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Todero J, Douillet C, Shumway AJ, Koller BH, Kanke M, Phuong DJ, Stýblo M, Sethupathy P. Molecular and Metabolic Analysis of Arsenic-Exposed Humanized AS3MT Mice. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:127021. [PMID: 38150313 PMCID: PMC10752418 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) has been associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, potential sex divergence and the underlying mechanisms remain understudied. iAs is not metabolized uniformly across species, which is a limitation of typical exposure studies in rodent models. The development of a new "humanized" mouse model overcomes this limitation. In this study, we leveraged this model to study sex differences in the context of iAs exposure. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine if males and females exhibit different liver and adipose molecular profiles and metabolic phenotypes in the context of iAs exposure. METHODS Our study was performed on wild-type (WT) 129S6/SvEvTac and humanized arsenic + 3 methyl transferase (human AS3MT) 129S6/SvEvTac mice treated with 400 ppb of iAs via drinking water ad libitum. After 1 month, mice were sacrificed and the liver and gonadal adipose depots were harvested for iAs quantification and sequencing-based microRNA and gene expression analysis. Serum blood was collected for fasting blood glucose, fasting plasma insulin, and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). RESULTS We detected sex divergence in liver and adipose markers of diabetes (e.g., miR-34a, insulin signaling pathways, fasting blood glucose, fasting plasma insulin, and HOMA-IR) only in humanized (not WT) mice. In humanized female mice, numerous genes that promote insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in both the liver and adipose are elevated compared to humanized male mice. We also identified Klf11 as a putative master regulator of the sex divergence in gene expression in humanized mice. DISCUSSION Our study underscored the importance of future studies leveraging the humanized mouse model to study iAs-associated metabolic disease. The findings suggested that humanized males are at increased risk for metabolic dysfunction relative to humanized females in the context of iAs exposure. Future investigations should focus on the detailed mechanisms that underlie the sex divergence. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12785.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna Todero
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Christelle Douillet
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alexandria J. Shumway
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Beverly H. Koller
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Matt Kanke
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Daryl J. Phuong
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Miroslav Stýblo
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Praveen Sethupathy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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Liu D, Shi Q, Liu C, Sun Q, Zeng X. Effects of Endocrine-Disrupting Heavy Metals on Human Health. TOXICS 2023; 11:toxics11040322. [PMID: 37112549 PMCID: PMC10147072 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11040322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Heavy metals play an important endocrine-disrupting role in the health consequences. However, the endocrine-disrupting mechanism of heavy metals is unclear. There are long-term and low-level metal/element exposure scenes for the human body in real life. Therefore, animal models exposed to high doses of heavy metals may not provide key information to elucidate the underlying pathogeny of human diseases. This review collects current knowledge regarding the endocrine-disrupting roles of heavy metals such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn), summarizes the possible molecular mechanisms of these endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and briefly evaluates their endocrine toxicity on animals and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongling Liu
- School of Basic Medical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou 310053, China;
| | - Qianhan Shi
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou 310053, China; (Q.S.); (C.L.); (Q.S.)
| | - Cuiqing Liu
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou 310053, China; (Q.S.); (C.L.); (Q.S.)
| | - Qinghua Sun
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou 310053, China; (Q.S.); (C.L.); (Q.S.)
| | - Xiang Zeng
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou 310053, China; (Q.S.); (C.L.); (Q.S.)
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3
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Yang F, Zhang A. Role of N6-methyladenosine RNA modification in the imbalanced inflammatory homeostasis of arsenic-induced skin lesions. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2022; 37:1831-1839. [PMID: 35363433 DOI: 10.1002/tox.23530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effect of N6-methyladenosine (m6 A) modification in modulating inflammatory homeostasis of arsenic (As)-induced skin lesions. Our bioinformatic analysis revealed abnormal expression of m6 A RNA methylation regulators and cytokines in the arsenic-exposed population. In human keratinocytes, arsenite increased the levels of m6 A methylation by upregulating the RNA methyltransferase like 3 (METTL3), mediating the disordered secretion of indicators that reflect inflammatory homeostasis (IL-6, IL-17, and IL-10). The indicators reflecting arsenic-induced skin lesions (Krt1 and Krt10) were also significantly elevated, which contributed to the occurrence of skin lesions. Our results also confirmed the association between METTL3 with inflammatory homeostasis and arsenic-induced skin lesions using arsenic-exposed human skin samples. In the arsenic-exposed group, the upregulation of METTL3 exacerbated the increase in cytokine levels (IL-6, IL-17, and IL-10), which was associated with the upregulation of keratins (Krt1 and Krt10). In addition, significant correlations among these factors corroborate the theoretical links. Finally, alteration of the m6 A levels via knockdown or enhancement of the METTL3 protein could antagonize or aggravate arsenite-induced imbalanced inflammatory homeostasis and human keratinocyte damage in HaCaT cells. Collectively, our study reveals some evidence that regulation of m6 A modification plays an important role in arsenic-induced skin lesions, which provide a new perspective on the mechanism of arsenite-induced imbalanced inflammatory homeostasis in the field of RNA epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- The key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Department of Toxicology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Aihua Zhang
- The key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Department of Toxicology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
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Kim S, Hollinger H, Radke EG. 'Omics in environmental epidemiological studies of chemical exposures: A systematic evidence map. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 164:107243. [PMID: 35551006 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Systematic evidence maps are increasingly used to develop chemical risk assessments. These maps can provide an overview of available studies and relevant study information to be used for various research objectives and applications. Environmental epidemiological studies that examine the impact of chemical exposures on various 'omic profiles in human populations provide relevant mechanistic information and can be used for benchmark dose modeling to derive potential human health reference values. OBJECTIVES To create a systematic evidence map of environmental epidemiological studies examining environmental contaminant exposures with 'omics in order to characterize the extent of available studies for future research needs. METHODS Systematic review methods were used to search and screen the literature and included the use of machine learning methods to facilitate screening studies. The Populations, Exposures, Comparators and Outcomes (PECO) criteria were developed to identify and screen relevant studies. Studies that met the PECO criteria after full-text review were summarized with information such as study population, study design, sample size, exposure measurement, and 'omics analysis. RESULTS Over 10,000 studies were identified from scientific databases. Screening processes were used to identify 84 studies considered PECO-relevant after full-text review. Various contaminants (e.g. phthalate, benzene, arsenic, etc.) were investigated in epidemiological studies that used one or more of the four 'omics of interest: epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics . The epidemiological study designs that were used to explore single or integrated 'omic research questions with contaminant exposures were cohort studies, controlled trials, cross-sectional, and case-control studies. An interactive web-based systematic evidence map was created to display more study-related information. CONCLUSIONS This systematic evidence map is a novel tool to visually characterize the available environmental epidemiological studies investigating contaminants and biological effects using 'omics technology and serves as a resource for investigators and allows for a range of applications in chemical research and risk assessment needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Kim
- Superfund and Emergency Management Division, Region 2, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, NY, USA.
