the presence of neurotoxicant exposures. In this review, we provide an overview of 3 types of neurotoxicants related to the built environment and relevant to brain development during childhood and adolescence: lead exposure, outdoor particulate matter pollution, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. We also discuss mechanisms through which these neurotoxicants affect central nervous system function, including recent evidence from neuroimaging literature. Furthermore, we discuss neurotoxicants and mental health during development in the context of social determinants and how differences in the spatial distribution of neurotoxicant exposures result in health disparities that disproportionately affect low-income and minority populations. Multifaceted approaches incorporating social systems and their effect on neurotoxicant exposures and downstream mental health will be key to reduce societal costs and improve quality of life for children, adolescents, and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
- Address correspondence to Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez, Ph.D.
| | - Elisabeth Burnor
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Megan M. Herting
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Megan M. Herting, Ph.D.
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13
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Sears CG, Lanphear BP, Xu Y, Chen A, Yolton K, Braun JM. Identifying periods of heightened susceptibility to lead exposure in relation to behavioral problems. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2022; 32:1-9. [PMID: 34728761 PMCID: PMC8776587 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-021-00389-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lead exposure is associated with behavioral problems in children, but the age(s) of greatest susceptibility to low-level lead exposure is unknown. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the association of repeated blood lead concentrations with parent-reported behaviors to identify periods of heightened susceptibility during infancy and childhood (HOME Study; Cincinnati, OH; 2003-2006; n = 244). METHODS We quantified lead in whole blood samples (ages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8 years) and assessed behavior using the Behavioral Assessment System for Children-2 (BASC-2; ages 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8 years). We used multiple informant models and modified Poisson regression to estimate covariate-adjusted associations of ln-transformed blood lead concentrations with continuous BASC-2 T-scores and the relative risk of behavior scores classified as at-risk or clinically significant, respectively. RESULTS We observed trends indicating that higher blood lead concentrations at all ages were adversely associated with scores on behavioral scales. On the Externalizing Problems and Adaptive Skills scales, these associations were strongest for blood lead concentrations at age 8 years (β = 3.1-point; 95% CI = 0.7, 5.4 and β = -2.2-point; 95% CI = -4.9, 0.5, respectively) compared with other ages. Overall, higher blood lead concentrations were associated with elevated risk of behavior scores classified as at-risk or clinically significant on the Adaptive Skills, Behavioral Symptom Index, and Externalizing Problems scales. SIGNIFICANCE Contemporary levels of lead exposure during the first 8 years of life were associated with ADHD-related behaviors, specifically aggression, hyperactivity, and conduct problems. IMPACT STATEMENT Our results highlight the importance of primary lead prevention across childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara G Sears
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
- Division of Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
| | - Bruce P Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Yingying Xu
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Aimin Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kimberly Yolton
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Joseph M Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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14
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Cruz GB, Vasquez MA, Cabañas E, Joseph JN, Skeen JC, Lynch KP, Ahmed I, Khairi EB, Bonitto JR, Clarke EG, Rubi S, Hameed N, Kaur S, Mathew N, Dacius TF, Jose TJ, Handford G, Wolfe S, Feher A, Tidwell K, Tobin J, Ugalde E, Fee S, Choe A, Gillenwater K, Hindi B, Pilout S, Natale NR, Domahoski N, Kent MH, Jacob JC, Lambert KG, Neuwirth LS. Developmental Lead Exposure in Rats Causes Sex-Dependent Changes in Neurobiological and Anxiety-Like Behaviors that Are Improved by Taurine Co-treatment. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1370:461-479. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-93337-1_43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
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15
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Marshall AT, McConnell R, Lanphear BP, Thompson WK, Herting MM, Sowell ER. Risk of lead exposure, subcortical brain structure, and cognition in a large cohort of 9- to 10-year-old children. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258469. [PMID: 34648580 PMCID: PMC8516269 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lead, a toxic metal, affects cognitive development at the lowest measurable concentrations found in children, but little is known about its direct impact on brain development. Recently, we reported widespread decreases in cortical surface area and volume with increased risks of lead exposure, primarily in children of low-income families. METHODS AND FINDINGS We examined associations of neighborhood-level risk of lead exposure with cognitive test performance and subcortical brain volumes. We also examined whether subcortical structure mediated associations between lead risk and cognitive performance. Our analyses employed a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the observational Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. The multi-center ABCD Study used school-based enrollment to recruit a demographically diverse cohort of almost 11,900 9- and 10-year-old children from an initial 22 study sites. The analyzed sample included data from 8,524 typically developing child participants and their parents or caregivers. The primary outcomes and measures were subcortical brain structure, cognitive performance using the National Institutes of Health Toolbox, and geocoded risk of lead exposure. Children who lived in neighborhoods with greater risks of environmental lead exposure exhibited smaller volumes of the mid-anterior (partial correlation coefficient [rp] = -0.040), central (rp = -0.038), and mid-posterior corpus callosum (rp = -0.035). Smaller volumes of these three callosal regions were associated with poorer performance on cognitive tests measuring language and processing speed. The association of lead exposure risk with cognitive performance was partially mediated through callosal volume, particularly the mid-posterior corpus callosum. In contrast, neighborhood-level indicators of disadvantage were not associated with smaller volumes of these brain structures. CONCLUSIONS Environmental factors related to the risk of lead exposure may be associated with certain aspects of cognitive functioning via diminished subcortical brain structure, including the anterior splenium (i.e., mid-posterior corpus callosum).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T. Marshall
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Rob McConnell
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Bruce P. Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Wesley K. Thompson
- Department of Biostatistics, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Megan M. Herting
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth R. Sowell
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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16
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Beckwith TJ, Dietrich KN, Wright JP, Altaye M, Cecil KM. Criminal arrests associated with reduced regional brain volumes in an adult population with documented childhood lead exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 201:111559. [PMID: 34181918 PMCID: PMC8478799 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Childhood lead exposure interferes with brain maturation, which adversely impacts cognitive and behavioral development. Lower intelligence scores, impairments in decision making, and increased rates of delinquent and criminal behavior are adverse outcomes linked to childhood lead absorption. The present study examined the relationships between childhood blood lead concentrations, structural brain volume, and measures of adult criminality. We hypothesized that increased rates of criminal arrests in adulthood would be inversely correlated with regional gray and white matter volumes, especially prefrontal areas responsible for decision making and self-control. We obtained childhood blood lead histories and anatomical magnetic resonance imaging from a subset of the longitudinally followed birth cohort known as the Cincinnati Lead Study. Criminality data for cohort participants were extracted from public databases. Voxel based morphometry was used to examine spatial differences in regional gray and white matter volumes associated with childhood blood lead concentrations and measures of adult criminality, respectively. Conjunction analyses allowed for the exploratory evaluation of common regions of volume change. Childhood blood lead concentrations were inversely associated with gray and white matter volume in the frontal, parietal and temporal lobes. Gray matter volumes were also inversely associated with criminal arrests with key regions within the cingulate, precuneus, several frontal gyri and the supplementary motor area. Conjunction analyses identified regions in the anterior cingulate, frontal gray matter and supplementary motor area associated with childhood lead absorption and criminality. The results from this study suggest that reduced brain volumes in regions responsible for cognition and emotional regulation are associated with childhood lead exposure and criminal arrests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis J Beckwith
- Molecular Epidemiology in Children's Environmental Health Training Program, Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Imaging Research Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kim N Dietrich
- Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, Division of Epidemiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - John P Wright
- School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Mekibib Altaye
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kim M Cecil
- Imaging Research Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, Division of Epidemiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Department of Radiology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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17
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Farmus L, Till C, Green R, Hornung R, Martinez Mier EA, Ayotte P, Muckle G, Lanphear BP, Flora DB. Critical windows of fluoride neurotoxicity in Canadian children. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 200:111315. [PMID: 34051202 PMCID: PMC9884092 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fluoride has been associated with IQ deficits during early brain development, but the period in which children are most sensitive is unknown. OBJECTIVE We assessed effects of fluoride on IQ scores across prenatal and postnatal exposure windows. METHODS We used repeated exposures from 596 mother-child pairs in the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals pregnancy and birth cohort. Fluoride was measured in urine (mg/L) collected from women during pregnancy and in their children between 1.9 and 4.4 years; urinary fluoride was adjusted for specific gravity. We estimated infant fluoride exposure (mg/day) using water fluoride concentration and duration of formula-feeding over the first year of life. Intelligence was assessed at 3-4 years using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-III. We used generalized estimating equations to examine the associations between fluoride exposures and IQ, adjusting for covariates. We report results based on standardized exposures given their varying units of measurement. RESULTS The association between fluoride and performance IQ (PIQ) significantly differed across prenatal, infancy, and childhood exposure windows collapsing across child sex (p = .001). The strongest association between fluoride and PIQ was during the prenatal window, B = -2.36, 95% CI: -3.63, -1.08; the association was also significant during infancy, B = -2.11, 95% CI: -3.45, -0.76, but weaker in childhood, B = -1.51, 95% CI: -2.90, -0.12. Within sex, the association between fluoride and PIQ significantly differed across the three exposure windows (boys: p = .01; girls: p = .01); among boys, the strongest association was during the prenatal window, B = -3.01, 95% CI: -4.60, -1.42, whereas among girls, the strongest association was during infancy, B = -2.71, 95% CI: -4.59, -0.83. Full-scale IQ estimates were weaker than PIQ estimates for every window. Fluoride was not significantly associated with Verbal IQ across any exposure window. CONCLUSION Associations between fluoride exposure and PIQ differed based on timing of exposure. The prenatal window may be critical for boys, whereas infancy may be a critical window for girls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Farmus
- Faculty of Health, York University, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Rivka Green
- Faculty of Health, York University, Ontario, Canada
| | - Richard Hornung
- Pediatrics and Environmental Health, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - E Angeles Martinez Mier
- Department of Cardiology, Operative Dentistry and Dental Public Health, Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indiana, USA
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Centre de Recherche Du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada; Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Laval University, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre de Recherche Du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada; School of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec, Canada
| | - Bruce P Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada; Child & Family Research Institute, BC Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada
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18
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Wright JP, Lanphear BP, Dietrich KN, Bolger M, Tully L, Cecil KM, Sacarellos C. Developmental lead exposure and adult criminal behavior: A 30-year prospective birth cohort study. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2021; 85:106960. [PMID: 33617950 PMCID: PMC8582283 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2021.106960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Using a variety of research designs and measures of lead absorption, numerous studies link childhood lead exposure to a range of cognitive and behavioral deficits, including low IQ, impulsivity, juvenile delinquency, and criminal behavior in adolescence and early adulthood. In this study, we tested the association between multiple measures of blood lead concentration assessed in childhood with criminal behavior in adulthood and across the life-course. Prospective data from the Cincinnati Lead Study (CLS) included blood lead measures quarterly across the first 78 months of life and the number of times a person was arrested across the life-course (from age 18 to 33 years) and in later adulthood (age 27 to 33 years). Childhood blood lead concentration prospectively predicted variation in adult arrests and arrests over the life-course, indicating lead absorption is implicated in the etiology of crime-especially in geographic areas where environmental sources of lead are more prevalent and concentrated. Efforts to decrease lead exposure in both developed and developing countries should be part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce social dislocation and crime.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Paul Wright
- School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, OH 45221, United States of America.
