Effects of multi-component mixtures of polyaromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metal/loid(s) on Nrf2-antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway in ARE reporter-HepG2 cells

Defense systems of soil microorganisms in response to compound contamination by arsenic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Arsenic and PAHs impose environmental stress on soil microorganisms, yet their compound effects remain poorly understood. While soil microorganisms possess the ability to metabolize As and PAHs, the mechanisms of microbial response are not fully elucidated. In our study, we established two simulated soil systems using soil collected from Xixi Wetland Park grassland, Hangzhou, China. The As-600 Group was contaminated with 600 mg/kg sodium arsenite, while the As-600-PAHs-30 Group received both 600 mg/kg sodium arsenite and 30 mg/kg PAHs (phenanthrene:fluoranthene:benzo[a]pyrene = 1:1:1). These systems were operated continuously for 270 days, and microbial responses were assessed using high-throughput sequencing and metagenomic analysis. Our findings revealed that compound contamination significantly promoted the abundance of microbial defense-related genes, with general defense genes increasing by 11.07 % ∼ 74.23 % and specific defense genes increasing by 44.13 % ∼ 55.74 %. The dominate species Rhodococcus adopts these general and specific defense mechanisms to resist compound pollution stress and gain ecological niche advantages, making it a candidate strain for soil remediation. Our study contributes to the assessment of ecological damage caused by As and PAHs from a microbial perspective and provides valuable insights for soil remediation.

Assessment of genotoxic damage induced by exposure to binary mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and three heavy metals in male mice

INTRODUCTION

Heavy metals (HM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposition has been associated with health problems. Therefore, this research evaluated genotoxicity induced in male mice strain CD-1 exposed to benzo[a]anthracene (B[a]A) and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and their interaction with Fe, Pb, and Al.

METHODS

Groups of animals were exposed intraperitoneally to HM, PAHs, and mixtures of both. Peripheral blood samples were taken from 0 to 96 h at 24 h intervals; genotoxicity was determined by micronucleus tests and comet assay. Additionally, toxicity and viability were evaluated.

RESULTS

HM and PAHs individually were genotoxic. About toxicity, only Al altered polychromatic erythrocytes number and did not change leukocytes viability. Concerning mixtures, Fe + B[a]P, Fe + B[a]A, Pb + B[a]P increased genotoxicity. There were no changes with Pb + B[a]A. Finally, Al mixtures with both PAHs damage was decreased.

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to HM and PAH caused genetic damage. Fe, Al, and B[a]A, established a genotoxic potential. Every metal can interact with PAHs in different ways. Also, the micronucleus test and the comet assay demonstrated their high capacity and reliability to determine the genotoxic potential of the compounds evaluated in this work.

The cross-linking between DNA damage, oxidative stress and epidermal barrier in keratinocytes after exposure to particulate matters and carbon black

As the largest organ, the skin provides the first line of defence against environmental pollutants. Different pollutants have varied damage to the skin due to their own physical-chemical properties. A previous epidemiological study by our team revealed that eczema was positively correlated with different air pollutants. However, the mechanism of action from different pollutants on the skin is less known. In this work, the differences among the genotoxicity, intracellular reactive oxygen species, and barrier-related parameters caused by two kinds of air pollutants, that is, S1650b and carbon black (CB) were investigated by Western blot, TUNEL, comet assay and RNA-sequences. The results indicated that both S1650b and CB caused DNA damage of keratinocytes. With the content of lipophilic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), S1650b leaked into the keratinocytes easily, which activated the aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in keratinocytes, leading to worse damage to barrier-related proteins than CB. And CB-induced higher intracellular ROS than S1650b due to the smaller size which make it enter the keratinocytes easier. RNA-sequencing results revealed that S1650b and CB both caused DNA damage of keratinocytes, and the intervention of S1650b significantly upregulated AhR, cytochrome oxidase A1 and B1 (CYP1A1 and CYP1B1) genes, while the results showed oppositely after CB intervention. The mechanism of keratinocyte damage caused by different air particle pollutants in this study will help to expand our understanding on the air pollutant-associated skin disease at cell levels.

The contribution of the exposome to the burden of cardiovascular disease

Large epidemiological and health impact assessment studies at the global scale, such as the Global Burden of Disease project, indicate that chronic non-communicable diseases, such as atherosclerosis and diabetes mellitus, caused almost two-thirds of the annual global deaths in 2020. By 2030, 77% of all deaths are expected to be caused by non-communicable diseases. Although this increase is mainly due to the ageing of the general population in Western societies, other reasons include the increasing effects of soil, water, air and noise pollution on health, together with the effects of other environmental risk factors such as climate change, unhealthy city designs (including lack of green spaces), unhealthy lifestyle habits and psychosocial stress. The exposome concept was established in 2005 as a new strategy to study the effect of the environment on health. The exposome describes the harmful biochemical and metabolic changes that occur in our body owing to the totality of different environmental exposures throughout the life course, which ultimately lead to adverse health effects and premature deaths. In this Review, we describe the exposome concept with a focus on environmental physical and chemical exposures and their effects on the burden of cardiovascular disease. We discuss selected exposome studies and highlight the relevance of the exposome concept for future health research as well as preventive medicine. We also discuss the challenges and limitations of exposome studies.