| | - Hillary Hollinger
- Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, NC, USA.
| | - Elizabeth G Radke
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, D.C, USA.
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Farzan SF, Eunus HM, Haque SE, Sarwar G, Hasan AR, Wu F, Islam T, Ahmed A, Shahriar M, Jasmine F, Kibriya MG, Parvez F, Karagas MR, Chen Y, Ahsan H. Arsenic exposure from drinking water and endothelial dysfunction in Bangladeshi adolescents. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 208:112697. [PMID: 35007543 PMCID: PMC8917065 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with ∼80% of CVD-related deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Growing evidence suggests that chronic arsenic exposure may contribute to CVD through its effect on endothelial function in adults. However, few studies have examined the influence of arsenic exposure on cardiovascular health in children and adolescents. To examine arsenic's relation to preclinical markers of endothelial dysfunction, we enrolled 200 adolescent children (ages 15-19 years; median 17) of adult participants in the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS), in Araihazar, Bangladesh. Participants' arsenic exposure was determined by recall of lifetime well usage for drinking water. As part of HEALS, wells were color-coded to indicate arsenic level (<10 μg/L, 10-50 μg/L, >50 μg/L). Endothelial function was measured by recording fingertip arterial pulsatile volume change and reactive hyperemia index (RHI) score, an independent CVD risk factor, was calculated from these measurements. In linear regression models adjusted for participant's sex, age, education, maternal education, land ownership and body weight, individuals who reported always drinking water from wells with >50 μg/L arsenic had a 11.75% lower level of RHI (95% CI: -21.26, -1.09, p = 0.03), as compared to participants who drank exclusively from wells with ≤50 μg/L arsenic. Sex-stratified analyses suggest that these associations were stronger in female participants. As compared to individuals who drank exclusively from wells with ≤50 μg/L arsenic, the use of wells with >50 μg/L arsenic was associated with 14.36% lower RHI (95% CI: -25.69, -1.29, p = 0.03) in females, as compared to 5.35% lower RHI (95% CI: -22.28, 15.37, p = 0.58) in males for the same comparison. Our results suggest that chronic arsenic exposure may be related to endothelial dysfunction in adolescents, especially among females. Further work is needed to confirm these findings and examine whether these changes may increase risk of later adverse cardiovascular health events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shohreh F Farzan
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | - Fen Wu
- Department of Population Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Mohammad Shahriar
- UChicago Research Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Farzana Jasmine
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Muhammad G Kibriya
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Faruque Parvez
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Margaret R Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Population Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Habibul Ahsan
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Zhao D, Yi H, Sang N. Arsenic intake-induced gastric toxicity is blocked by grape skin extract by modulating inflammation and oxidative stress in a mouse model. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 233:113305. [PMID: 35189519 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic (As) is known to induce toxic responses in many organs of human beings and animals. However, research concerning toxicity in the stomach is limited. In this study, arsenic-induced gastric toxicity was investigated in a mouse model, and grape skin extract (GSE) was confirmed to have protective effects against arsenic toxicity. Our experimental results showed that exposure to 10 mg/l arsenic via drinking water for 56 days caused oxidative damage and inflammatory responses. The H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were significantly increased, accompanied by significant decreases in total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity and glutathione (GSH) content in the gastric tissue of arsenic-treated mice. Two inflammatory signalling pathways, i.e., TLR2/MyD88/NF-κB and IL-6/STAT-3, were activated, along with inflammatory cell infiltration and the elevated mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and IFN-γ) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the gastric tissue of mice exposed to arsenic. Meanwhile, the mRNA levels of the ZO-1, ZO-2 and occludin genes, which encode the key components of tight junction (TJ) complexes, were downregulated. However, the application of GSE (300 mg/kg bw) significantly inhibited the arsenic-induced increases in H2O2 and MDA contents and the decreases in T-SOD activity and GSH content. The arsenic-mediated gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and IFN-γ), MPO and IL-6/STAT3 and TLR2/MyD88/NF-κB pathways was found down-regulated. Moreover, the arsenic-induced inflammatory cell infiltration and inhibition of TJ genes transcription were markedly attenuated in the As+GSE (300 mg/kg bw) group. Based on the present findings, arsenic intake appears to cause gastric toxicity via oxidative stress and inflammation, and the application of GSE offers significant protection against arsenic toxicity in a mouse model by attenuating the oxidative stress and inflammatory response. Our results suggest that GSE by oral administration might function as a candidate therapeutic supplement to antagonize arsenic toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danyu Zhao
- School of Life Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, Shanxi Province, China; Center for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan 030012, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Huilan Yi
- School of Life Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, Shanxi Province, China.
