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Arowolo O, Suvorov A. Underexplored Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity. J Xenobiot 2024; 14:939-949. [PMID: 39051348 PMCID: PMC11270369 DOI: 10.3390/jox14030052] [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: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Social biases may concentrate the attention of researchers on a small number of well-known molecules/mechanisms leaving others underexplored. In accordance with this view, central to mechanistic toxicology is a narrow range of molecular pathways that are assumed to be involved in a significant part of the responses to toxicity. It is unclear, however, if there are other molecular mechanisms which play an important role in toxicity events but are overlooked by toxicology. To identify overlooked genes sensitive to chemical exposures, we used publicly available databases. First, we used data on the published chemical-gene interactions for 17,338 genes to estimate their sensitivity to chemical exposures. Next, we extracted data on publication numbers per gene for 19,243 human genes from the Find My Understudied Genes database. Thresholds were applied to both datasets using our algorithm to identify chemically sensitive and chemically insensitive genes and well-studied and underexplored genes. A total of 1110 underexplored genes highly sensitive to chemical exposures were used in GSEA and Shiny GO analyses to identify enriched biological categories. The metabolism of fatty acids, amino acids, and glucose were identified as underexplored molecular mechanisms sensitive to chemical exposures. These findings suggest that future effort is needed to uncover the role of xenobiotics in the current epidemics of metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander Suvorov
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, 686 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA;
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2
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Heindel JJ, Lustig RH, Howard S, Corkey BE. Obesogens: a unifying theory for the global rise in obesity. Int J Obes (Lond) 2024; 48:449-460. [PMID: 38212644 PMCID: PMC10978495 DOI: 10.1038/s41366-024-01460-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Despite varied treatment, mitigation, and prevention efforts, the global prevalence and severity of obesity continue to worsen. Here we propose a combined model of obesity, a unifying paradigm that links four general models: the energy balance model (EBM), based on calories as the driver of weight gain; the carbohydrate-insulin model (CIM), based on insulin as a driver of energy storage; the oxidation-reduction model (REDOX), based on reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a driver of altered metabolic signaling; and the obesogens model (OBS), which proposes that environmental chemicals interfere with hormonal signaling leading to adiposity. We propose a combined OBS/REDOX model in which environmental chemicals (in air, food, food packaging, and household products) generate false autocrine and endocrine metabolic signals, including ROS, that subvert standard regulatory energy mechanisms, increase basal and stimulated insulin secretion, disrupt energy efficiency, and influence appetite and energy expenditure leading to weight gain. This combined model incorporates the data supporting the EBM and CIM models, thus creating one integrated model that covers significant aspects of all the mechanisms potentially contributing to the obesity pandemic. Importantly, the OBS/REDOX model provides a rationale and approach for future preventative efforts based on environmental chemical exposure reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerrold J Heindel
- Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies (HEEDS), Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA.
| | - Robert H Lustig
- Department of Pediatrics and Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Sarah Howard
- Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies (HEEDS), Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
| | - Barbara E Corkey
- Department of Medicine, Boston University, Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
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3
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Harlan TS, Gow RV, Kornstädt A, Alderson PW, Lustig RH. The Metabolic Matrix: Re-engineering ultraprocessed foods to feed the gut, protect the liver, and support the brain. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1098453. [PMID: 37063330 PMCID: PMC10097968 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1098453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Ultraprocessed food is established as a metabolic disruptor acting to increase adiposity, reduce mitochondrial efficiency, drive insulin resistance, alter growth, and contribute to human morbidity and mortality. Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are beginning to understand the detrimental impact of the food they market, and have employed substitution strategies to reduce salt, sugar, and fat. However, the harms of ultraprocessed foods are far more complex than any single component, and are not ameliorated by such simple substitutions. Over the past 2 years, the authors have worked with the Kuwaiti Danish Dairy Company (KDD) to conduct a comprehensive scientific evaluation of their entire commercial food and beverage portfolio. Assay of the macronutrients, micronutrients, additives, and toxins contained in each of their products was undertaken to determine the precise nature of each product’s ingredients as well as the health impacts of processing. The authors formed a Scientific Advisory Team (SAT) and developed a tiered “Metabolic Matrix” founded in three science-based principles: (1) protect the liver, (2) feed the gut, and (3) support the brain. The Metabolic Matrix categorizes each product and provides the criteria, metrics, and recommendations for improvement or reformulation. Real-time consultation with the KDD Executive and Operations teams was vital to see these procedures through to fruition. This scientific exercise has enabled KDD to lay the groundwork for improving the health, well-being, and sustainability of their entire product line, while maintaining flavor, economic, and fiscal viability. This process is easily transferrable, and we are sharing this effort and its approaches as a proof-of-concept. The key aim of our work is to not only make ultraprocessed food healthier but to urge other food companies to implement similar analysis and reformulation of their product lines to improve the metabolic health and well-being of consumers worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy S. Harlan
- Division of General Internal Medicine, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, United States
- *Correspondence: Timothy S. Harlan,
| | - Rachel V. Gow
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - P. Wolfram Alderson
- Human & Environmental Health Department, Kuwaiti Danish Dairy Company, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Robert H. Lustig
- Department of Pediatrics and Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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4
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Signs of a Flynn effect in rodents? Secular differentiation of the manifold of general cognitive ability in laboratory mice (Mus musculus) and Norwegian rats (Rattus norvegicus) over a century—Results from two cross-temporal meta-analyses. INTELLIGENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2022.101700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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5
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Time to Consider the “Exposome Hypothesis” in the Development of the Obesity Pandemic. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14081597. [PMID: 35458158 PMCID: PMC9032727 DOI: 10.3390/nu14081597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The obesity epidemic shows no signs of abatement. Genetics and overnutrition together with a dramatic decline in physical activity are the alleged main causes for this pandemic. While they undoubtedly represent the main contributors to the obesity problem, they are not able to fully explain all cases and current trends. In this context, a body of knowledge related to exposure to as yet underappreciated obesogenic factors, which can be referred to as the “exposome”, merits detailed analysis. Contrarily to the genome, the “exposome” is subject to a great dynamism and variability, which unfolds throughout the individual’s lifetime. The development of precise ways of capturing the full exposure spectrum of a person is extraordinarily demanding. Data derived from epidemiological studies linking excess weight with elevated ambient temperatures, in utero, and intergenerational effects as well as epigenetics, microorganisms, microbiota, sleep curtailment, and endocrine disruptors, among others, suggests the possibility that they may work alone or synergistically as several alternative putative contributors to this global epidemic. This narrative review reports the available evidence on as yet underappreciated drivers of the obesity epidemic. Broadly based interventions are needed to better identify these drivers at the same time as stimulating reflection on the potential relevance of the “exposome” in the development and perpetuation of the obesity epidemic.