| | - Bruce P Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University and Child and Family Research Institute, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Kim N Dietrich
- Department of Environmental Health, Division of Epidemiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, United States of America.
| | - Michelle Bolger
- Department of Social Science, Criminal Justice Program, DeSales University, Center Valley, PA 18034, United States of America.
| | - Lisa Tully
- Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States of America.
| | - Kim M Cecil
- Department of Environmental Health, Division of Epidemiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, United States of America; Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States of America.
| | - Catherine Sacarellos
- School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, OH 45221, United States of America
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19
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Lamoureux-Tremblay V, Chauret M, Muckle G, Maheu F, Suffren S, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL, Ayotte P, Lepore F, Saint-Amour D. Altered functional activations of prefrontal brain areas during emotional processing of fear in Inuit adolescents exposed to environmental contaminants. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2021; 85:106973. [PMID: 33741477 PMCID: PMC8137647 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2021.106973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to mercury, lead and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been associated with emotional dysregulation, but their neuronal correlates have yet to be examined. Inuit from Nunavik (Northern Quebec, Canada) face internalizing problems and are among the most exposed individuals to these environmental contaminants in the world. The aim of this study was to examine the link between pre- and postnatal exposure to these contaminants and brain fear-circuitry in Inuit adolescents. Facial expression stimuli were presented to participants (mean age = 18.3 years) in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Fear conditioning and extinction tasks included neutral faces as the conditioned threat and safety cues and a fearful face paired with a shrieking scream as the unconditioned stimulus. Functional MRI data were gathered at the conditioning phase (n = 71) and at the extinction phase (n = 62). Mercury, lead and PCB 153 concentrations were measured in blood samples at birth (cord blood) and at the time of the adolescent testing to estimate pre- and postnatal exposure, respectively. For each time point, exposures were categorized in tertiles (low, moderate and high exposed groups). Mixed analyses of variance were conducted for each contaminant of interest controlling for sex, age, socioeconomic status, drug/alcohol use, food insecurity and contaminant co-exposure. Results revealed greater differential activation during the conditioning phase in the right orbitofrontal cortex in participants with moderate and high concentrations of cord blood PCB 153 compared to those in the low exposure group. During the extinction phase, the high prenatal mercury exposed group showed a lower differential activation in the right and left anterior cingulate cortex compared to those in the low-exposed group; whereas there was a higher differential activation in right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the high postnatal lead exposed group compared to the moderate- and low-exposed groups. Our study is the first to show alterations in the prefrontal brain areas in fear conditioning and extinction tasks in relation to environmental contaminant exposures. The observed brain correlates may advance our understanding of the emotional problems associated with environmental chemical toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mélissa Chauret
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre de Recherche du CHUQ de Québec-Université Laval, École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Françoise Maheu
- Research Centre of CHU Ste-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sabrina Suffren
- Research Centre of CHU Ste-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Franco Lepore
- Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Research Centre of CHU Ste-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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20
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Rasnick E, Ryan PH, Bailer AJ, Fisher T, Parsons PJ, Yolton K, Newman NC, Lanphear BP, Brokamp C. Identifying sensitive windows of airborne lead exposure associated with behavioral outcomes at age 12. Environ Epidemiol 2021; 5:e144. [PMID: 33870016 PMCID: PMC8043737 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the precipitous decline of airborne lead concentrations following the removal of lead in gasoline, lead is still detectable in ambient air in most urban areas. Few studies, however, have examined the health effects of contemporary airborne lead concentrations in children. METHODS We estimated monthly air lead exposure among 263 children (Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution Study; Cincinnati, OH; 2001-2005) using temporally scaled predictions from a validated land use model and assessed neurobehavioral outcomes at age 12 years using the parent-completed Behavioral Assessment System for Children, 2nd edition. We used distributed lag models to estimate the effect of airborne lead exposure on behavioral outcomes while adjusting for potential confounding by maternal education, community-level deprivation, blood lead concentrations, greenspace, and traffic related air pollution. RESULTS We identified sensitive windows during mid- and late childhood for increased anxiety and atypicality scores, whereas sensitive windows for increased aggression and attention problems were identified immediately following birth. The strongest effect was at age 12, where a 1 ng/m3 increase in airborne lead exposure was associated with a 3.1-point (95% confidence interval: 0.4, 5.7) increase in anxiety scores. No sensitive windows were identified for depression, somatization, conduct problems, hyperactivity, or withdrawal behaviors. CONCLUSIONS We observed associations between exposure to airborne lead concentrations and poor behavioral outcomes at concentrations 10 times lower than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards set by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Rasnick
- Department of Statistics, Miami University, Oxford
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Patrick H. Ryan
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | | | | | - Patrick J. Parsons
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, Rensselaer, New York
| | - Kimberly Yolton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Nicholas C. Newman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany
- Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Bruce P. Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Cole Brokamp
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
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21
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Zeng X, Xu C, Xu X, Zhang Y, Huang Y, Huo X. Elevated lead levels in relation to low serum neuropeptide Y and adverse behavioral effects in preschool children with e-waste exposure. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 269:129380. [PMID: 33383249 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129380] [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: 10/17/2020] [Revised: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
As a neurotoxicant, lead (Pb) primarily affects central nervous system, and particularly impacts developing brain. This study explores the associations of blood Pb level and children's behavioral health. A total of 213 preschool children aged 3-7 years old were recruited from Guiyu (the e-waste-exposed area) and Haojiang (the reference area). The behavioral health of children was assessed using the 'behavioral symptoms' subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results showed that there was a significant difference in percent of children categorized as "at risk" between Guiyu (48.2%) and Haojiang (13.9%) (p < 0.001). The blood Pb level of children in Guiyu was significantly higher than those in Haojiang (median: 5.19 μg/dL vs. 3.42 μg/dL, p < 0.001). The serum Neuropeptide Y (NPY) was significantly lower in Guiyu children than those in Haojiang. Spearman correlation analyses demonstrated that blood Pb levels was negatively correlated with NPY (rs = -0.25, p < 0.001), but positively correlated with behavioral symptom scores; while serum NPY levels were negatively associated with behavioral symptom scores. Behavioral symptom scores were higher in children with blood Pb level ≥5.00 μg/dL (high) than those with blood Pb level < 5.00 μg/dL (low). After adjusting for confounding factors, children with lower NPY levels were at higher risk of having behavioral difficulties. In conclusion, Pb exposure in e-waste-exposed areas may lead to decrease in serum NPY and increase in the risk of children's behavioral problems. In addition, NPY may mediate the association between Pb exposure and behavioral difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Zeng
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Cheng Xu
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, And Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - Xijin Xu
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, And Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, And Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, 9713, GZ, the Netherlands
| | - Yu Huang
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, And Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - Xia Huo
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China.