| | - Nan Sang
- College of Environment and Resource, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, Shanxi Province, China
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Association between Arsenic Level, Gene Expression in Asian Population, and In Vitro Carcinogenic Bladder Tumor. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:3459855. [PMID: 35039759 PMCID: PMC8760535 DOI: 10.1155/2022/3459855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The IARC classified arsenic (As) as "carcinogenic to humans." Despite the health consequences of arsenic exposure, there is no molecular signature available yet that can predict when exposure may lead to the development of disease. To understand the molecular processes underlying arsenic exposure and the risk of disease development, this study investigated the functional relationship between high arsenic exposure and disease risk using gene expression derived from human exposure. In this study, a three step analysis was employed: (1) the gene expression profiles obtained from two diverse arsenic-exposed Asian populations were utilized to identify differentially expressed genes associated with arsenic exposure in human subjects, (2) the gene expression profiles induced by arsenic exposure in four different myeloma cancer cell lines were used to define common genes and pathways altered by arsenic exposure, and (3) the genetic profiles of two publicly available human bladder cancer studies were used to test the significance of the common association of genes, identified in step 1 and step 2, to develop and validate a predictive model of primary bladder cancer risk associated with arsenic exposure. Our analysis shows that arsenic exposure to humans is mainly associated with organismal injury and abnormalities, immunological disease, inflammatory disease, gastrointestinal disease, and increased rates of a wide variety of cancers. In addition, arsenic exerts its toxicity by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increasing ROS production causing the imbalance that leads to cell and tissue damage (oxidative stress). Oxidative stress activates inflammatory pathways leading to transformation of a normal cell to tumor cell specifically; there is significant evidence of the advancing changes in oxidative/nitrative stress during the progression of bladder cancer. Therefore, we examined the relation of differentially expressed genes due to exposure of arsenic in human and bladder cancer and developed a bladder cancer risk prediction model. In this study, integrin-linked kinase (ILK) was one of the most significant pathways identified between both arsenic exposed population which plays a key role in eliciting a protective response to oxidative damage in epidermal cells. On the other hand, several studies showed that arsenic trioxide (ATO) is useful for anticancer therapy although the mechanisms underlying its paradoxical effects are still not well understood. ATO has shown remarkable efficacy for the treatment of multiple myeloma; therefore, it will be helpful to understand the underlying cancer biology by which ATO exerts its inhibitory effect on the myeloma cells. Our study found that MAPK is one of the most active network between arsenic gene and ATO cell line which is involved in indicative of oxidative/nitrosative damage and well associated with the development of bladder cancer. The study identified a unique set of 147 genes associated with arsenic exposure and linked to molecular mechanisms of cancer. The risk prediction model shows the highest prediction ability for recurrent bladder tumors based on a very small subset (NKIRAS2, AKTIP, and HLA-DQA1) of the 147 genes resulting in AUC of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.744-0.995) and 0.75 (95% CI: 0.343-0.933) on training and validation data, respectively.
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Abstract
Arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid and one of the few metals that can be metabolized inside the human body. The pervasive presence of arsenic in nature and anthropogenic sources from agricultural and medical use have perpetuated human exposure to this toxic and carcinogenic element. Highly exposed individuals are susceptible to various illnesses, including skin disorders; cognitive impairment; and cancers of the lung, liver, and kidneys. In fact, across the globe, approximately 200 million people are exposed to potentially toxic levels of arsenic, which has prompted substantial research and mitigation efforts to combat this extensive public health issue. This review provides an up-to-date look at arsenic-related challenges facing the global community, including current sources of arsenic, global disease burden, arsenic resistance, and shortcomings of ongoing mitigation measures, and discusses potential next steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao Yi Chen
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710049, China
| | - Max Costa
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10010, USA;
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9
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Song X, Wang Z, Zhang Z, Miao M, Liu J, Luan M, Du J, Liang H, Yuan W. Differential methylation of genes in the human placenta associated with bisphenol A exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 200:111389. [PMID: 34089743 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) is associated with numerous adverse health outcomes among offspring. Although DNA methylation is considered one of the underlying causes of these associations, few studies have focused on the association between prenatal BPA exposure and DNA methylation in the human placenta. In this study, we examined the association between prenatal BPA exposure and DNA methylation in the placenta of 146 mother-infant pairs from the Shanghai-Minhang Birth Cohort Study. BPA concentrations in maternal urine samples were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. Six placenta samples were selected for whole-genome methylation analysis using Infinium Human Methylation 450K Beadchip, followed by pyrosequencing-based methylation analysis of three selected genes in 146 placentas. Among 282 differentially methylated CpGs, representing 208 genes, 127 were hypermethylated, and 155 were hypomethylated in the BPA exposure group. Prenatal BPA exposure was associated with a higher methylation level of HLA-DRB6 in individuals as determined using pyrosequencing, which was consistent with the whole-genome methylation analysis results. Compared with that subjects with low BPA exposure, the methylation level (ln-transformed) of HLA-DRB6 in placentas from those with high BPA exposure increased by 0.29% (95% confidence interval[CI]: 0.02%, 0.56%) at the CpG2 site, and the average methylation level (ln-transformed) of the three CpG sites increased by 0.30% (95%CI: -0.03%, 0.63%). Our findings provide evidence that prenatal BPA exposure might alter DNA methylation levels in the placenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuxia Song