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Wilson NRC, Veatch OJ, Johnson SM. On the Relationship between Diabetes and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Evolution and Epigenetics. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10030668. [PMID: 35327470 PMCID: PMC8945691 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10030668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This review offers an overview of the relationship between diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), obesity, and heart disease. It then addresses evidence that the traditional understanding of this relationship is incomplete or misleading. In the process, there is a brief discussion of the evolutionary rationale for the development and retention of OSA in light of blood sugar dysregulation, as an adaptive mechanism in response to environmental stressors, followed by a brief overview of the general concepts of epigenetics. Finally, this paper presents the results of a literature search on the epigenetic marks and changes in gene expression found in OSA and diabetes. (While some of these marks will also correlate with obesity and heart disease, that is beyond the scope of this project). We conclude with an exploration of alternative explanations for the etiology of these interlinking diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. R. C. Wilson
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA;
| | - Olivia J. Veatch
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA;
| | - Steven M. Johnson
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA;
- Correspondence:
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Li Z, Yu Z, Yin D. Multi- and trans-generational disturbances of perfluorobutane sulfonate and perfluorohexane sulfonate on lipid metabolism in Caenorhabditis elegans. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 280:130666. [PMID: 33945899 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Short-chained perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS, four-carbon) and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS, six-carbon) are widely employed to substitute long-chained per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Recent studies showed the potential persistence of PFBS and PFHxS, and also reported their correlation with obesity. However, the long-term outcome and underlying mechanisms remained poorly understood. Presently, the effects of PFBS and PFHxS were studied on C. elegans with multi- and trans-generational experiments. The multi-generational effects were measured in continuous four generational exposure (i.e., F1 to F4). Results showed that PFBS did not stimulate the fat content in F1 but in F4 with continuous but different disturbances on the lipid metabolism and the insulin and insulin-like (IIS) pathway. PFHxS stimulated the fat content in F1 and F4 with similar disturbances on the lipid metabolism and IIS pathway. The trans-generational results showed that the effects of PFBS and PFHxS on the lipid metabolism and IIS pathway were not totally recovered in the offspring of F1 (i.e., T1-T3) and F4 (i.e., T1'-T3') which were not continuously exposed. PFHxS showed a common pattern to up-regulate daf-7 in both multi- and trans-generational effects. The long-term consequences of the short-chained PFASs substitutes should be concerned and epigenetic regulations should be considered in future mechanism studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China; Jiaxing Tongji Institute for Environment, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, 314051, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Zhenyang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China; Jiaxing Tongji Institute for Environment, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, 314051, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, PR China.
| | - Daqiang Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
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8
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Sakota S, Shimokawa F, Funaba M, Murakami M. Isolation of the canine inhibin βB subunit gene and characterization of signalling mediated by canine inhibin βB. Cell Biochem Funct 2021; 39:970-982. [PMID: 34382234 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Activin B, a homodimer of the inhibin βB subunit, acts as a regulator of gonadal function and as an adipokine. To clarify the role of activin B in dogs, we characterized the canine inhibin βB gene and signalling pathways regulated by the canine inhibin βB. Using 5'- and 3'-rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE) and RT-PCR on RNA isolated from the ovary of dogs, we identified short and long forms of the inhibin βB gene. Immunoreactive inhibin βB molecules were detected at ~25 and ~14 kDa under nonreducing and reducing conditions, respectively, in culture supernatants from HEK293 cells transfected with a plasmid containing the long form of the inhibin βB gene, indicating activin B production and secretion. Similar to human and murine activin B, the canine activin B-stimulated transcriptions of reporter genes, CAGA-luc and Hepcidin-luc, regulated by the canonical activin/transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway, respectively. Activin B-induced CAGA-luc transcription was not detected in ALK7-deficient MDCK canine-derived cells; however, the forced expression of ALK7 resulted in the activin B-dependent expression in MDCK cells. Unexpectedly, the activin B-induced activation of the BMP pathway was partially blocked by the inhibition of endogenous activin/TGF-β receptor activity. The present study identified an experimentally isolated long form of the canine inhibin βB gene producing activin B that transactivates BMP- and activin/TGF-β-regulated gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shotaro Sakota
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Azabu University School of Veterinary Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Fumie Shimokawa
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Azabu University School of Veterinary Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Masayuki Funaba
- Division of Applied Biosciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masaru Murakami
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Azabu University School of Veterinary Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
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9
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University of Alabama at Birmingham Nathan Shock Center: comparative energetics of aging. GeroScience 2021; 43:2149-2160. [PMID: 34304389 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-021-00414-1] [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: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The UAB Nathan Shock Center focuses on comparative energetics and aging. Energetics, as defined for this purpose, encompasses the causes, mechanisms, and consequences of the acquisition, storage, and use of metabolizable energy. Comparative energetics is the study of metabolic processes at multiple scales and across multiple species as it relates to health and aging. The link between energetics and aging is increasingly understood in terms of dysregulated mitochondrial function, altered metabolic signaling, and aberrant nutrient responsiveness with increasing age. The center offers world-class expertise in comprehensive, integrated energetic assessment and analysis from the level of the organelle to the organism and across species from the size of worms to rats as well as state-of-the-art data analytics. The range of services offered by our three research cores, (1) The Organismal Energetics Core, (2) Mitometabolism Core, and (3) Data Analytics Core, is described herein.