Using a Battery of Bioassays to Assess the Toxicity of Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluents in Industrial Parks

Bioassays, as an addition to physico-chemical water quality evaluation, can provide information on the toxic effects of pollutants present in the water. In this study, a broad evaluation of environmental health risks from industrial wastewater along the Yangtze River, China, was conducted using a battery of bioassays. Toxicity tests showed that the wastewater treatment processes were effective at lowering acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, HepG2 cells' cytotoxicity, the estrogenic effect in T47D-Kbluc cells, DNA damage of Euglena gracilis and the mutagenicity of Salmonella typhimurium in the analyzed wastewater samples. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were identified as potential major toxic chemicals of concern in the wastewater samples of W, J and T wastewater treatment plants; thus, the potential harm of PAHs to aquatic organisms has been investigated. Based on the health risk assessment model, the risk index of wastewater from the industrial parks along the Yangtze River was below one, indicating that the PAHs were less harmful to human health through skin contact or respiratory exposure. Overall, the biological toxicity tests used in this study provide a good basis for the health risk assessment of industrial wastewater and a scientific reference for the optimization and operation of the treatment process.

Concentrations of essential and toxic elements and health risk assessment in brown rice from Qatari market

Twenty-two brown rice varieties available in the Qatari market were analyzed for essential and toxic elements by ICP-MS. Found concentrations (µg/kg) were: As: 171 ± 78 (62-343), Cd: 42 ± 60 (4-253), Cr: 515 ± 69 (401-639), Pb: 6 ± 7 (<MDL-26), and U: 0.1 ± 0.5 (<MDL-2). One third of the samples contained high levels of arsenic. Significant differences (p < 0.008) in concentrations were observed for many elements based on both the grains' country of origin and size. Calculated carcinogenic risk according to published speciation data of inorganic arsenic and chromium(VI) available in the literature for rice is > 1 in million, may possibly be > 1 in 10,000 based on conservatively high brown rice consumption rates of 200 g/d or 400 g/d in Qatar. These elevated risks may be applicable to specific population subgroups with diabetic conditions who consume only brown rice. Non-cancer risks are mainly derived from Mn, V, Se, and Cd with a hazard index > 1 from some brown rice samples.

Decabromodiphenyl ether induces ROS-mediated intestinal toxicity through the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely used brominated flame retardants as commercial products. PBDEs have been demonstrated to induce hepatic, reproductive, neural, and thyroid toxicity effects. This study aimed to clarify the potential intestinal toxicity effects of decabrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE-209) in vivo and in vitro. First, we investigated the change of PBDE-209 on oxidative stress in the intestine of mice. Subsequently, the potential toxicity mechanism of PBDE-209 in vitro was investigated. Caco-2 cells were treated with different concentrations of PBDE-209 (1, 5, and 25 μmol/L) for 24  and 48 h. We determined the cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, multiple cellular parameters, and relative mRNA expressions. The results showed that PBDE-209 significantly injured the colon of mice, increased the intestinal levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), and changed the antioxidant enzyme activities. PBDE-209 inhibited the proliferation and induced cytotoxicity of Caco-2 cells. The change in ROS production and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) revealed that PBDE-209 caused oxidative stress in Caco-2 cells. The real-time PCR assays revealed that PBDE-209 inhibited the mRNA expression level of antioxidative defense factor, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Furthermore, the FAS and Cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) mRNA expression levels were increased in Caco-2 cells. These results suggested that PBDE-209 exerts intestinal toxicity effects in vivo and in vitro and inhibits the antioxidative defense gene expression in Caco-2 cells. This study provides an opportunity to advance the understanding of toxicity by the persistent environmental pollutant PBDE-209 to the intestine.