- Department of Epidemiology and Social Science, NHC Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ziliang Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Social Science, NHC Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhaofeng Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Social Science, NHC Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Maohua Miao
- Department of Epidemiology and Social Science, NHC Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junwei Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Social Science, NHC Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Luan
- Department of Epidemiology and Social Science, NHC Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Du
- Department of Epidemiology and Social Science, NHC Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Hong Liang
- Department of Epidemiology and Social Science, NHC Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Wei Yuan
- Department of Epidemiology and Social Science, NHC Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Prichystalova R, Caron-Beaudoin E, Richardson L, Dirkx E, Amadou A, Zavodna T, Cihak R, Cogliano V, Hynes J, Pelland-St-Pierre L, Verner MA, van Tongeren M, Ho V. An approach to classifying occupational exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals by sex hormone function using an expert judgment process. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2021; 31:753-768. [PMID: 32704083 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-020-0253-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are exogenous substances that interfere with the endocrine system and cause adverse effects. We aimed to classify the effects of 24 known EDCs, prevalent in certain occupations, according to four modes of action (estrogenic, antiestrogenic, androgenic, and/or antiandrogenic). A literature search, stratified into four types of literature was conducted (namely: national and international agency reports; review articles; primary studies; ToxCastTM). The state of the evidence of each EDC on sex hormone function was summarized and reviewed by an expert panel. For each mode of action, the experts evaluated the likelihood of endocrine disruption in five categories: "No", "Unlikely", "Possibly", "Probably", and "Yes". Seven agents were categorized as "Yes," or having strong evidence for their effects on sex hormone function (antiandrogenic: lead, arsenic, butylbenzyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, dicyclohexyl phthalate; estrogenic: nonylphenol, bisphenol A). Nine agents were categorized as "Probable," or having probable evidence (antiandrogenic: bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, nonylphenol, toluene, bisphenol A, diisononyl phthalate; androgenic: cadmium; estrogenic: copper, cadmium and; anti-estrogenic: lead). Two agents (arsenic, polychlorinated biphenyls) had opposing conclusions supporting both "probably" estrogenic and antiestrogenic effects. This synthesis will allow researchers to evaluate the health effects of selected EDCs with an added level of precision related to the mode of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Prichystalova
- Faculty of Safety Engineering, Technical University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - E Caron-Beaudoin
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - L Richardson
- Centre de recherche du CHUM (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - E Dirkx
- Centre de recherche du CHUM (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - A Amadou
- Département Prévention Cancer Environnement, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
- Inserm UA 08 Radiations: Défense, Santé, Environement, Lyon, France
| | - T Zavodna
- Institute of Experimental Medicine of the CAS, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - R Cihak
- Výzkumný ústav organických syntéz a.s., Centre for Ecology, Toxicology and Analytics, Rybitví, Czech Republic
| | - V Cogliano
- National Center for Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA
| | - J Hynes
- JH Tox Consulting, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - L Pelland-St-Pierre
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - M A Verner
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche en santé publique (CReSP), Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - M van Tongeren
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Division of Population Health, Health Services Research & Primary Care, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - V Ho
- Centre de recherche du CHUM (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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Anwar N, Qureshi IZ, Spears N, Lopes F. In vitro administration of sodium arsenite in mouse prepubertal testis induces germ cell loss and apoptosis. Toxicol In Vitro 2020; 67:104924. [PMID: 32599264 DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2020.104924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
High levels of arsenic contamination in drinking water pose serious health risks in numerous countries. The documentation reporting arsenic toxicity on reproduction and development is increasing, with evidence of arsenic inducing fertility and developmental issues. Nonetheless, the impact of arsenic exposure on the development of the male reproductive system is not fully elucidated. In the present study, we have investigated the direct effects of arsenic on prepubertal mouse testis using an in vitro testicular organ culture system. Culture medium was supplemented with a range of concentrations of sodium arsenite, examining effects of low (0.5 and 1 μM) and high (10, 50, 100 μM) concentrations, in cultures of post-natal day 5 CD1 mouse testis. In vitro exposure of low arsenic concentrations (0.5 or 1 μM) for 6 days did not cause any change in the testicular morphology, germ cells density, or apoptotic marker cleaved caspase 3 (CC3) expression. In contrast, exposure of prepubertal testis to high arsenic concentrations (10, 50 or 100 μM) induced drastic changes: severe destruction of testicular morphology, with loss of seminiferous tubule integrity; a dose-dependent decrease in germ cell density, and a hundred-fold increase in CC3 expression after 50 μM arsenic exposure. In conclusion, high arsenic treatment induced a dose-dependent induction of apoptosis and germ cell loss in prepubertal mouse testis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naureen Anwar
- Quaid-i-Azam University, Department of Animal Sciences, Laboratory of Animal and Human Physiology, PO Box 45320, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Irfan Zia Qureshi
- Quaid-i-Azam University, Department of Animal Sciences, Laboratory of Animal and Human Physiology, PO Box 45320, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Norah Spears
- University of Edinburgh, School of Biomedical Sciences, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Federica Lopes
- University of Edinburgh, School of Biomedical Sciences, Edinburgh, United Kingdom..