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10
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Zhang J, Yu Z, Shen J, Vandenberg LN, Yin D. Influences of sex, rhythm and generation on the obesogenic potential of erythromycin to Drosophila melanogaster. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 771:145315. [PMID: 33548709 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotics are gaining attention due to their roles as emerging pollutants and environmental obesogens, yet several aspects between their environmental exposure and obesogenic influence on organisms remain poorly explored. Here, Drosophila melanogaster were exposed to erythromycin (ERY, 0.1 μg/L) for three consecutive generations (F1 to F3). Body weight, circadian rhythm (represented by eclosion timing) and lipid metabolism were measured. ERY increased the size of lipid droplets in larvae of all three generations. It modestly inhibited body weight in adults that abnormally eclosed in the morning (AM adults) in the F1 and F2 generations, and the inhibition was less in adults that eclosed in the afternoon (PM adults). In contrast, it stimulated body weight in F3 adults. Notably, ERY promoted morning eclosion of females. Combining the effects from F1 to F3, acyl-CoA oxidase (ACO) was commonly increased in AM female and male adults and also in PM female ones, while it was commonly decreased in PM male adults. Glucokinase (GCK) was commonly increased in both sexes of AM adults but decreased in PM male adults across generations. The IIS pathway showed a common up-regulation in the AM adults despite some differences between sexes, but it did not show any shared changes in the PM adults with dysrhythmia. The AMPK pathway was involved across generations without particular shared changes. Collectively, the effects of ERY on the key metabolites and enzymes in glucolipid metabolism and the genetic regulations depended on sex, rhythm and exposure generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- College of Ecological Technology and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, PR China
| | - Zhenyang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Jiaxing Tongji Institute for Environment, Jiaxing, Zhejiang 314051, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
| | - Jiaying Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Laura N Vandenberg
- University of Massachusetts - Amherst, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Daqiang Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China
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11
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Silva JF, Moreira BP, Rato L, de Lourdes Pereira M, Oliveira PF, Alves MG. Is Technical-Grade Chlordane an Obesogen? Curr Med Chem 2021; 28:548-568. [PMID: 31965937 DOI: 10.2174/0929867327666200121122208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The prevalence of obesity has tripled in recent decades and is now considered an alarming public health problem. In recent years, a group of endocrine disruptors, known as obesogens, have been directly linked to the obesity epidemic. Its etiology is generally associated with a sedentary lifestyle, a high-fat diet and genetic predisposition, but environmental factors, such as obesogens, have also been reported as contributors for this pathology. In brief, obesogens are exogenous chemical compounds that alter metabolic processes and/or energy balance and appetite, thus predisposing to weight gain. Although this theory is still recent, the number of compounds with suspected obesogenic activity has steadily increased over the years, though many of them remain a matter of debate. Technical-grade chlordane is an organochlorine pesticide widely present in the environment, albeit at low concentrations. Highly lipophilic compounds can be metabolized by humans and animals into more toxic and stable compounds that are stored in fat tissue and consequently pose a danger to the human body, including the physiology of adipose tissue, which plays an important role in weight regulation. In addition, technical-grade chlordane is classified as a persistent organic pollutant, a group of chemicals whose epidemiological studies are associated with metabolic disorders, including obesity. Herein, we discuss the emerging roles of obesogens as threats to public health. We particularly discuss the relevance of chlordane persistence in the environment and how its effects on human and animal health provide evidence for its role as an endocrine disruptor with possible obesogenic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana F Silva
- Department of Microscopy, Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, P.O. Box 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - Bruno P Moreira
- Department of Microscopy, Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, P.O. Box 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - Luís Rato
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6200-506 Covilha, Portugal
| | - Maria de Lourdes Pereira
- Department of Medical Sciences & CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Pedro F Oliveira
- Department of Microscopy, Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, P.O. Box 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - Marco G Alves
- Department of Microscopy, Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, P.O. Box 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
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Amato AA, Wheeler HB, Blumberg B. Obesity and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Endocr Connect 2021; 10:R87-R105. [PMID: 33449914 PMCID: PMC7983487 DOI: 10.1530/ec-20-0578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Obesity is now a worldwide pandemic. The usual explanation given for the prevalence of obesity is that it results from consumption of a calorie dense diet coupled with physical inactivity. However, this model inadequately explains rising obesity in adults and in children over the past few decades, indicating that other factors must be important contributors. An endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) is an exogenous chemical, or mixture that interferes with any aspect of hormone action. EDCs have become pervasive in our environment, allowing humans to be exposed daily through ingestion, inhalation, and direct dermal contact. Exposure to EDCs has been causally linked with obesity in model organisms and associated with obesity occurrence in humans. Obesogens promote adipogenesis and obesity, in vivo, by a variety of mechanisms. The environmental obesogen model holds that exposure to obesogens elicits a predisposition to obesity and that such exposures may be an important yet overlooked factor in the obesity pandemic. Effects produced by EDCs and obesogen exposure may be passed to subsequent, unexposed generations. This "generational toxicology" is not currently factored into risk assessment by regulators but may be another important factor in the obesity pandemic as well as in the worldwide increases in the incidence of noncommunicable diseases that plague populations everywhere. This review addresses the current evidence on how obesogens affect body mass, discusses long-known chemicals that have been more recently identified as obesogens, and how the accumulated knowledge can help identify EDCs hazards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelica Amorim Amato
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Hailey Brit Wheeler
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Bruce Blumberg
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
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13