Combined effects of mixed per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on the Nrf2-ARE pathway in ARE reporter-HepG2 cells

Although the Nrf2-ARE pathway plays a critical role in cellular protection against toxicity and oxidative stress from environmental chemical stressors, the association between exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) mixtures and the changes of Nrf2-ARE pathway remains largely unexplored. This study evaluated the potential of PFAS to induce the Nrf2-ARE pathway as individual compounds and as binary, ternary, and multicomponent mixtures in the ARE reporter-HepG2 cells and compared the mixture toxicity data to the predictions by concentration addition (CA) model. The toxicological interactions between PFAS mixture components were also determined by the model deviation ratio (MDR) between the CA predicted and mixture toxicity values. The induction of the Nrf2-ARE pathway was quantified using the luciferase system, and the endpoint assessed was the concentration that induced an induction ratio (IR) of 1.5 (EC_IR1.5). The results showed that exposures to both individual and mixed PFAS induced the Nrf2-ARE pathway in ARE reporter-HepG2 cells. Based on the MDRs, the combinations with PFOS showed synergistic interactive effects, while the combinations with PFOA showed additive effects. These results indicate that the CA model underestimated the mixture toxicity of PFAS with PFOS co-exposures and may have health risk assessment implications.

Effect of Co-contamination by PAHs and Heavy Metals on Bacterial Communities of Diesel Contaminated Soils of South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

Diesel oil is the main source of energy used in Antarctica. Since diesel is composed of toxic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals, it represents a constant threat to the organisms inhabiting this continent. In the present study, we characterized the chemical and biological parameters of diesel-exposed soils obtained from King George Island in Antarctica. Contaminated soils present PAH concentrations 1000 times higher than non-exposed soils. Some contaminated soil samples also exhibited high concentrations of cadmium and lead. A 16S metagenome analysis revealed the effect of co-contamination on bacterial communities. An increase in the relative abundance of bacteria known as PAH degraders or metal resistant was determined in co-contaminated soils. Accordingly, the soil containing higher amounts of PAHs exhibited increased dehydrogenase activity than control soils, suggesting that the microorganisms present can metabolize diesel. The inhibitory effect on soil metabolism produced by cadmium was lower in diesel-contaminated soils. Moreover, diesel-contaminated soils contain higher amounts of cultivable heterotrophic, cadmium-tolerant, and PAH-degrading bacteria than control soils. Obtained results indicate that diesel contamination at King George island has affected microbial communities, favoring the presence of microorganisms capable of utilizing PAHs as a carbon source, even in the presence of heavy metals.

Antioxidant response elements: Discovery, classes, regulation and potential applications

Exposure to antioxidants and xenobiotics triggers the expression of a myriad of genes encoding antioxidant proteins, detoxifying enzymes, and xenobiotic transporters to offer protection against oxidative stress. This articulated universal mechanism is regulated through the cis-acting elements in an array of Nrf2 target genes called antioxidant response elements (AREs), which play a critical role in redox homeostasis. Though the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE system involves many players, AREs hold the key in transcriptional regulation of cytoprotective genes. ARE-mediated reporter constructs have been widely used, including xenobiotics profiling and Nrf2 activator screening. The complexity of AREs is brought by the presence of other regulatory elements within the AREs. The diversity in the ARE sequences not only bring regulatory selectivity of diverse transcription factors, but also confer functional complexity in the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE pathway. The different transcription factors either homodimerize or heterodimerize to bind the AREs. Depending on the nature of partners, they may activate or suppress the transcription. Attention is required for deeper mechanistic understanding of ARE-mediated gene regulation. The computational methods of identification and analysis of AREs are still in their infancy. Investigations are required to know whether epigenetics mechanism plays a role in the regulation of genes mediated through AREs. The polymorphisms in the AREs leading to oxidative stress related diseases are warranted. A thorough understanding of AREs will pave the way for the development of therapeutic agents against cancer, neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, metabolic and other diseases with oxidative stress.

Effects of binary mixtures of benzo[a]pyrene, arsenic, cadmium, and lead on oxidative stress and toxicity in HepG2 cells

Mixed contamination of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) is a major environmental and human health concern. The mixture toxicity data on these co-contaminants are important for their risk assessment. In this study, we have determined the mixture toxicity of As, Cd and Pb, and B[a]P with As, Cd or Pb in HepG2 cells. The binary mixtures of Cd + As, Cd + Pb and As + Pb and B[a]P + metals (B[a]P + As, B[a]P + Cd and B[a]P + Pb) were evaluated for their interaction on the cytotoxicity using the MTS assay. A full factorial design (4 × 5) was used to determine the interaction toxicity and all the six mixtures showed significant interaction on the cytotoxicity. We further investigated the role of oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation) and antioxidant defense mechanism (total glutathione (GSH) level) with the observed cytotoxicity. The mixtures of metals reduced the total GSH level and increased the ROS generation, respectively. In the case of mixtures of B[a]P and metals, both total GSH level and ROS generation were increased. Overall, the binary mixtures of metals and B[a]P with metals caused a dose dependent toxicity to HepG2 cells. The results also showed a significant contribution of oxidative stress to the observed toxicity and the potential protective role of the total GSH level against this mixture toxicity. The findings of interaction between B[a]P and metals might have an impact on the potential human health risk of this mixtures at contaminated sites.