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12
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Merrick BA, Phadke DP, Bostrom MA, Shah RR, Wright GM, Wang X, Gordon O, Pelch KE, Auerbach SS, Paules RS, DeVito MJ, Waalkes MP, Tokar EJ. KRAS-retroviral fusion transcripts and gene amplification in arsenic-transformed, human prostate CAsE-PE cancer cells. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2020; 397:115017. [PMID: 32344290 PMCID: PMC7606314 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2020.115017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
CAsE-PE cells are an arsenic-transformed, human prostate epithelial line containing oncogenic mutations in KRAS compared to immortalized, normal KRAS parent cells, RWPE-1. We previously reported increased copy number of mutated KRAS in CAsE-PE cells, suggesting gene amplification. Here, KRAS flanking genomic and transcriptomic regions were sequenced in CAsE-PE cells for insight into KRAS amplification. Comparison of DNA-Seq and RNA-Seq showed increased reads from background aligning to all KRAS exons in CAsE-PE cells, while a uniform DNA-Seq read distribution occurred in RWPE-1 cells with normal transcript expression. We searched for KRAS fusions in DNA and RNA sequencing data finding a portion of reads aligning to KRAS and viral sequence. After generation of cDNA from total RNA, short and long KRAS probes were generated to hybridize cDNA and KRAS enriched fragments were PacBio sequenced. More KRAS reads were captured from CAsE-PE cDNA versus RWPE-1 by each probe set. Only CAsE-PE cDNA showed KRAS viral fusion transcripts, primarily mapping to LTR and endogenous retrovirus sequences on either 5'- or 3'-ends of KRAS. Most KRAS viral fusion transcripts contained 4 to 6 exons but some PacBio sequences were in unusual orientations, suggesting viral insertions within the gene body. Additionally, conditioned media was extracted for potential retroviral particles. RNA-Seq of culture media isolates identified KRAS retroviral fusion transcripts in CAsE-PE media only. Truncated KRAS transcripts suggested multiple retroviral integration sites occurred within the KRAS gene producing KRAS retroviral fusions of various lengths. Findings suggest activation of endogenous retroviruses in arsenic carcinogenesis should be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Alex Merrick
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States.
| | - Dhiral P Phadke
- Sciome, LLC, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States
| | - Meredith A Bostrom
- David H. Murdock Research Institute, Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States
| | - Ruchir R Shah
- Sciome, LLC, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States
| | - Garron M Wright
- David H. Murdock Research Institute, Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States
| | - Xinguo Wang
- David H. Murdock Research Institute, Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States
| | - Oksana Gordon
- David H. Murdock Research Institute, Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States
| | - Katherine E Pelch
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States
| | - Scott S Auerbach
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States
| | - Richard S Paules
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States
| | - Michael J DeVito
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States
| | - Michael P Waalkes
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States
| | - Erik J Tokar
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States
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13
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Chen QY, Shen S, Sun H, Wu F, Kluz T, Kibriya MG, Chen Y, Ahsan H, Costa M. PBMC gene expression profiles of female Bangladeshi adults chronically exposed to arsenic-contaminated drinking water. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 259:113672. [PMID: 31918125 PMCID: PMC11062206 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic, a class I human carcinogen, is ubiquitously found throughout the environment and around the globe, posing a great public health concern. Notably, Bangladesh and regions of West Bengal have been found to have high levels (0.5-4600 μg/L) of arsenic drinking water contamination, and approximately 50 million of the world's 200 million people chronically exposed to arsenic in Bangladesh alone. This study was carried out to examine genome-wide gene expression changes in individuals chronically exposed to arsenic-contaminated drinking water. Our study population includes twenty-nine Bangladeshi female participants with urinary arsenic levels ranging from 22.32 to 1828.12 μg/g creatinine. RNA extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were evaluated using RNA-Sequencing analysis. Our results indicate that a total of 1,054 genes were significantly associated with increasing urinary arsenic levels (FDR p < 0.05), which include 418 down-regulated and 636 up-regulated genes. Further Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed potential target genes (DAPK1, EGR2, APP), microRNAs (miR-155, -338, -210) and pathways (NOTCH signaling pathway) related to arsenic carcinogenesis. The selection of female-only participants provides a homogenous study population since arsenic has significant sex dependent effects, and the wide exposure range provides new insight for key gene expression changes that correlate with increasing urinary arsenic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao Yi Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 10010, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Steven Shen
- Institute of Health Informatics, University of Minnesota, 55455, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Hong Sun
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 10010, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fen Wu
- Department of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, 10016, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thomas Kluz
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 10010, New York, NY, USA
| | - Muhammad G Kibriya
- Institute for Population and Precision Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, 10016, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Habibul Ahsan
- Institute for Population and Precision Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Max Costa
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 10010, New York, NY, USA.