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Smith HJ. An ethical investigation into the microbiome: the intersection of agriculture, genetics, and the obesity epidemic. Gut Microbes 2020; 12:1760712. [PMID: 32432992 PMCID: PMC7524164 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2020.1760712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence of the interconnectivity between animals, humans, and the environment, which has manifested in the One Health perspective that takes all three into account for a more comprehensive vision of health. Over the past century, agriculture has become increasingly industrialized with a particular rise in the amount of livestock raised and meat produced. In order to fulfill such market demands, livestock farmers and agricultural corporations have artificially selected for and bred their cash animals to be more and more metabolically efficient via genetic and human-driven means. However, by selecting for more metabolically efficient animals, we may have inadvertently been selecting for obesogenic gut microbiota. This is further compounded by the potential obesogenic and microbiome-altering role antibiotics play in livestock. Evidence suggests that there is the potential for interspecies gut microbe transmissibility. It is notable that there has been a concurrent multispecies obesity epidemic across the same timeframe, which raises questions about potential connections between these epidemics. If it is the case that humans have inadvertently influenced their own obesity epidemic via the artificial selection of and antibiotic administration to livestock, then this holds significant ethical implications. This analysis considers current meat consumption trends, the impacts of livestock on climate change, and animal ethics. The paper concludes that due to the potential significant impact yet tenuous nature of the evidence on this subject stemming from research silos, there is a definitive ethical impetus for researchers to bridge these silos to better understand the true nature of the issue. This case is emblematic of an overarching ethics-driven need for deeper collaboration between isolated but related research disciplines to better characterize issues of public health relevance. It also raises concerns regarding inherent value-driven strife that may arise between competing One Health domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hunter Jackson Smith
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Pontzer H, Rimbach R, Paltan J, Ivory EL, Kendall CJ. Air temperature and diet influence body composition and water turnover in zoo-living African elephants ( Loxodonta africana). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:201155. [PMID: 33391799 PMCID: PMC7735349 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
African elephants, the largest land animal, face particular physiological challenges in captivity and the wild. Captive elephants can become over- or under-conditioned with inadequate exercise and diet management. Few studies have quantified body composition or water turnover in elephants, and none to date have examined longitudinal responses to changes in diet or air temperature. Using the stable isotope deuterium oxide (2H2O), we investigated changes in body mass, estimated fat-free mass (FFM, including fat-free gut content) and body fat in response to a multi-year intervention that reduced dietary energy density for adult African elephants housed at the North Carolina Zoo. We also examined the relationship between air temperature and water turnover. Deuterium dilution and depletion rates were assayed via blood samples and used to calculate body composition and water turnover in two male and three female African elephants at six intervals over a 3-year period. Within the first year after the dietary intervention, there was an increase in overall body mass, a reduction in body fat percentage and an increase in FFM. However, final values of both body fat percentage and FFM were similar to initial values. Water turnover (males: 359 ± 9 l d-1; females: 241 ± 28 l d-1) was consistent with the allometric scaling of water use in other terrestrial mammals. Water turnover increased with outdoor air temperature. Our study highlights the physiological water dependence of elephants and shows that individuals have to drink every 2-3 days to avoid critical water loss of approximately 10% body mass in hot conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herman Pontzer
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Rebecca Rimbach
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- School of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jenny Paltan
- Department of Anthropology, Hunter College, New York, NY, USA
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15
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Reamer LA, Neal Webb SJ, Jones R, Thiele E, Haller RL, Schapiro SJ, Lambeth SP, Hanley PW. Validation and utility of a body condition scoring system for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23188. [PMID: 32856319 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23188] [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: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Obesity is a problem in captive chimpanzee colonies that can lead to increased risk for disease; therefore, implementation of effective weight management strategies is imperative. To properly implement a weight management program, captive managers should be able to noninvasively identify and assess overweight or obese individuals. Traditional means of categorizing obese individuals involve sedating the animals to obtain body weights or skin fold measurements. The current study aimed to validate a noninvasive, subjective body condition score (BCS) system for captive chimpanzees. The system utilizes a 10-point scale, with one rated as "emaciated," five as "normal," and 10 as "extremely obese." Between 2013 and 2014, 158 chimpanzees were weighed and scored using this system (a) while sedated and (b) while awake in their social group within 1-3 days of sedation ("In-group" ratings). We found high inter-rater reliability between In-group raters, as well as between sedated and In-group scores. BCSs, which require observation only, were significantly positively correlated with weight (an objective measure of obesity often requiring anesthetization), supporting the scale's validity. The BCS system identified 36 individuals as "overweight," while the use of weights alone identified only 26 individuals as "overweight." Furthermore, the BCS system was able to classify individuals of the same sex and weight as having different BCSs, ranging from normal to overweight. Lastly, using focal animal behavioral observations from 2016 to 2018 (N = 120), we found that In-group BCS predicted individual levels of inactive behavior more than 2 years later, demonstrating the predictive validity of the scale. These results illustrate the utility of the BCS system as a noninvasive, reliable, and valid technique that may be more sensitive than traditional methods in identifying and quantifying obesity in chimpanzees. This system can be a useful tool for captive managers to monitor and manage the weight of chimpanzees and other nonhuman primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa A Reamer
- Department of Comparative Medicine, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas
| | - Sarah J Neal Webb
- Department of Comparative Medicine, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas
| | | | - Erica Thiele
- Department of Comparative Medicine, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas
| | - Rachel L Haller
- Department of Comparative Medicine, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas
| | - Steven J Schapiro
- Department of Comparative Medicine, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas.,Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Susan P Lambeth
- Department of Comparative Medicine, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas
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16
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Campigotto AJ, Poljak Z, Stone EA, Stacey D, Bernardo TM. Investigation of relationships between body weight and age among domestic cats stratified by breed and sex. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2020; 255:205-212. [PMID: 31260398 DOI: 10.2460/javma.255.2.205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate mean body weight (BW) over the lifespan of domestic cats stratified by breed and sex (including reproductive status [neutered vs sexually intact]). ANIMALS 19,015,888 cats. PROCEDURES Electronic medical records from veterinary clinics in the United States and Canada from 1981 to 2016 were collected through links to practice management software programs and anonymized. Age, breed, sex and reproductive status, and BW measurements and measurement dates were recorded. Data were cleaned, and descriptive statistics were determined. Linear regression models were created with data for 8-year-old domestic shorthair, medium hair, and longhair (SML) cats to explore changes in BW over 3 decades (represented by the years 1995, 2005, and 2015). RESULTS 9,886,899 of 19,015,888 (52%) cats had only 1 BW on record. Mean BW for cats of the 4 most common recognized breeds (Siamese, Persian, Himalayan, and Maine Coon Cat) peaked between 6 and 10 years of age and then declined. Mean BW of SML cats peaked at 8 years and was subjectively higher for neutered than for sexually intact cats. Mean BW of neutered 8-year-old SML cats increased between 1995 and 2005 but was steady between 2005 and 2015. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The large dataset for this study yielded useful information on mean BW over the lifespan of domestic cats. This could be a basis for BW management discussions during veterinary visits. A low frequency of repeated BW measurements suggested a low frequency of repeated veterinary visits, especially after 1 year of age, making engagement of cat owners in the health of their animals particularly relevant.