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22
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The Relationship between Occupationally Exposed Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead and Brain Bioelectrical Activity-A Visual and Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials Study. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11030350. [PMID: 33801787 PMCID: PMC7998874 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11030350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the parameters of visual and brainstem auditory evoked potentials in patients occupationally exposed to arsenic, cadmium and lead. The study group comprised 41 copper smelter and refinery workers (average age: 51.27) with occupational exposure to arsenic, cadmium and lead. The control group consisted of 36 healthy volunteers (35 men and 1 woman, aged 27-66, average age: 51.08). Neurological examination, brain imaging, and visual and brainstem auditory evoked potentials were performed, and the relationship between blood Cd, Pb concentration (Cd-B, Pb-B), blood zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP), and urine As concentration (As-U) were assessed. In the workers, exceedances of allowable biological concentrations were observed, with the urinary concentration of arsenic being 5.2%, the cadmium and lead in blood being 1.3%, while the case of ZnPP was 2.6%. The mean P100, relative P100, and N145 visual evoked potential (VEP) latencies were significantly longer in exposed workers than in the controls. The mean wave III and V brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) latency and the mean wave III-V and I-V interpeak latencies were longer, and the I and V amplitude was lower in the workers than the controls. In summary, occupational exposure to As, Cd, and Pb is associated with prolonged latency and reduced evoked potential amplitude, but As-U, Pb-B, Cd-B, and ZnPP concentrations are not linearly related to potential components. The analysis of evoked potentials may be a useful method of assessment of the central nervous system in patients with occupational exposure to heavy metals.
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23
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Naffaa V, Laprévote O, Schang AL. Effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals on myelin development and diseases. Neurotoxicology 2020; 83:51-68. [PMID: 33352275 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2020.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In the central and peripheral nervous systems, myelin is essential for efficient conduction of action potentials. During development, oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells differentiate and ensure axon myelination, and disruption of these processes can contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders. In adults, demyelination can lead to important disabilities, and recovery capacities by remyelination often decrease with disease progression. Among environmental chemical pollutants, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are of major concern for human health and are notably suspected to participate in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we have combined the current knowledge on EDCs impacts on myelin including several persistent organic pollutants, bisphenol A, triclosan, heavy metals, pesticides, and nicotine. Besides, we presented several other endocrine modulators, including pharmaceuticals and the phytoestrogen genistein, some of which are candidates for treating demyelinating conditions but could also be deleterious as contaminants. The direct impacts of EDCs on myelinating cells were considered as well as their indirect consequences on myelin, particularly on immune mechanisms associated with demyelinating conditions. More studies are needed to describe the effects of these compounds and to further understand the underlying mechanisms in relation to the potential for endocrine disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Naffaa
- Université de Paris, UMR 8038 (CiTCoM), CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie de Paris, 4 avenue de l'Observatoire, 75006 Paris, France.
| | - Olivier Laprévote
- Université de Paris, UMR 8038 (CiTCoM), CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie de Paris, 4 avenue de l'Observatoire, 75006 Paris, France; Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, AP-HP, Service de Biochimie, 20 rue Leblanc, 75015 Paris, France.
| | - Anne-Laure Schang
- Université de Paris, UMR 1153 (CRESS), Faculté de Pharmacie de Paris, 4 avenue de l'Observatoire, 75006 Paris, France.
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24
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Green R, Rubenstein J, Popoli R, Capulong R, Till C. Sex-specific neurotoxic effects of early-life exposure to fluoride: A review of the epidemiologic and animal literature. CURR EPIDEMIOL REP 2020; 7:263-273. [PMID: 33816056 PMCID: PMC8011433 DOI: 10.1007/s40471-020-00246-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW A growing body of evidence suggests adverse neurodevelopmental effects of early-life exposure to fluoride that may differ depending on timing of exposure and sex of the exposed. We conducted a literature search to identify the animal and human epidemiologic studies that examined sex-specific neurodevelopmental differences in response to prenatal and postnatal exposure to fluoride. RECENT FINDINGS Six of 138 animal studies and 15 of 106 human epidemiologic studies tested for sex-specific effects. Prenatal exposure to fluoride was associated with a male susceptibility to adverse behavioural effects in four of six animal studies and lower IQ in one of three prospective cohort studies. The body of evidence examining sex-effects associated with postnatal fluoride exposure was scarce, and many animal and cross-sectional human studies were considered to have a high risk of bias. SUMMARY Compared to females, male offspring appear to be more sensitive to prenatal, but not postnatal, exposure to fluoride. We discuss several sex-specific mechanisms and emphasize the need for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Green
- York University, Department of Psychology, 4700 Keele St
| | - J. Rubenstein
- York University, Department of Psychology, 4700 Keele St
| | - R. Popoli
- York University, Department of Psychology, 4700 Keele St
| | - R. Capulong
- York University, Department of Psychology, 4700 Keele St
| | - C. Till
- York University, Department of Psychology, 4700 Keele St
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25
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Tatsuta N, Nakai K, Kasanuma Y, Iwai-Shimada M, Sakamoto M, Murata K, Satoh H. Prenatal and postnatal lead exposures and intellectual development among 12-year-old Japanese children. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 189:109844. [PMID: 32678746 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low-level lead exposure during childhood is associated with deficit in child IQ. However, the association between prenatal lead exposure and child IQ remains inconsistent. The objective of our study was to examine the association between prenatal/postnatal lead exposure and child IQ at the age of 12. METHODS We obtained data pertaining to cord-blood and child-blood lead levels and IQ for 286 children from a prospective birth cohort study (Tohoku Study of Child Development). IQ was assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition. Simultaneously, the Boston Naming Test (BNT) was used to assess the children's language ability. RESULTS The median lead level in the cord blood was 0.8 μg/dL (5th-95th percentiles, 0.4-1.4 μg/dL), and that in the blood of 12-year-old children was 0.7 μg/dL (0.4-1.1 μg/dL). IQ and BNT scores were significantly lower in boys than in girls; therefore, multiple regression analysis was conducted separately for boys and girls. Among boys, IQ was associated with child-blood lead (B = -16.362, p = 0.033) but not cord-blood lead (B = -6.844, p = 0.309). When boys were divided into four groups according to the child-blood lead levels, there was a significant decreasing trend for IQ. The score with cues of the BNT was associated with both cord-blood (B = -5.893, p = 0.025) and child-blood (B = -7.108, p = 0.022) lead concentrations in boys. Among girls, there was no significant association of the outcomes with cord-blood or child-blood lead level. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that postnatal lead exposure adversely affects the intellectual ability in boys. Furthermore, the language ability is sensitive to prenatal/postnatal lead exposure in boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nozomi Tatsuta
- Development and Environmental Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Nakai
- Development and Environmental Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
| | - Yuichi Kasanuma
- Kesen-numa City Hospital, Kesen-numa 988-0181, Japan; Minami-Kesennuma Medical Clinic 988-0025, Japan
| | - Miyuki Iwai-Shimada
- Centre for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
| | - Mineshi Sakamoto
- Development and Environmental Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Katsuyuki Murata
- Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita 010-8543, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Satoh
- Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
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26
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Lamoureux-Tremblay V, Muckle G, Maheu F, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL, Ayotte P, Bélanger RE, Saint-Amour D. Risk factors associated with developing anxiety in Inuit adolescents from Nunavik. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2020; 81:106903. [PMID: 32512128 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2020.106903] [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: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the relation between anxiety among the at-risk population of Inuit adolescents and diverse developmental risk factors including exposure to environmental chemicals, a subject of concern in Nunavik. Anxiety was assessed in 89 Inuit participants (mean age = 18.4 years; range = 16.2-21.9) with the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Potential risk factors for anxiety were documented at birth, 11 years of age and 18 years of age, including blood levels of chemicals (mercury, lead, PCBs) and nutrients, as well as age, sex, estimated IQ, drug and alcohol use, bullying, exposure to domestic violence, food insecurity, crowding and socio-economic status. Results showed that participants scored high on both measures of anxiety, particularly the SCARED, for which the mean score was above the clinical threshold. Multiple regression results show that significant risk predictors obtained from the SCARED scores were female sex (β = 0.32), higher current blood mercury concentration (β = 0.26), food insecurity (β = 0.26) and bullying experiences in the last year (β = 0.21). The significant predictors for the STAI trait anxiety were food insecurity (β = 0.25) and lower estimated IQ (β = -0.31), whereas food insecurity (β = 0.21), lower blood levels of vitamin E (β = -0.25) and higher cord blood mercury concentrations (β = 0.25) were found for STAI situational anxiety. Further regression analyses suggested that the adolescent-related variables were the most important risk factors. Our findings show that Inuit adolescents are at risk for anxiety via multiple contributing factors, particularly current exposure to mercury, food insecurity and female sex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gina Muckle
- École de Psychologie, Université Laval, 2325, rue des Bibliothèques, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Françoise Maheu
- Université de Montréal, 90 Avenue Vincent-D'Indy, Outremont, Montréal, Québec H2V 2S9, Canada
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Drive, Detroit 48201, United States
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Drive, Detroit 48201, United States
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Faculté de Médecine, 1050, Avenue de la Médecine, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Richard E Bélanger
- Département de Pédiatrie, Université Laval, Centre mère-enfant Soleil du CHU de Québec, 2705, Boulevard Laurier, Québec, Québec G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Université du Québec à Montréal, 320 Sainte-Catherine Est, Pavillon J.A. De Sève, Montréal, Québec H2X 1L7, Canada..