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14
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Rehman MYA, van Herwijnen M, Krauskopf J, Farooqi A, Kleinjans JCS, Malik RN, Briedé JJ. Transcriptome responses in blood reveal distinct biological pathways associated with arsenic exposure through drinking water in rural settings of Punjab, Pakistan. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 135:105403. [PMID: 31864032 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Groundwater Arsenic (As) contamination is a global public health concern responsible for various health implications and a neglected area of environmental health research in Pakistan. Because of interindividual differences in genetic predisposition, As-related health issues may not be equally distributed among the As-exposed population. However, till date, no studies have been conducted including multiple SNPs involved in As metabolism and disease risk using a linear mixed effect model approach to analyze peripheral blood transcriptomics results. OBJECTIVES In order to detect early responses on the gene expression level and to evaluate the impact of selected SNPs inferring disease risks associated with As exposure, we designed a systematic study to investigate blood transcriptomics profiles of 57 differentially exposed rural subjects living in drinking water As-contaminated settings of Lahore and Kasur districts in Punjab Province in southeast Pakistan. Exposure among the subjects was correlated with individual transcriptome responses applying urinary As profiles as the main biomarker for risk stratification. METHODS We performed whole genome gene expression analysis in blood of subjects using microarrays. Linear effect mixed models were applied for evaluating the combined impact of SNPs hypothetically increasing the risk for As exposure-induced health effects (GSTM1, GSTT1, As3MT, DNMT1, MTHFR, ERCC2 and EGFR). RESULTS Our findings confirmed important signaling, growth factor, cancer and other disease related pathways known to be associated with increased As exposure levels. In addition, upon implementing our integrative SNPs-based genetic risk factor, pathways associated with an increased risk of NAFLD and diabetes appeared significantly enhanced by down-regulation of genes NDUFV3, IKBKB, IL6R, ADIPOR1, PPARA, OGT and FOXO1. CONCLUSION We report the first comprehensive study applying state-of-the-art bioinformatics approaches to address multiple SNP-based inter-individual variability in adverse molecular responses among subjects exposed to drinking water As contamination in Pakistan thereby providing strong evidence of various gene expression targets associated with development of known As-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Yasir Abdur Rehman
- Environmental Health Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Marcel van Herwijnen
- Grow School of Oncology and Developmental Biology, Department of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - Julian Krauskopf
- Grow School of Oncology and Developmental Biology, Department of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - Abida Farooqi
- Environmental Hydro-Geochemistry Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Jos C S Kleinjans
- Grow School of Oncology and Developmental Biology, Department of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - Riffat Naseem Malik
- Environmental Health Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
| | - Jacco Jan Briedé
- Grow School of Oncology and Developmental Biology, Department of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
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15
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Endocrine Disruptors Induced Distinct Expression of Thyroid and Estrogen Receptors in Rat versus Mouse Primary Cerebellar Cell Cultures. Brain Sci 2019; 9:brainsci9120359. [PMID: 31817561 PMCID: PMC6955918 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9120359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The endocrine system of animals consists of fine-tuned self-regulating mechanisms that maintain the hormonal and neuronal milieu during tissue development. This complex system can be influenced by endocrine disruptors (ED)—substances that can alter the hormonal regulation even in small concentrations. By now, thousands of substances—either synthesized by the plastic, cosmetic, agricultural, or medical industry or occurring naturally in plants or in polluted groundwater—can act as EDs. Their identification and testing has been a hard-to-solve problem; Recent indications that the ED effects may be species-specific just further complicated the determination of biological ED effects. Here we compare the effects of bisphenol-A, zearalenone, and arsenic (well-known EDs) exerted on mouse and rat neural cell cultures by measuring the differences of the ED-affected neural estrogen- and thyroid receptors. EDs alters the receptor expression in a species-like manner detectable in the magnitude as well as in the nature of biological responses. It is concluded that the interspecies differences (or species specificity) in ED effects should be considered in the future testing of ED effects.
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16
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Zhao T, Li X, Sun D, Zhang Z. Oxidative stress: One potential factor for arsenite-induced increase of N 6-methyladenosine in human keratinocytes. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2019; 69:95-103. [PMID: 31004932 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2019.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is affected by oxidative stress and gets involved in arsenite toxicity. However, whether oxidative stress is one factor in arsenite-induced alteration of m6A levels remains unclear. Here, reactive oxygen species (ROS), product of lipid peroxidation (MDA), antioxidants (GSH and SOD), m6A levels, m6A methyltransferases (METTL3, METTL14, and WTAP) and demethylases (FTO and ALKBH5) were detected in human keratinocytes exposed to different concentrations of arsenite. Antioxidant N-acetylcysteine was used to assess the influence of arsenite-induced oxidative stress on m6A modification. Possible regulations of m6A modification induced by arsenite were explored using bioinformatic analysis. Our results demonstrated that arsenite-induced oxidative stress increased the levels of m6A methylation possibly by mediating m6A methyltransferases and demethylases, especially elevated expressions of WTAP and METTL14, in human keratinocytes. Whereas N-acetylcysteine suppressed the elevated m6A level and its methyltransferases in human keratinocytes exposed to arsenite. Furthermore, arsenite-induced oxidative stress might mediate m6A methyltransferases and demethylases by reducing transcription of 4 genes (HECTD4, ABCA5, SLC22 A17 and KCNQ5) according to our bioinformatic analysis and experiments. Additionally, GO and Pathway analysis further suggested that the increase of m6A modification in arsenite-induced oxidative stress might be involved in some biological processes such as positive regulation of GTPase activity, apoptotic process, and platelet activation. Taken together, our study revealed the significant role of oxidative stress in m6A modification induced by arsenite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianhe Zhao
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xinyang Li
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Donglei Sun
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zunzhen Zhang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
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17