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17
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Kang D, Douglas AE. Functional traits of the gut microbiome correlated with host lipid content in a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20190803. [PMID: 32097599 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Most research on the nutritional significance of the gut microbiome is conducted on laboratory animals, and its relevance to wild animals is largely unknown. This study investigated the microbiome correlates of lipid content in individual wild fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster. Lipid content varied 3.6-fold among the flies and was significantly correlated with the abundance of gut-derived bacterial DNA sequences that were assigned to genes contributing to 16 KEGG pathways. These included genes encoding sugar transporters and enzymes in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, potentially promoting sugar consumption by the gut microbiome and, thereby, a lean fly phenotype. Furthermore, the lipid content of wild flies was significantly lower than laboratory flies, indicating that, as for some mammalian models, certain laboratory protocols might be obesogenic for Drosophila. This study demonstrates the value of research on natural populations to identify candidate microbial genes that influence ecologically important host traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Kang
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Angela E Douglas
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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18
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Emborski C, Mikheyev AS. Ancestral diet transgenerationally influences offspring in a parent-of-origin and sex-specific manner. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 374:20180181. [PMID: 30966955 PMCID: PMC6365861 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Parent-of-origin effects, whereby specific phenotypes are differentially inherited paternally or maternally, provide useful clues to better understand transgenerational effect transmission. Ancestral diet influences offspring phenotypes, including body composition and fitness. However, the specific role that mothers and fathers play in the transmission of altered phenotypes to male and female offspring remains unclear. We investigated the influence of the parent-of-origin's diet on adult progeny phenotypes and reproductive output for three generations in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). Males and females reared on a control diet were exposed to the control diet or one of two altered (no- or high-) sugar treatment diets for a single generation. Flies from one of the two altered diet treatments were then mated to control flies in a full-factorial design to produce F1 offspring and kept on control media for each following generation. We found parent-of-origin (triglyceride) and non-parent-of-origin (sugar) body composition effects, which were transgenerational and sex-specific. Additionally, we observed a negative correlation between intergenerational maternal reproductive output and triglyceride levels, suggesting that ancestral diet may affect fitness. This work demonstrates that ancestral diet can transmit altered phenotypes in a parent-of-origin and sex-specific manner and highlights that mechanisms regulating such transmission have been greatly overlooked. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The role of plasticity in phenotypic adaptation to rapid environmental change’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Emborski
- 1 The Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Texas Tech University , Lubbock, TX 79416 , USA.,2 Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology , 1919-1 Tancha, Onna, Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture 904-0495 , Japan
| | - Alexander S Mikheyev
- 2 Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology , 1919-1 Tancha, Onna, Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture 904-0495 , Japan.,3 Research School of Biology, Australia National University , 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601 , Australia
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19
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Barbosa MAG, Capela R, Rodolfo J, Fonseca E, Montes R, André A, Capitão A, Carvalho AP, Quintana JB, Castro LFC, Santos MM. Linking chemical exposure to lipid homeostasis: A municipal waste water treatment plant influent is obesogenic for zebrafish larvae. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2019; 182:109406. [PMID: 31288122 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.109406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Obesity, a risk factor for the development of type-2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, hepatic steatosis and some cancers, has been ranked in the top 10 health risk in the world by the World Health Organization. Despite the growing body of literature evidencing an association between the obesity epidemic and specific chemical exposure across a wide range of animal taxa, very few studies assessed the effects of chemical mixtures and environmental samples on lipid homeostasis. Additionally, the mode of action of several chemicals reported to alter lipid homeostasis is still poorly understood. Aiming to fill some of these gaps, we combined an in vivo assay with the model species zebrafish (Danio rerio) to screen lipid accumulation and evaluate expression changes of key genes involved in lipid homeostasis, alongside with an in vitro transactivation assay using human and zebrafish nuclear receptors, retinoid X receptor α and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ. Zebrafish larvae were exposed from 4 th day post-fertilization until the end of the experiment (day 18), to six different treatments: experimental control, solvent control, tributyltin at 100 ng/L Sn and 200 ng/L Sn (positive control), and wastewater treatment plant influent at 1.25% and 2.5%. Exposure to tributyltin and to 2.5% influent led to a significant accumulation of lipids, with white adipose tissue deposits concentrating in the perivisceral area. The highest in vitro tested influent concentration (10%) was able to significantly transactivate the human heterodimer PPARγ/RXRα, thus suggesting the presence in the influent of HsPPARγ/RXRα agonists. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, the ability of complex environmental samples from a municipal waste water treatment plant influent to induce lipid accumulation in zebrafish larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Audrey Gomes Barbosa
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; FCUP-Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal; ICBAS - Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Capela
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; FCUP-Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Jorge Rodolfo
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; ICBAS - Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - Elza Fonseca
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Rosa Montes
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Sciences, IIAA-Institute for Food Analysis and Research, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Constantino Candeira S/N, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Ana André
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Ana Capitão
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - António Paulo Carvalho
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; FCUP-Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - José Benito Quintana
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Sciences, IIAA-Institute for Food Analysis and Research, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Constantino Candeira S/N, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - L Filipe C Castro
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; FCUP-Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Miguel Machado Santos
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; FCUP-Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal.