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27
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Meyer DN, Crofts EJ, Akemann C, Gurdziel K, Farr R, Baker BB, Weber D, Baker TR. Developmental exposure to Pb 2+ induces transgenerational changes to zebrafish brain transcriptome. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 244:125527. [PMID: 31816550 PMCID: PMC7015790 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Lead (Pb2+) is a major public health hazard for urban children, with profound and well-characterized developmental and behavioral implications across the lifespan. The ability of early Pb2+ exposure to induce epigenetic changes is well-established, suggesting that Pb2+-induced neurobehavioral deficits may be heritable across generations. Understanding the long-term and multigenerational repercussions of lead exposure is crucial for clarifying both the genotypic alterations behind these behavioral outcomes and the potential mechanism of heritability. To study this, zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos (<2 h post fertilization; EK strain) were exposed for 24 h to waterborne Pb2+ at a concentration of 10 μM. This exposed F0 generation was raised to adulthood and spawned to produce the F1 generation, which was subsequently spawned to produce the F2 generation. Previous avoidance conditioning studies determined that a 10 μM Pb2+ dose resulted in learning impairments persisting through the F2 generation. RNA was extracted from control- and 10 μM Pb2+-lineage F2 brains, (n = 10 for each group), sequenced, and transcript expression was quantified utilizing Quant-Seq. 648 genes were differentially expressed in the brains of F2 lead-lineage fish versus F2 control-lineage fish. Pathway analysis revealed altered genes in processes including synaptic function and plasticity, neurogenesis, endocrine homeostasis, and epigenetic modification, all of which are implicated in lead-induced neurobehavioral deficits and/or their inheritance. These data will inform future investigations to elucidate the mechanism of adult-onset and transgenerational health effects of developmental lead exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle N Meyer
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Emily J Crofts
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Camille Akemann
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Katherine Gurdziel
- Applied Genome Technology Center, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Rebecca Farr
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Bridget B Baker
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Division of Laboratory Animal Resources, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Daniel Weber
- Children's Environmental Health Sciences Core Center, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Tracie R Baker
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
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28
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Marshall AT, Betts S, Kan EC, McConnell R, Lanphear BP, Sowell ER. Association of lead-exposure risk and family income with childhood brain outcomes. Nat Med 2020; 26:91-97. [PMID: 31932788 PMCID: PMC6980739 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-019-0713-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Socioeconomic factors influence brain development and structure, but most studies have overlooked neurotoxic insults that impair development, such as lead exposure. Childhood lead exposure affects cognitive development at the lowest measurable concentrations, but little is known about its impact on brain development during childhood. We examined cross-sectional associations among brain structure, cognition, geocoded measures of the risk of lead exposure and sociodemographic characteristics in 9,712 9- and 10-year-old children. Here we show stronger negative associations of living in high-lead-risk census tracts in children from lower- versus higher-income families. With increasing risk of exposure, children from lower-income families exhibited lower cognitive test scores, smaller cortical volume and smaller cortical surface area. Reducing environmental insults associated with lead-exposure risk might confer greater benefit to children experiencing more environmental adversity, and further understanding of the factors associated with high lead-exposure risk will be critical for improving such outcomes in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Marshall
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Samantha Betts
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Eric C Kan
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rob McConnell
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Bruce P Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Elizabeth R Sowell
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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29
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Emer LR, Kalkbrenner AE, O'Brien M, Yan A, Cisler RA, Weinhardt L. Association of childhood blood lead levels with firearm violence perpetration and victimization in Milwaukee. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 180:108822. [PMID: 31654907 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Childhood lead exposure impairs future decision-making and may influence criminal behavior, but its role in future firearm violence is unclear. Using public health, education, and criminal justice datasets linked at the individual level, we studied a population-based cohort of all persons born between June 1, 1986 and December 31, 2003 with a valid blood lead test before age 6 years and stable Milwaukee residency (n = 89,129). We estimated associations with firearm violence perpetration (n = 553) and victimization (n = 983) using logistic regression, adjusting for temporal trends, child sex, race, and neighborhood socioeconomic status. Increasing risks for firearm violence perpetration and victimization were found in each higher category of blood lead compared to the lowest, after adjusting for confounding. For perpetration, risk ratios (RR) for increasing comparisons of mean blood lead in categories of ≥5 < 10, ≥10 < 20, and ≥20 μg/dL compared to persons with mean blood lead < 5 μg/dL, were: RR 2.3 (95% CI 1.6, 3.3), RR 2.5 (95% CI 1.7, 3.9), and RR 2.8 (95% CI 1.8, 4.4). For victimization, the same increasing categoric comparisons were: RR 1.8 (95% CI 1.4, 2.3), RR 2.4 (95% CI 1.8, 3.2), RR 3.3 (95% CI 2.4, 4.5). The proportion of firearm violence attributable to blood lead ≥5 μg/dL was 56% for perpetration and 51% for victimization. In Milwaukee, during a period of high lead exposures, childhood levels may have substantially contributed to adult firearm violence. While we cannot definitively conclude causality, the possibility that over half of firearm violence among this sample might be due to lead exposure suggests the potential importance of lead exposure reduction in firearm violence prevention efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay R Emer
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, 1240 North 10th Street, Milwaukee, WI, 53205, USA; Medical College of Wisconsin, Institute for Health and Equity, 8701 Watertown Plank, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA; National Center for State Courts, 300 Newport Avenue, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, USA.
| | - Amy E Kalkbrenner
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, 1240 North 10th Street, Milwaukee, WI, 53205, USA
| | - Mallory O'Brien
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Institute for Health and Equity, 8701 Watertown Plank, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Alice Yan
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, 1240 North 10th Street, Milwaukee, WI, 53205, USA
| | - Ron A Cisler
- Western Michigan University, College of Health and Human Services, 1200 Oakland Drive, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA
| | - Lance Weinhardt
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, 1240 North 10th Street, Milwaukee, WI, 53205, USA
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30
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Wu X, Chen W, Lin F, Huang Q, Zhong J, Gao H, Song Y, Liang H. DNA methylation profile is a quantitative measure of biological aging in children. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 11:10031-10051. [PMID: 31756171 PMCID: PMC6914436 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation changes within the genome can be used to predict human age. However, the existing biological age prediction models based on DNA methylation are predominantly adult-oriented. We established a methylation-based age prediction model for children (9-212 months old) using data from 716 blood samples in 11 DNA methylation datasets. Our elastic net model includes 111 CpG sites, mostly in genes associated with development and aging. The model performed well and exhibited high precision, yielding a 98% correlation between the DNA methylation age and the chronological age, with an error of only 6.7 months. When we used the model to assess age acceleration in children based on their methylation data, we observed the following: first, the aging rate appears to be fastest in mid-childhood, and this acceleration is more pronounced in autistic children; second, lead exposure early in life increases the aging rate in boys, but not in girls; third, short-term recombinant human growth hormone treatment has little effect on the aging rate of children. Our child-specific methylation-based age prediction model can effectively detect epigenetic changes and health imbalances early in life. This may thus be a useful model for future studies of epigenetic interventions for age-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Wu
- Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Technology and Engineering Research Center for Molecular Diagnostics of Human Genetic Diseases, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Weidan Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Fangqin Lin
- Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qingsheng Huang
- Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiayong Zhong
- Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Huan Gao
- Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yanyan Song
- The Guangdong Early Childhood Development Applied Engineering and Technology Research Center, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong, China
| | - Huiying Liang
- Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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31
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Shadbegian R, Guignet D, Klemick H, Bui L. Early childhood lead exposure and the persistence of educational consequences into adolescence. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 178:108643. [PMID: 31473504 PMCID: PMC7038535 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is consensus that early childhood lead exposure causes adverse cognitive and behavioral effects, even at blood lead levels (BLL) below 5 μg/dL. What has not been established is to what extent the effects of childhood lead exposure persist across grades. OBJECTIVE To measure the effects of early childhood lead exposure (BLL 1-10 μg/dL) on educational performance from grades 3-8; to determine if effects in lower grades persist as a child progresses through school; and if so, to characterize the pattern of persistence. METHODS We examine data from 560,624 children living in North Carolina between 2000 and 2012 with a BLL ≤10 μg/dL measured between age 0-5 years. Children are matched to their standardized math and reading scores for grades 3-8, creating an unbalanced panel of 2,344,358 student-year observations. We use socio-economic, demographic, and school information along with matching techniques to control for confounding effects. RESULTS We find that early childhood exposure to low lead levels caused persistent deficits in educational performance across grades. In each grade (3-8), children with higher blood lead levels had, on average, lower percentile scores in both math and reading than children with lower blood lead levels. In our primary model, we find that children with BLL = 5 μg/dL in early childhood ranked 0.90-1.20 (1.35-1.55) percentiles lower than children with BLL ≤ 1 μg/dL on math (reading) tests during grades 3-8. As children progressed through school, the average percentile deficit in their test scores remained stable. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows that the adverse effects of early childhood exposure to low lead levels persist through early adolescence, and that the magnitude of the test-score percentile deficit remains steady between grades 3-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ron Shadbegian
- US EPA, National Center for Environmental Economics, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (mail Code 1809T), Washington, DC, 20460, USA.
| | | | - Heather Klemick
- US EPA, National Center for Environmental Economics, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Linda Bui
- Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA.