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Selmin OI, Donovan MG, Skovan B, Paine-Murieta GD, Romagnolo DF. Arsenic‑induced BRCA1 CpG promoter methylation is associated with the downregulation of ERα and resistance to tamoxifen in MCF7 breast cancer cells and mouse mammary tumor xenografts. Int J Oncol 2019; 54:869-878. [PMID: 30664189 PMCID: PMC6365020 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2019.4687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A significant percentage (~30%) of estrogen receptor-α (ERα)-positive tumors become refractory to endocrine therapies; however, the mechanisms responsible for this resistance remain largely unknown. Chronic exposure to arsenic through foods and contaminated water has been linked to an increased incidence of several tumors and long-term health complications. Preclinical and population studies have indicated that arsenic exposure may interfere with endocrine regulation and increase the risk of breast tumorigenesis. In this study, we examined the effects of sodium arsenite (NaAsIII) exposure in ERα-positive breast cancer cells in vitro and in mammary tumor xenografts. The results revealed that acute (within 4 days) and long-term (10 days to 7 weeks) in vitro exposure to environmentally relevant doses reduced breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) and ERα expression associated with the gain of cyclin D1 (CCND1) and folate receptor 1 (FOLR1), and the loss of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) expression. Furthermore, long-term exposure to NaAsIII induced the proliferation and compromised the response of MCF7 cells to tamoxifen (TAM). The in vitro exposure to NaAsIII induced BRCA1 CpG methylation associated with the increased recruitment of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and the loss of RNA polymerase II (PolII) at the BRCA1 gene. Xenografts of NaAsIII-preconditioned MCF7 cells (MCF7NaAsIII) into the mammary fat pads of nude mice produced a larger tumor volume compared to tumors from control MCF7 cells and were more refractory to TAM in association with the reduced expression of BRCA1 and ERα, CpG hypermethylation of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) and BRCA1, and the increased expression of FOLR1. These cumulative data support the hypothesis that exposure to AsIII may contribute to reducing the efficacy of endocrine therapy against ERα-positive breast tumors by hampering the expression of ERα and BRCA1 via CpG methylation, respectively of ESR1 and BRCA1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ornella I Selmin
- The University of Arizona Cancer Center, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Micah G Donovan
- Cancer Biology Graduate Interdisciplinary Program, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Bethany Skovan
- The University of Arizona Cancer Center, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | | | - Donato F Romagnolo
- The University of Arizona Cancer Center, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
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18
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Schiffman C, McHale CM, Hubbard AE, Zhang L, Thomas R, Vermeulen R, Li G, Shen M, Rappaport SM, Yin S, Lan Q, Smith MT, Rothman N. Identification of gene expression predictors of occupational benzene exposure. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205427. [PMID: 30300410 PMCID: PMC6177191 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previously, using microarrays and mRNA-Sequencing (mRNA-Seq) we found that occupational exposure to a range of benzene levels perturbed gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. OBJECTIVES In the current study, we sought to identify gene expression biomarkers predictive of benzene exposure below 1 part per million (ppm), the occupational standard in the U.S. METHODS First, we used the nCounter platform to validate altered expression of 30 genes in 33 unexposed controls and 57 subjects exposed to benzene (<1 to ≥5 ppm). Second, we used SuperLearner (SL) to identify a minimal number of genes for which altered expression could predict <1 ppm benzene exposure, in 44 subjects with a mean air benzene level of 0.55±0.248 ppm (minimum 0.203ppm). RESULTS nCounter and microarray expression levels were highly correlated (coefficients >0.7, p<0.05) for 26 microarray-selected genes. nCounter and mRNA-Seq levels were poorly correlated for 4 mRNA-Seq-selected genes. Using negative binomial regression with adjustment for covariates and multiple testing, we confirmed differential expression of 23 microarray-selected genes in the entire benzene-exposed group, and 27 genes in the <1 ppm-exposed subgroup, compared with the control group. Using SL, we identified 3 pairs of genes that could predict <1 ppm benzene exposure with cross-validated AUC estimates >0.9 (p<0.0001) and were not predictive of other exposures (nickel, arsenic, smoking, stress). The predictive gene pairs are PRG2/CLEC5A, NFKBI/CLEC5A, and ACSL1/CLEC5A. They play roles in innate immunity and inflammatory responses. CONCLUSIONS Using nCounter and SL, we validated the altered expression of multiple mRNAs by benzene and identified gene pairs predictive of exposure to benzene at levels below the US occupational standard of 1ppm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Schiffman
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Cliona M. McHale
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Alan E. Hubbard
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Luoping Zhang
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Reuben Thomas
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Roel Vermeulen
- Institute of Risk assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Guilan Li
- Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Min Shen
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Stephen M. Rappaport
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Songnian Yin
- Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Lan
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Martyn T. Smith
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Nathaniel Rothman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
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19
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Zeng Q, Yi H, Huang L, An Q, Wang H. Reduced testosterone and Ddx3y expression caused by long-term exposure to arsenic and its effect on spermatogenesis in mice. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2018; 63:84-91. [PMID: 30189373 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2018.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic (As) has been recognized as a cause of male reproductive toxicity. However, effects of long-term arsenic exposure (puberty-adult) on spermatogenesis, testosterone synthesis, and the expression of androgen binding protein (ABP) and Ddx3y remain unclear. The objective of this investigation was to explore these effects and the underlying mechanisms. Male mice were treated with 5 and 50 ppm arsenic for 6 months via drinking water. The results showed that arsenic reduced sperm count and sperm motility and enhanced the abnormal sperm percentage. The decrease in the number of spermatogenic cells and sperm in seminiferous tubules and the decline in the Johnsen score were observed in both arsenic-treated groups, suggesting spermatogenesis disorders. Moreover, arsenic diminished serum testosterone, along with the reduced expression of luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and 17-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) genes. Arsenic also down-regulated mRNA levels of ABP and Ddx3y in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, the protein levels of StAR, 17β-HSD and Ddx3y were significantly reduced in arsenic-treated groups. Taken together, these results suggest that the reduced testosterone through inhibition of the expression of multiple genes responsible for the biosynthesis, the damaged androgen homeostasis partially via lessening the expression levels of the ABP gene and the down-regulated expression of Ddx3y, may contribute to spermatogenesis disorders in mice exposed to arsenic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qun Zeng
- School of Life Science, Institute of Environmental Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China; School of Basic Medicine, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Huilan Yi
- School of Life Science, Institute of Environmental Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China.