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20
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Motomura M, Shimokawa F, Kobayashi T, Yamashita Y, Mizoguchi I, Sato Y, Murakami Y, Shimizu I, Matsui T, Murakami M, Funaba M. Relationships between expression levels of genes related to adipogenesis and adipocyte function in dogs. Mol Biol Rep 2019; 46:4771-4777. [PMID: 31407244 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-019-04923-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
There are three kinds of adipocytes; white adipocytes accumulate excess energy as fat, whereas brown/beige adipocytes dissipate energy through expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). Obesity, a feature of excess accumulation of white adipocytes in a body, is one of the risk factors for onset of various diseases in dogs. As the first step to explore adipose genes related to dog obesity, we examined relationships among mRNA levels of putative molecules related to adipogenesis and function of adipocytes in fat of hospitalized dogs. Gonadal adipose tissues were collected from a total of 29 dogs, and the gene expression levels were examined by quantitative RT-PCR analysis. The multicollinearity analysis revealed that body condition score (BCS), which reflects adiposity, did not correlate with expression levels of any genes but correlated with age of dog. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway stimulates not only commitment of mesenchymal stem cells to white adipocyte-lineage cells but also brown/beige adipogenesis. Some relationships between expression levels of BMP receptors were significant; especially, expression levels of activin receptor-like kinase (Alk) 3 (a BMP type I receptor) positively related to those of Alk2 (another BMP type I receptor), activin receptor type II (ActRII) A (a type II receptor to transmit BMP signal), ActRIIB (another type II receptor to transmit BMP signal) and BMP receptor type 2 (Bmpr2). PR domain containing 16 (Prdm16) expression levels strongly correlated with expression levels of ActRIIB. Although PRDM16 is known to stimulate brown/beige adipogenesis, expression levels of Ucp1 did not correlate with those of Prdm16. On the other hand, expression levels of Ucp1 correlated with those of Alk6. The present study suggests close relationships among adipose expressions of BMP signal components, and the relationships of expression levels of BMP receptor and those of Prdm16 or Ucp1 in dogs. Further studies using more dogs with various BCS potentially lead to identification of adipose factors to relate with adiposity in dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikako Motomura
- Division of Applied Biosciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Fumie Shimokawa
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Azabu University School of Veterinary Medicine, Sagamihara, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Takashi Kobayashi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Azabu University School of Veterinary Medicine, Sagamihara, 252-5201, Japan.,Kobayashi Animal Hospital, Nagano, 380-0816, Japan
| | | | | | - Yutaka Sato
- Sato Animal Hospital, Kyoto, 605-0971, Japan
| | | | - Itoyo Shimizu
- Division of Applied Biosciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Tohru Matsui
- Division of Applied Biosciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Masaru Murakami
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Azabu University School of Veterinary Medicine, Sagamihara, 252-5201, Japan.