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32
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Thomason ME, Hect JL, Rauh VA, Trentacosta C, Wheelock MD, Eggebrecht AT, Espinoza-Heredia C, Burt SA. Prenatal lead exposure impacts cross-hemispheric and long-range connectivity in the human fetal brain. Neuroimage 2019; 191:186-192. [PMID: 30739062 PMCID: PMC6451829 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Lead represents a highly prevalent metal toxicant with potential to alter human biology in lasting ways. A population segment that is particularly vulnerable to the negative consequences of lead exposure is the human fetus, as exposure events occurring before birth are linked to varied and long-ranging negative health and behavioral outcomes. An area that has yet to be addressed is the potential that lead exposure during pregnancy alters brain development even before an individual is born. Here, we combine prenatal lead exposure information extracted from newborn bloodspots with the human fetal brain functional MRI data to assess whether neural network connectivity differs between lead-exposed and lead-naïve fetuses. We found that neural connectivity patterns differed in lead-exposed and comparison groups such that fetuses that were not exposed demonstrated stronger age-related increases in cross-hemispheric connectivity, while the lead-exposed group demonstrated stronger age-related increases in posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) to lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) connectivity. These are the first results to demonstrate metal toxicant-related alterations in human fetal neural connectivity. Remarkably, the findings point to alterations in systems that support higher-order cognitive and regulatory functions. Objectives for future work are to replicate these results in larger samples and to test the possibility that these alterations may account for significant variation in future child cognitive and behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moriah E Thomason
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, New York, USA; Department of Population Health, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Jasmine L Hect
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Virginia A Rauh
- The Heilbrunn Department of Population & Family Health, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Muriah D Wheelock
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Adam T Eggebrecht
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Claudia Espinoza-Heredia
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, New York, USA
| | - S Alexandra Burt
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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Beckwith TJ, Dietrich KN, Wright JP, Altaye M, Cecil KM. Reduced regional volumes associated with total psychopathy scores in an adult population with childhood lead exposure. Neurotoxicology 2018; 67:1-26. [PMID: 29634994 PMCID: PMC6054826 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2018.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Childhood lead exposure has been correlated to acts of delinquency and criminal behavior; however, little research has been conducted to examine its potential long term influence on behavioral factors such as personality, specifically psychopathic personality. Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that the effects of childhood lead exposure persist into adulthood, with structural abnormalities found in gray and white matter regions involved in behavioral decision making. The current study examined whether measurements of adult psychopathy were associated with neuroanatomical differences in structural brain volumes for a longitudinal cohort with measured childhood lead exposure. We hypothesized that increased total psychopathy scores and increased blood lead concentration at 78 months of age (PbB78) would be inversely associated with volumetric measures of gray and white matter brain structures responsible for executive and emotional processing. Analyses did not display a direct effect between total psychopathy score and gray matter volume; however, reduced white matter volume in the cerebellum and brain stem in relation to increased total psychopathy scores was observed. An interaction between sex and total psychopathy score was also detected. Females displayed increased gray matter volume in the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes associated with increased total psychopathy score, but did not display any white matter volume differences. Males primarily displayed reductions in frontal gray and white matter brain volume in relation to increased total psychopathy scores. Additionally, reduced gray and white matter volume was associated with increased blood lead levels in the frontal lobes; reduced white matter volume was also observed in the parietal and temporal lobes. Females demonstrated gray and white matter volume loss associated with increased PbB78 values in the right temporal lobe, as well as reduced gray matter volume in the frontal lobe. Males displayed reduced white matter volumes associated with increased PbB78 values in the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. Comparison of the two primary models revealed a volumetric decrease in the white matter of the left prefrontal cortex associated with increased total psychopathy scores and increased blood lead concentration in males. The results of this study suggested that increased psychopathy scores in this cohort may be attributable to the neuroanatomical abnormalities observed and that childhood lead exposure may be influential to these outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis J Beckwith
- Imaging Research Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
| | - Kim N Dietrich
- Department of Environmental Health, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - John P Wright
- School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Mekibib Altaye
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Kim M Cecil
- Imaging Research Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Environmental Health, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Radiology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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Nkomo P, Richter LM, Kagura J, Mathee A, Naicker N, Norris SA. Environmental lead exposure and pubertal trajectory classes in South African adolescent males and females. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 628-629:1437-1445. [PMID: 30045563 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Revised: 02/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The effects of environmental lead exposure in the neuro-endocrine system have been shown to impact the maturation and tempo of puberty development in adolescents. In low and middle income countries very little is known regarding the detrimental health effects of childhood lead exposure with regard to the tempo of puberty development. To help address this gap in data, we examined the association between lead exposure and puberty progression in males and females. Study participants from the urban Birth to Twenty Plus (BT20+) birth cohort in Soweto-Johannesburg, South Africa with data for blood lead levels at age 13years, cord blood lead levels, pubic hair development and breast development in females, and pubic hair development and genital development in males, were included in this study. The sample comprised 1416 study participants (n=684 females). Pubertal development trajectory classes were defined using Latent Class Growth Analysis. Data were examined for (i) an association between cord blood lead levels and pubertal trajectory classes; and (ii) an association between blood lead levels at age 13years and pubertal trajectory classes. In females, there was an association between adolescent elevated blood lead levels (≥5μg/dL) and lower level of maturation at age 9years and slower progression of pubic hair and breast development (relative risk ratio (RRR)=0.45, p<0.0001; 95% CI (0.29-0.68)) and (RRR=0.46, p<0.01; 95% CI (0.27-0.77)), respectively. In males, elevated blood lead levels at birth were associated with slower tempo of pubic hair development (RRR=0.20, p<0.05). Findings from this study suggest a possible role for environmental lead in altering pubertal development in South African adolescents as shown by slower tempo of progression through the Tanner stages pubertal development in females and males. There were also gender-differences between the effects of prenatal and postnatal lead exposure during pubertal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palesa Nkomo
- Environment & Health Research Unit, Medical Research Council, South Africa; MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Linda M Richter
- MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Juliana Kagura
- MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Angela Mathee
- Environment & Health Research Unit, Medical Research Council, South Africa; School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Environmental Health Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Nisha Naicker
- Environment & Health Research Unit, Medical Research Council, South Africa; School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Environmental Health Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Shane A Norris
- MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Nkomo P, Mathee A, Naicker N, Galpin J, Richter LM, Norris SA. The association between elevated blood lead levels and violent behavior during late adolescence: The South African Birth to Twenty Plus cohort. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2017; 109:136-145. [PMID: 28916132 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2017.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Revised: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/02/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have shown the adverse neuro-behavioral health effects of lead exposure among children, in particular. However, there is lack evidence in this regard from developing countries. The main aim of this study was to assess the association between blood lead levels (BLLs) during early adolescence and violent behavior in late adolescence. Our study sample from the Birth to Twenty Plus cohort in Soweto-Johannesburg, South Africa included 1332 study participants (684 females). BLLs were measured using blood samples collected at age 13years. Violent behavior was evaluated using data collected at ages 15 to 16years using the Youth Self Report questionnaire. First, bivariate analysis was used to examine data for an association between lead exposure in early adolescence and violent behavior items during late adolescence. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used for dimensionality reduction and six violent behavior components were derived. Data were further analyzed for an association between BLLs at age 13years and violent behavior using PCA derived components; to determine the specific type(s) of violent behavior associated with lead exposure. Median whole BLLs were 5.6μg/dL (p<0.001). Seventy five percent of males and 50% of females had BLLs≥5μg/dL. BLLs ranging from 5 to 9.99μg/dL were associated with physical violence (p=0.03) and BLLs≥10μg/dL were associated physical violence and fighting (p=0.02 and p=0.01, respectively). When data were analyzed using continuous BLLs physical violence was associated with lead exposure (p<0.0001). Furthermore, males were more likely to be involved in violence using a weapon (p=0.01), physical violence (p<0.0001), and robbing others (p<0.05) compared to females. The results from this study show the severe nature of violent behavior in late adolescence associated with childhood lead exposure. They highlight the urgent need for preventive measures against lead exposure among children in low or middle income countries such as South Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palesa Nkomo
- Environment & Health Research Unit, Medical Research Council, South Africa; MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Angela Mathee
- Environment & Health Research Unit, Medical Research Council, South Africa; School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Environmental Health Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Nisha Naicker
- Environment & Health Research Unit, Medical Research Council, South Africa; School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Environmental Health Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Jacky Galpin
- School of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Linda M Richter
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Shane A Norris
- MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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36
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Baker JM, Rojas-Valverde D, Gutiérrez R, Winkler M, Fuhrimann S, Eskenazi B, Reiss AL, Mora AM. Portable Functional Neuroimaging as an Environmental Epidemiology Tool: A How-To Guide for the Use of fNIRS in Field Studies. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2017; 125:094502. [PMID: 28937962 PMCID: PMC5915206 DOI: 10.1289/ehp2049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
SUMMARY The widespread application of functional neuroimaging within the field of environmental epidemiology has the potential to greatly enhance our understanding of how environmental toxicants affect brain function. Because many epidemiological studies take place in remote and frequently changing environments, it is necessary that the primary neuroimaging approach adopted by the epidemiology community be robust to many environments, easy to use, and, preferably, mobile. Here, we outline our use of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to collect functional brain imaging data from Costa Rican farm workers enrolled in an epidemiological study on the health effects of chronic pesticide exposure. While couched in this perspective, we focus on the methodological considerations that are necessary to conduct a mobile fNIRS study in a diverse range of environments. Thus, this guide is intended to be generalizable to all research scenarios and projects in which fNIRS may be used to collect functional brain imaging data in epidemiological field surveys. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2049.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Baker
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University , Stanford, California, USA
| | - Daniel Rojas-Valverde
- Centro de Investigación y Diagnóstico en Salud y Deporte, Universidad Nacional , Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Randall Gutiérrez
- Centro de Investigación y Diagnóstico en Salud y Deporte, Universidad Nacional , Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Mirko Winkler
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute , Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel , Basel, Switzerland
| | - Samuel Fuhrimann
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute , Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel , Basel, Switzerland
| | - Brenda Eskenazi
- Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley , Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Allan L Reiss
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University , Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Stanford University , Stanford, California, USA
| | - Ana M Mora
- Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley , Berkeley, California, USA
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional , Heredia, Costa Rica
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Varma G, Sobolewski M, Cory-Slechta DA, Schneider JS. Sex- and brain region- specific effects of prenatal stress and lead exposure on permissive and repressive post-translational histone modifications from embryonic development through adulthood. Neurotoxicology 2017; 62:207-217. [PMID: 28712943 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2017.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Developmental exposure to prenatal stress (PS) and lead (Pb) can affect brain development and adversely influence behavior and cognition. Epigenetic-based gene regulation is crucial for normal brain development and mis-regulation, in any form, can result in neurodevelopmental disorders. Post-translational histone modifications (PTHMs) are an integral and dynamic component of the epigenetic machinery involved in gene regulation. Exposures to Pb and/or PS may alter PTHM profiles, promoting lifelong alterations in brain function observed following Pb±PS exposure. Here we examined the effects of Pb±PS on global levels of activating marks H3K9Ac and H3K4Me3 and repressive marks H3K9Me2 and H3K27Me3 at different developmental stages: E18, PND0, PND6 and PND60. Dams were exposed to 0 or 100ppm Pb beginning 2 months prior to breeding followed by no PS (NS) or PS resulting in 4 offspring treatment groups per sex: 0-NS (control), 0-PS, 100-NS and 100-PS. Global levels of PTHMs varied from E18 through adulthood even in control mice, and were influenced by sex and brain-region. The developmental trajectory of these PTHM levels was further modified by Pb±PS in a sex-, brain region- and age-dependent manner. Females showed a preferential response to Pb alone in frontal cortex (FC) and differentially to PS alone and combined Pb+PS in hippocampus (HIPP). In males, PS-induced increases in PTHM levels in FC, whereas PS produced reductions in HIPP. Pb±PS-based changes in PTHM levels continued to be observed in adulthood (PND60), demonstrating the lasting effect of these early life environmental events on these histone marks. These results indicate that epigenetic consequences of Pb±PS and their contribution to mechanisms of toxicity are sex dependent. Additional studies will assist in understanding the functional significance of these changes in PTHM levels on expression of individual genes, functional pathways, and ultimately, their behavioral consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Varma
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - M Sobolewski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester NY, United States
| | - D A Cory-Slechta
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester NY, United States
| | - J S Schneider
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
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Taylor CM, Kordas K, Golding J, Emond AM. Effects of low-level prenatal lead exposure on child IQ at 4 and 8 years in a UK birth cohort study. Neurotoxicology 2017; 62:162-169. [PMID: 28687448 PMCID: PMC5630203 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2017.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The association between prenatal exposure to lead and deficits in offspring cognitive function is not well established. Our aim was to evaluate the association between prenatal lead exposure and child IQ at age 4 and 8 years in an observational birth cohort study. There was no association of prenatal lead exposure with child IQ at either 4 or 8 years old. There was a suggestion, however, that boys are more susceptible than girls to prenatal exposure to lead.
Background The association between childhood exposure to lead (Pb) and deficits in cognitive function is well established. The association with prenatal exposure, however, is not well understood, even though the potential adverse effects are equally important. Objectives To evaluate the association between low prenatal exposure to lead and IQ in children, to determine whether there were sex differences in the associations, and to evaluate the moderation effect of prenatal Pb exposure on child IQ. Methods Whole blood samples from pregnant women enrolled in ALSPAC (n = 4285) and from offspring at age 30 months (n = 235) were analysed for Pb. Associations between prenatal blood lead concentrations (B-Pb) and child IQ at age 4 and 8 years (WPPSI and WISC-III, respectively) were examined in adjusted regression models. Results There was no association of prenatal lead exposure with child IQ at 4 or 8 years old in adjusted regression models, and no moderation of the association between child B-Pb and IQ. However, there was a positive association for IQ at age 8 years in girls with a predicted increase in IQ (points) per 1 μg/dl of: verbal 0.71, performance 0.57, total 0.73. In boys, the coefficients tended to be negative (−0.15, −0.42 and −0.29 points, respectively). Conclusion Prenatal lead exposure was not associated with adverse effects on child IQ at age 4 or 8 years in this study. There was, however, some evidence to suggest that boys are more susceptible than girls to prenatal exposure to lead. Further investigation in other cohorts is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M Taylor
- Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK.