| | - Liqun Huang
- China Institute for Radiation Protection, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Quan An
- China Institute for Radiation Protection, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Hong Wang
- School of Life Science, Institute of Environmental Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
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20
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Minatel BC, Sage AP, Anderson C, Hubaux R, Marshall EA, Lam WL, Martinez VD. Environmental arsenic exposure: From genetic susceptibility to pathogenesis. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2018; 112:183-197. [PMID: 29275244 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2017.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
More than 200 million people in 70 countries are exposed to arsenic through drinking water. Chronic exposure to this metalloid has been associated with the onset of many diseases, including cancer. Epidemiological evidence supports its carcinogenic potential, however, detailed molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Despite the global magnitude of this problem, not all individuals face the same risk. Susceptibility to the toxic effects of arsenic is influenced by alterations in genes involved in arsenic metabolism, as well as biological factors, such as age, gender and nutrition. Moreover, chronic arsenic exposure results in several genotoxic and epigenetic alterations tightly associated with the arsenic biotransformation process, resulting in an increased cancer risk. In this review, we: 1) review the roles of inter-individual DNA-level variations influencing the susceptibility to arsenic-induced carcinogenesis; 2) discuss the contribution of arsenic biotransformation to cancer initiation; 3) provide insights into emerging research areas and the challenges in the field; and 4) compile a resource of publicly available arsenic-related DNA-level variations, transcriptome and methylation data. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of arsenic exposure and its subsequent health effects will support efforts to reduce the worldwide health burden and encourage the development of strategies for managing arsenic-related diseases in the era of personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda C Minatel
- Department of Integrative Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Adam P Sage
- Department of Integrative Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christine Anderson
- Department of Integrative Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Roland Hubaux
- Department of Integrative Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Erin A Marshall
- Department of Integrative Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Wan L Lam
- Department of Integrative Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Victor D Martinez
- Department of Integrative Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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21
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Romagnolo DF, Daniels KD, Grunwald JT, Ramos SA, Propper CR, Selmin OI. Epigenetics of breast cancer: Modifying role of environmental and bioactive food compounds. Mol Nutr Food Res 2017; 60:1310-29. [PMID: 27144894 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201501063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2015] [Revised: 04/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
SCOPE Reduced expression of tumor suppressor genes (TSG) increases the susceptibility to breast cancer. However, only a small percentage of breast tumors is related to family history and mutational inactivation of TSG. Epigenetics refers to non-mutational events that alter gene expression. Endocrine disruptors found in foods and drinking water may disrupt epigenetically hormonal regulation and increase breast cancer risk. This review centers on the working hypothesis that agonists of the aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), bisphenol A (BPA), and arsenic compounds, induce in TSG epigenetic signatures that mirror those often seen in sporadic breast tumors. Conversely, it is hypothesized that bioactive food components that target epigenetic mechanisms protect against sporadic breast cancer induced by these disruptors. METHODS AND RESULTS This review highlights (i) overlaps between epigenetic signatures placed in TSG by AHR-ligands, BPA, and arsenic with epigenetic alterations associated with sporadic breast tumorigenesis; and (ii) potential opportunities for the prevention of sporadic breast cancer with food components that target the epigenetic machinery. CONCLUSIONS Characterizing the overlap between epigenetic signatures elicited in TSG by endocrine disruptors with those observed in sporadic breast tumors may afford new strategies for breast cancer prevention with specific bioactive food components or diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donato F Romagnolo
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.,The University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Kevin D Daniels
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Jonathan T Grunwald
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Stephan A Ramos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Catherine R Propper
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Ornella I Selmin
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.,The University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Ponomarenko O, La Porte PF, Singh SP, Langan G, Fleming DEB, Spallholz JE, Alauddin M, Ahsan H, Ahmed S, Gailer J, George GN, Pickering IJ. Selenium-mediated arsenic excretion in mammals: a synchrotron-based study of whole-body distribution and tissue-specific chemistry. Metallomics 2017; 9:1585-1595. [PMID: 29058732 DOI: 10.1039/c7mt00201g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Arsenicosis, a syndrome caused by ingestion of arsenic contaminated drinking water, currently affects millions of people in South-East Asia and elsewhere. Previous animal studies revealed that the toxicity of arsenite essentially can be abolished if selenium is co-administered as selenite. Although subsequent studies have provided some insight into the biomolecular basis of this striking antagonism, many details of the biochemical pathways that ultimately result in the detoxification and excretion of arsenic using selenium supplements have yet to be thoroughly studied. To this end and in conjunction with the recent Phase III clinical trial "Selenium in the Treatment of Arsenic Toxicity and Cancers", we have applied synchrotron X-ray techniques to elucidate the mechanisms of this arsenic-selenium antagonism at the tissue and organ levels using an animal model. X-ray fluorescence imaging (XFI) of cryo-dried whole-body sections of laboratory hamsters that had been injected with arsenite, selenite, or both chemical species, provided insight into the distribution of both metalloids 30 minutes after treatment. Co-treated animals showed strong co-localization of arsenic and selenium in the liver, gall bladder and small intestine. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) of freshly frozen organs of co-treated animals revealed the presence in liver tissues of the seleno bis-(S-glutathionyl) arsinium ion, which was rapidly excreted via bile into the intestinal tract. These results firmly support the previously postulated hepatobiliary excretion of the seleno bis-(S-glutathionyl) arsinium ion by providing the first data pertaining to organs of whole animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olena Ponomarenko
- Molecular and Environmental Science Research Group, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada.
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