| | - Masayuki Funaba
- Division of Applied Biosciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
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21
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Lee MK, Blumberg B. Transgenerational effects of obesogens. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2019; 125 Suppl 3:44-57. [PMID: 30801972 PMCID: PMC6708505 DOI: 10.1111/bcpt.13214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Obesity and associated disorders are now a global pandemic. The prevailing clinical model for obesity is overconsumption of calorie-dense food and diminished physical activity (the calories in-calories out model). However, this explanation does not account for numerous recent research findings demonstrating that a variety of environmental factors can be superimposed on diet and exercise to influence the development of obesity. The environmental obesogen model proposes that exposure to chemical obesogens during in utero and/or early life can strongly influence later predisposition to obesity. Obesogens are chemicals that inappropriately stimulate adipogenesis and fat storage, in vivo either directly or indirectly. Numerous obesogens have been identified in recent years and some of these elicit transgenerational effects on obesity as well as a variety of health end-points after exposure of pregnant F0 females. Prenatal exposure to environmental obesogens can produce lasting effects on the exposed animals and their offspring to at least the F4 generation. Recent results show that some of these transgenerational effects of obesogen exposure can be carried across the generations via alterations in chromatin structure and accessibility. That some chemicals can have permanent effects on the offspring of exposed animals suggests increased caution in the debate about whether and to what extent exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and obesogens should be regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Kira Lee
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, 2011 BioSci
3, University of California, Irvine, CA 926970-2300
| | - Bruce Blumberg
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, 2011 BioSci
3, University of California, Irvine, CA 926970-2300
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
California, Irvine
- Dept of Biomedical Engineering, University of California,
Irvine
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22
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Thorley J, Clutton-Brock TH. A unified-models analysis of the development of sexual size dimorphism in Damaraland mole-rats, Fukomys damarensis. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractIndividual variation in growth rates often generates variation in fitness. However, the ability to draw meaningful inferences from growth data depends on the use of growth models that allow for direct comparisons of growth between the sexes, between populations, and between species. Unlike traditional sigmoid functions, a recently parameterized family of unified growth models provides a reliable basis for comparisons since each parameter affects a single curve characteristic and parameters are directly comparable across the unified family. Here, we use the unified-models approach to examine the development of sexual size dimorphism in Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis), where breeding males are larger than breeding females. Using skeletal measurements, we show here that the larger size of male Damaraland mole-rats arises from an increased growth rate across the entire period of development, rather than through sex differences in the duration or timing of growth. Male-biased skeletal size dimorphism is not unusual among rodents, and our measures of sex differences in size in captive mole-rats are close to sexual size differences in the wild, where size dimorphism = 1.04 (male:female). We hope our study will encourage the wide use of unified growth models by mammalogists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Thorley
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Tim H Clutton-Brock
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
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23
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Schilder RJ, Stewart H. Parasitic gut infection in Libellula pulchella causes functional and molecular resemblance of dragonfly flight muscle to skeletal muscle of obese vertebrates. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.188508. [PMID: 30659084 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.188508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
We previously demonstrated the existence of a naturally occurring metabolic disease phenotype in Libellula pulchella dragonflies that shows high similarity to vertebrate obesity and type II diabetes, and is caused by a protozoan gut parasite. To further mechanistic understanding of how this metabolic disease phenotype affects fitness of male L. pulchella in vivo, we examined infection effects on in situ muscle performance and molecular traits relevant to dragonfly flight performance in nature. Importantly, these traits were previously shown to be affected in obese vertebrates. Similarly to obesity effects in rat skeletal muscle, dragonfly gut infection caused a disruption of relationships between body mass, flight muscle power output and alternative pre-mRNA splicing of troponin T, which affects muscle calcium sensitivity and performance in insects and vertebrates. In addition, when simulated in situ to contract at cycle frequencies ranging from 20 to 45 Hz, flight muscles of infected individuals displayed a left shift in power-cycle frequency curves, indicating a significant reduction in their optimal cycle frequency. Interestingly, these power-cycle curves were similar to those produced by flight muscles of non-infected teneral (i.e. physiologically immature) adult L. pulchella males. Overall, our results indicate that the effects of metabolic disease on skeletal muscle physiology in natural insect systems are similar to those observed in vertebrates maintained in laboratory settings. More generally, they indicate that study of natural, host-parasite interactions can contribute important insight into how environmental factors other than diet and exercise may contribute to the development of metabolic disease phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudolf J Schilder
- Pennsylvania State University, Department of Entomology, 501 Ag Sciences & Industries Building, State College, PA 16802, USA .,Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biology, 501 Ag Sciences & Industries Building, State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - Hannah Stewart
- Pennsylvania State University, Department of Entomology, 501 Ag Sciences & Industries Building, State College, PA 16802, USA
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24
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Kassotis CD, Stapleton HM. Endocrine-Mediated Mechanisms of Metabolic Disruption and New Approaches to Examine the Public Health Threat. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2019; 10:39. [PMID: 30792693 PMCID: PMC6374316 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity and metabolic disorders are of great societal concern and generate substantial human health care costs globally. Interventions have resulted in only minimal impacts on disrupting this worsening health trend, increasing attention on putative environmental contributors. Exposure to numerous environmental contaminants have, over decades, been demonstrated to result in increased metabolic dysfunction and/or weight gain in cell and animal models, and in some cases, even in humans. There are numerous mechanisms through which environmental contaminants may contribute to metabolic dysfunction, though certain mechanisms, such as activation of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma or the retinoid x receptor, have received considerably more attention than less-studied mechanisms such as antagonism of the thyroid receptor, androgen receptor, or mitochondrial toxicity. As such, research on putative metabolic disruptors is growing rapidly, as is our understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying these effects. Concurrent with these advances, new research has evaluated current models of adipogenesis, and new models have been proposed. Only in the last several years have studies really begun to address complex mixtures of contaminants and how these mixtures may disrupt metabolic health in environmentally relevant exposure scenarios. Several studies have begun to assess environmental mixtures from various environments and study the mechanisms underlying their putative metabolic dysfunction; these studies hold real promise in highlighting crucial mechanisms driving observed organismal effects. In addition, high-throughput toxicity databases (ToxCast, etc.) may provide future benefits in prioritizing chemicals for in vivo testing, particularly once the causative molecular mechanisms promoting dysfunction are better understood and expert critiques are used to hone the databases. In this review, we will review the available literature linking metabolic disruption to endocrine-mediated molecular mechanisms, discuss the novel application of environmental mixtures and implications for in vivo metabolic health, and discuss the putative utility of applying high-throughput toxicity databases to answering complex organismal health outcome questions.