| | - Katarzyna Kordas
- Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jean Golding
- Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK
| | - Alan M Emond
- Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK
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Kern JK, Geier DA, Homme KG, King PG, Bjørklund G, Chirumbolo S, Geier MR. Developmental neurotoxicants and the vulnerable male brain: a systematic review of suspected neurotoxicants that disproportionally affect males. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) 2017. [DOI: 10.21307/ane-2017-061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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40
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Eid A, Zawia N. Consequences of lead exposure, and it’s emerging role as an epigenetic modifier in the aging brain. Neurotoxicology 2016; 56:254-261. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2016.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Rauh VA, Margolis AE. Research Review: Environmental exposures, neurodevelopment, and child mental health - new paradigms for the study of brain and behavioral effects. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2016; 57:775-93. [PMID: 26987761 PMCID: PMC4914412 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental exposures play a critical role in the genesis of some child mental health problems. METHODS We open with a discussion of children's vulnerability to neurotoxic substances, changes in the distribution of toxic exposures, and cooccurrence of social and physical exposures. We address trends in prevalence of mental health disorders, and approaches to the definition of disorders that are sensitive to the subtle effects of toxic exposures. We suggest broadening outcomes to include dimensional measures of autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and child learning capacity, as well as direct assessment of brain function. FINDINGS We consider the impact of two important exposures on children's mental health: lead and pesticides. We argue that longitudinal research designs may capture the cascading effects of exposures across biological systems and the full-range of neuropsychological endpoints. Neuroimaging is a valuable tool for observing brain maturation under varying environmental conditions. A dimensional approach to measurement may be sensitive to subtle subclinical toxic effects, permitting the development of exposure-related profiles and testing of complex functional relationships between brain and behavior. Questions about the neurotoxic effects of chemicals become more pressing when viewed through the lens of environmental justice. CONCLUSIONS Reduction in the burden of child mental health disorders will require longitudinal study of neurotoxic exposures, incorporating dimensional approaches to outcome assessment, and measures of brain function. Research that seeks to identify links between toxic exposures and mental health outcomes has enormous public health and societal value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia A Rauh
- Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amy E Margolis
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Nye MD, King KE, Darrah TH, Maguire R, Jima DD, Huang Z, Mendez MA, Fry RC, Jirtle RL, Murphy SK, Hoyo C. Maternal blood lead concentrations, DNA methylation of MEG3 DMR regulating the DLK1/MEG3 imprinted domain and early growth in a multiethnic cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2016; 2:dvv009. [PMID: 28123784 PMCID: PMC5258134 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvv009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to lead (Pb) is known to decrease fetal growth; but its effects on postnatal growth and mechanistic insights linking Pb to growth are not clearly defined. Genomically imprinted genes are powerful regulators of growth and energy utilization, and may be particularly vulnerable to environmental Pb exposure. Because imprinting is established early and maintained via DNA methylation, we hypothesized that prenatal Pb exposure alters DNA methylation of imprinted genes resulting in lower birth weight and rapid growth. Pb was measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in peripheral blood of 321 women of the Newborn Epigenetic STudy (NEST) obtained at gestation ~12 weeks. Linear and logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations between maternal Pb levels, methylation of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) regulating H19, MEG3, PEG3, and PLAGL1, measured by pyrosequencing, birth weight, and weight-for-height z score gains between birth and age 1yr, ages 1-2yrs, and 2-3yrs. Children born to women with Pb levels in the upper tertile had higher methylation of the regulatory region of the MEG3 DMR imprinted domain (β= 1.57, se= 0.82, p= 0.06). Pb levels were also associated with lower birth weight (β= -0.41, se= 0.15, p= 0.01) and rapid gains in adiposity (OR= 12.32, 95%CI=1.25-121.30, p= 0.03) by age 2-3 years. These data provide early human evidence for Pb associations with hypermethylation at the MEG3 DMR regulatory region and rapid adiposity gain-a risk factor for childhood obesity and cardiometabolic diseases in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica D. Nye
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University, B226 LSRC, Box 91012, Research Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 450 West Street, CB 7295, UNC, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Curriculum in Toxicology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 135 Dauer Drive, CB 7431, UNC, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Katherine E. King
- Environmental Public Health Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Thomas H. Darrah
- School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Rachel Maguire
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Human Health and Environment, Campus Box 7633, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Dereje D. Jima
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Human Health and Environment, Campus Box 7633, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Zhiqing Huang
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University, B226 LSRC, Box 91012, Research Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Michelle A. Mendez
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 450 West Street, CB 7295, UNC, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Public Health Fellow, Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2101G McGavran-Greenberg Hall Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7461, USA
| | - Rebecca C. Fry
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 450 West Street, CB 7295, UNC, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Curriculum in Toxicology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 135 Dauer Drive, CB 7431, UNC, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Randy L. Jirtle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Human Health and Environment, Campus Box 7633, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- Randy L. Jirtle,
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1767-045X
| | - Susan K. Murphy
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University, B226 LSRC, Box 91012, Research Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Susan K. Murphy,
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8298-7272
| | - Cathrine Hoyo
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- *Correspondence address. Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Human Health and Environment, Campus Box 7633, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. E-mail:
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Occupation and the risk of chronic toxic leukoencephalopathy. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2015; 131:73-91. [PMID: 26563784 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-62627-1.00006-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Among the hundreds of environmental insults capable of inducing nervous system injury, a small number can produce clinically significant damage to the brain white matter. The use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in affected individuals has greatly illuminated this previously obscure area of neurotoxicology. Toxic leukoencephalopathy has acute and chronic forms, in both of which cognitive dysfunction is the major clinical manifestation. Chronic toxic leukoencephalopathy (CTL) has been most thoroughly described in individuals with intense and prolonged exposure to leukotoxins, but the consequences of lesser degrees of exposure are not well understood. Rare cases of CTL have been reported in workers exposed to culpable leukotoxins, but study of this syndrome is hindered by many confounds such as uncertain level of toxin exposure, the presence of multiple toxins, vague dose-response relationship, comorbid medical or neurologic disorders, psychiatric illness, and legal issues. The risk of CTL in workers is low, although it is not possible to determine quantitative risk estimates. More knowledge can be expected with the application of advanced MRI techniques to the assessment of workers who may have been exposed to known or potential leukotoxins. Preventive measures for avoiding workplace CTL will be informed by clinical assessment involving the use of advanced neuroimaging and neuropsychologic evaluation in combination with accurate measurement of leukotoxin exposure.
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Sen A, Heredia N, Senut MC, Hess M, Land S, Qu W, Hollacher K, Dereski MO, Ruden DM. Early life lead exposure causes gender-specific changes in the DNA methylation profile of DNA extracted from dried blood spots. Epigenomics 2015; 7:379-93. [PMID: 26077427 DOI: 10.2217/epi.15.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS In this paper, we tested the hypothesis that early life lead (Pb) exposure associated DNA methylation (5 mC) changes are dependent on the sex of the child and can serve as biomarkers for Pb exposure. METHODS In this pilot study, we measured the 5mC profiles of DNA extracted from dried blood spots (DBS) in a cohort of 43 children (25 males and 18 females; ages from 3 months to 5 years) from Detroit. Result & Discussion: We found that the effect of Pb-exposure on the 5-mC profiles can be separated into three subtypes: affected methylation loci which are conserved irrespective of the sex of the child (conserved); affected methylation loci unique to males (male-specific); and affected methylation loci unique to females (female-specific).
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Affiliation(s)
- Arko Sen
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, 2727 Second Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University, Room 4000, 2727 Second Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Nicole Heredia
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Wayne State University, 3750 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Marie-Claude Senut
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, 2727 Second Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Matthew Hess
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Wayne State University, 3750 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.,CS Mott Center for Human Growth & Development, Wayne State University, 275 E Hancock St, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Susan Land
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Wayne State University, 3750 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Wen Qu
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University, Room 4000, 2727 Second Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | | | - Mary O Dereski
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Wayne State University, 3750 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Douglas M Ruden
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, 2727 Second Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.,Union College, 807 Union St, Schenectady, NY 12308, USA
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Ben-Soussan TD, Berkovich-Ohana A, Piervincenzi C, Glicksohn J, Carducci F. Embodied cognitive flexibility and neuroplasticity following Quadrato Motor Training. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1021. [PMID: 26257679 PMCID: PMC4511076 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Quadrato Motor Training (QMT) is a whole-body movement contemplative practice aimed at increasing health and well-being. Previous research studying the effect of one QMT session suggested that one of its means for promoting health is by enhancing cognitive flexibility, an important dimension of creativity. Yet, little is known about the effect of a longer QMT practice on creativity, or the relative contribution of the cognitive and motor aspects of the training. Here, we continue this line of research in two inter-related studies, examining the effects of prolonged QMT. In the first, we investigated the effect of 4-weeks of daily QMT on creativity using the Alternate Uses (AUs) Task. In order to determine whether changes in creativity were driven by the cognitive or the motor aspects of the training, we used two control groups: Verbal Training (VT, identical cognitive training with verbal response) and Simple Motor Training (SMT, similar motor training with reduced choice requirements). Twenty-seven participants were randomly assigned to one of the groups. Following training, cognitive flexibility significantly increased in the QMT group, which was not the case for either the SMT or VT groups. In contrast to one QMT session, ideational fluency was also significantly increased. In the second study, we conducted a pilot longitudinal structural magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging (4-weeks QMT). We report gray matter volume and fractional anisotropy changes, in several regions, including the cerebellum, previously related to interoceptive accuracy. The anatomical changes were positively correlated with cognitive flexibility scores. Albeit the small sample size and preliminary nature of the findings, these results provide support for the hypothesized creativity-motor connection. The results are compared to other contemplative studies, and discussed in light of theoretical models integrating cognitive flexibility, embodiment and the motor system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal D Ben-Soussan
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University Ramat Gan, Israel ; Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Patrizio Paoletti Foundation Assisi, Italy
| | - Aviva Berkovich-Ohana
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science Rehovot, Israel ; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Piervincenzi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome Rome, Italy ; Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, Università degli Studi Gabriele D'Annunzio Chieti, Italy
| | - Joseph Glicksohn
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University Ramat Gan, Israel ; Department of Criminology, Bar-Ilan University Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Filippo Carducci
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome Rome, Italy
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Goodman JE, Petito Boyce C, Sax SN, Beyer LA, Prueitt RL. Rethinking Meta-Analysis: Applications for Air Pollution Data and Beyond. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2015; 35:1017-39. [PMID: 25969128 PMCID: PMC4690509 DOI: 10.1111/risa.12405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Meta-analyses offer a rigorous and transparent systematic framework for synthesizing data that can be used for a wide range of research areas, study designs, and data types. Both the outcome of meta-analyses and the meta-analysis process itself can yield useful insights for answering scientific questions and making policy decisions. Development of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards illustrates many potential applications of meta-analysis. These applications demonstrate the strengths and limitations of meta-analysis, issues that arise in various data realms, how meta-analysis design choices can influence interpretation of results, and how meta-analysis can be used to address bias and heterogeneity. Reviewing available data from a meta-analysis perspective can provide a useful framework and impetus for identifying and refining strategies for future research. Moreover, increased pervasiveness of a meta-analysis mindset-focusing on how the pieces of the research puzzle fit together-would benefit scientific research and data syntheses regardless of whether or not a quantitative meta-analysis is undertaken. While an individual meta-analysis can only synthesize studies addressing the same research question, the results of separate meta-analyses can be combined to address a question encompassing multiple data types. This observation applies to any scientific or policy area where information from a variety of disciplines must be considered to address a broader research question.
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47
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Early-life lead exposure recapitulates the selective loss of parvalbumin-positive GABAergic interneurons and subcortical dopamine system hyperactivity present in schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2015; 5:e522. [PMID: 25756805 PMCID: PMC4354343 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2014.147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Revised: 11/25/2014] [Accepted: 12/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental factors have been associated with psychiatric disorders and recent epidemiological studies suggest an association between prenatal lead (Pb(2+)) exposure and schizophrenia (SZ). Pb(2+) is a potent antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) and converging evidence indicates that NMDAR hypofunction has a key role in the pathophysiology of SZ. The glutamatergic hypothesis of SZ posits that NMDAR hypofunction results in the loss of parvalbumin (PV)-positive GABAergic interneurons (PVGI) in the brain. Loss of PVGI inhibitory control to pyramidal cells alters the excitatory drive to midbrain dopamine neurons increasing subcortical dopaminergic activity. We hypothesized that if Pb(2+) exposure in early life is an environmental risk factor for SZ, it should recapitulate the loss of PVGI and reproduce subcortical dopaminergic hyperactivity. We report that on postnatal day 50 (PN50), adolescence rats chronically exposed to Pb(2+) from gestation through adolescence exhibit loss of PVGI in SZ-relevant brain regions. PV and glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 kDa (GAD67) protein were significantly decreased in Pb(2+) exposed rats with no apparent change in calretinin or calbindin protein levels suggesting a selective effect on the PV phenotype of GABAergic interneurons. We also show that Pb(2+) animals exhibit a heightened locomotor response to cocaine and express significantly higher levels of dopamine metabolites and D2-dopamine receptors relative to controls indicative of subcortical dopaminergic hyperactivity. Our results show that developmental Pb(2+) exposure reproduces specific neuropathology and functional dopamine system changes present in SZ. We propose that exposure to environmental toxins that produce NMDAR hypofunction during critical periods of brain development may contribute significantly to the etiology of mental disorders.
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Wang Y, Wang S, Cui W, He J, Wang Z, Yang X. Olive leaf extract inhibits lead poisoning-induced brain injury. Neural Regen Res 2014; 8:2021-9. [PMID: 25206510 PMCID: PMC4146066 DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.22.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2013] [Accepted: 07/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Olive leaves have an antioxidant capacity, and olive leaf extract can protect the blood, spleen and hippocampus in lead-poisoned mice. However, little is known about the effects of olive leaf extract on lead-induced brain injury. This study was designed to determine whether olive leaf extract can inhibit lead-induced brain injury, and whether this effect is associated with antioxidant capacity. First, we established a mouse model of lead poisoning by continuous intragastric administration of lead acetate for 30 days. Two hours after successful model establishment, lead-poisoned mice were given olive leaf extract at doses of 250, 500 or 1 000 mg/kg daily by intragastric administration for 50 days. Under the transmission electron microscope, olive leaf extract attenuated neuronal and capillary injury and reduced damage to organelles and the matrix around the capillaries in the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex in the lead-poisoned mice. Olive leaf extract at a dose of 1 000 mg/kg had the greatest protective effect. Spectrophotometry showed that olive leaf extract significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, alkaline phosphatase and acid phosphatase, while it reduced malondialdehyde content, in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining revealed that olive leaf extract dose-dependently decreased Bax protein expression in the cerebral cortex of lead-poisoned mice. Our findings indicate that olive leaf extract can inhibit lead-induced brain injury by increasing antioxidant capacity and reducing apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, Longnan Teachers College, Chengxian 742500, Gansu Province, China
| | - Shengqing Wang
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, Longnan Teachers College, Chengxian 742500, Gansu Province, China
| | - Wenhui Cui
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, Longnan Teachers College, Chengxian 742500, Gansu Province, China
| | - Jiujun He
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, Longnan Teachers College, Chengxian 742500, Gansu Province, China
| | - Zhenfu Wang
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, Longnan Teachers College, Chengxian 742500, Gansu Province, China
| | - Xiaolu Yang
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, Longnan Teachers College, Chengxian 742500, Gansu Province, China
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Liu J, Liu X, Wang W, McCauley L, Pinto-Martin J, Wang Y, Li L, Yan C, Rogan WJ. Blood lead concentrations and children's behavioral and emotional problems: a cohort study. JAMA Pediatr 2014; 168:737-45. [PMID: 25090293 PMCID: PMC4152857 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2014.332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The association between lead exposure and children's IQ has been well studied, but few studies have examined the effects of blood lead concentrations on children's behavior. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association between blood lead concentrations and behavioral problems in a community sample of Chinese preschool children with a mean blood lead concentration of less than 10 µg/dL. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A prospective cohort study was conducted at 4 preschools in Jintan, Jiangsu province of China. Participants included 1341 children aged 3 to 5 years. EXPOSURES Lead. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Blood lead concentrations were measured in children aged 3 to 5 years. Behavioral problems were assessed using Chinese versions of the Child Behavior Checklist and Caregiver-Teacher Report Form when children were aged 6 years. RESULTS The mean (SD) blood lead concentration was 6.4 (2.6) µg/dL, with the 75th and 90th percentiles being 7.5 and 9.4 µg/dL, respectively. General linear modeling showed significant associations between blood lead concentrations and increased scores for teacher-reported behavioral problems. A 1-µg/dL increase in the blood lead concentration resulted in a 0.322 (95% CI, 0.058 to 0.587), 0.253 (95% CI, 0.016 to 0.500), and 0.303 (95% CI, 0.046 to 0.560) increase of teacher-reported behavior scores on emotional reactivity, anxiety problems, and pervasive developmental problems, respectively (P < .05), with adjustment for parental and child variables. Spline modeling showed that mean teacher-reported behavior scores increased with blood lead concentrations, particularly for older girls. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Blood lead concentrations, even at a mean concentration of 6.4 µg/dL, were associated with increased risk of behavioral problems in Chinese preschool children, including internalizing and pervasive developmental problems. This association showed different patterns depending on age and sex. As such, continued monitoring of blood lead concentrations, as well as clinical assessments of mental behavior during regular pediatric visits, may be warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianghong Liu
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Address correspondence to: Dr. Jianghong Liu, PhD, FAAN, University of Pennsylvania Schools of Nursing and Medicine, 418 Curie Blvd., Room 426, Claire M. Fagin Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6096, , Tel: (215) 898-8293, Fax: (215) 746-3374
| | - Xianchen Liu
- Indiana University, School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA,Shandong University School of Public Health, Jinan, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Linda McCauley
- Emory University, Nell Hodgson School of Nursing, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Yingjie Wang
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Linda Li
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Chonghuai Yan
- Xinhua Hospital, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, China
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Searle AK, Baghurst PA, van Hooff M, Sawyer MG, Sim MR, Galletly C, Clark LS, McFarlane AC. Tracing the long-term legacy of childhood lead exposure: a review of three decades of the port Pirie cohort study. Neurotoxicology 2014; 43:46-56. [PMID: 24785378 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2014.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2013] [Revised: 03/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Several prospective cohort studies have demonstrated that childhood lead levels show small but statistically significant adjusted associations with subsequent development in later childhood and adolescence. The Port Pirie Cohort study is one of the few prospective cohort studies to follow participants into adulthood. This paper reviews all childhood and adulthood findings of the Port Pirie Cohort study to date. Cohort members (initially, 723 infants born in/around the lead-smelting town of Port Pirie) showed a wide range of childhood blood lead levels, which peaked around 2 years old (M=21.3μg/dL, SD=1.2). At all childhood assessments, postnatal lead levels - particularly those reflecting cumulative exposure - showed small significant associations with outcomes including cognitive development, IQ, and mental health problems. While associations were substantially attenuated after adjusting for several childhood covariates, many remained statistically significant. Furthermore, average childhood blood lead showed small significant associations with some adult mental health problems for females, including anxiety problems and phobia, though associations only approached significance following covariate adjustment. Overall, there did not appear to be any age of greatest vulnerability or threshold of effect, and at all ages, females appeared more susceptible to lead-associated deficits. Together, these findings suggest that the associations between early childhood lead exposure and subsequent developmental outcomes may persist. However, as the magnitude of these effects was small, they are not discernible at the individual level, posing more of a population health concern. It appears that the combination of multiple early childhood factors best predicts later development. As such, minimising lead exposure in combination with improving other important early childhood factors such as parent-child interactions may be the best way to improve developmental outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia K Searle
- Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies, School of Population Health, University of Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia.
| | - Peter A Baghurst
- Discipline of Public Health, University of Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia; Discipline of Paediatrics, University of Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Miranda van Hooff
- Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies, School of Population Health, University of Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Michael G Sawyer
- Discipline of Paediatrics, University of Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia; Research and Evaluation Unit, Women's and Children's Health Network, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Malcolm R Sim
- Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Victoria 3004, Australia
| | - Cherrie Galletly
- Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Levina S Clark
- Psychology Clinic, Flinders University, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Alexander C McFarlane
- Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies, School of Population Health, University of Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
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