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25
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Yeung EH, Bell EM, Sundaram R, Ghassabian A, Ma W, Kannan K, Louis GM. Examining Endocrine Disruptors Measured in Newborn Dried Blood Spots and Early Childhood Growth in a Prospective Cohort. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2019; 27:145-151. [PMID: 30569634 PMCID: PMC6309795 DOI: 10.1002/oby.22332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to determine whether newborn concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and bisphenol A (BPA) are associated with early childhood growth. METHODS A total of 1,954 singletons and 966 twins from the Upstate KIDS Study (born 2008-2010) were included in this study. Newborn dried blood spot concentrations of PFOS, PFOA, and BPA were quantified by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Children's weight and height were reported from birth through 3 years of age. Repeated measures were modeled using generalized linear mixed models. RESULTS PFOS and PFOA were associated with lower BMI (-0.078 kg/m2 [-0.12 to -0.038] and -0.076 kg/m2 [-0.17 to -0.051] per 1 standard deviation increase in log PFOS and PFOA, respectively) and not with early obesity among singletons. Inconsistent associations were observed for twins. BPA levels were higher among neonates with a neonatal intensive care unit stay (P < 0.001), making associations difficult to interpret. CONCLUSIONS Perfluorinated alkyl substances did not exhibit obesogenic associations with early measures of childhood growth. Blood-based BPA measures are limited by the nonpersistent nature of the chemical, and unknown sources from hospital settings may present only transient exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwina H Yeung
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Erin M Bell
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany School of Public Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany School of Public Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Rajeshwari Sundaram
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Akhgar Ghassabian
- Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Wanli Ma
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances, State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany School of Public Health, Albany, New York, USA
- New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Germaine M Louis
- Dean's Office, College of Health and Human Services, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
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Rubin BS, Schaeberle CM, Soto AM. The Case for BPA as an Obesogen: Contributors to the Controversy. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2019; 10:30. [PMID: 30787907 PMCID: PMC6372512 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the inception of the term endocrine disruptor, the idea that the environment is an important determinant of phenotype has motivated researchers to explore the effect of low dose exposure to BPA during organogenesis. The syndrome observed was complex, affecting various endpoints such as reproduction and reproductive tissues, behavior, mammary gland development and carcinogenesis, glucose homeostasis, and obesity. This constellation of impacted endpoints suggests the possibility of complex interactions among the multiple effects of early BPA exposure. One key finding of our rodent studies was alterations of energy and amino-acid metabolism that were detected soon after birth and continued to be present at all time points examined through 6 months of age. The classical manifestations of obesity and associated elements of metabolic disease took a longer time to become apparent. Here we examine the validity of the often-mentioned lack of reproducibility of obesogenic effects of BPA, starting from the known environmental causes of variation, which are diverse and range from the theoretical like the individuation process and the non-monotonicity of the dose-response curve, to the very pragmatic like housing, feed, and time and route of exposure. We then explore environmental conditions that may hinder reproducibility and discuss the effect of confounding factors such as BPA-induced hyperactivity. In spite of all the potential sources of variation, we find that some obesogenic or metabolic effects of BPA are reproducibly observed when study conditions are analogous. We recommend that study authors describe details of their study conditions including the environment, husbandry, and feed. Finally, we show that when experimental conditions are strictly maintained, reproducibility, and stability of the obese phenotype is consistently observed.
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Kim M, Basharat A, Santosh R, Mehdi SF, Razvi Z, Yoo SK, Lowell B, Kumar A, Brima W, Danoff A, Dankner R, Bergman M, Pavlov VA, Yang H, Roth J. Reuniting overnutrition and undernutrition, macronutrients, and micronutrients. Diabetes Metab Res Rev 2019; 35:e3072. [PMID: 30171821 DOI: 10.1002/dmrr.3072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Over-nutrition and its late consequences are a dominant theme in medicine today. In addition to the health hazards brought on by over-nutrition, the medical community has recently accumulated a roster of health benefits with obesity, grouped under "obesity paradox." Throughout the world and throughout history until the 20th century, under-nutrition was a dominant evolutionary force. Under-nutrition brings with it a mix of benefits and detriments that are opposite to and continuous with those of over-nutrition. This continuum yields J-shaped or U-shaped curves relating body mass index to mortality. The overweight have an elevated risk of dying in middle age of degenerative diseases while the underweight are at increased risk of premature death from infectious conditions. Micronutrient deficiencies, major concerns of nutritional science in the 20th century, are being neglected. This "hidden hunger" is now surprisingly prevalent in all weight groups, even among the overweight. Because micronutrient replacement is safe, inexpensive, and predictably effective, it is now an exceptionally attractive target for therapy across the spectrum of weight and age. Nutrition-related conditions worthy of special attention from caregivers include excess vitamin A, excess vitamin D, and deficiency of magnesium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miji Kim
- Laboratory of Diabetes and Diabetes-Related Disorders, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, New York, USA
| | - Anam Basharat
- Laboratory of Diabetes and Diabetes-Related Disorders, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, New York, USA
| | - Ramchandani Santosh
- Laboratory of Diabetes and Diabetes-Related Disorders, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, New York, USA
| | - Syed F Mehdi
- Laboratory of Diabetes and Diabetes-Related Disorders, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, New York, USA
| | - Zanali Razvi
- Laboratory of Diabetes and Diabetes-Related Disorders, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, New York, USA
| | - Sun K Yoo
- Laboratory of Diabetes and Diabetes-Related Disorders, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, New York, USA
| | - Barbara Lowell
- Laboratory of Diabetes and Diabetes-Related Disorders, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, New York, USA
| | - Amrat Kumar
- Laboratory of Diabetes and Diabetes-Related Disorders, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, New York, USA
| | - Wunnie Brima
- Laboratory of Diabetes and Diabetes-Related Disorders, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Ann Danoff
- Department of Medicine, Cpl. Michael J Crescenz Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rachel Dankner
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, The Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Michael Bergman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Valentin A Pavlov
- Laboratory of Diabetes and Diabetes-Related Disorders, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, New York, USA
- Center for Biomedical Science and Center for Bioelectric Medicine, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, New York, USA
| | - Huan Yang
- Laboratory of Diabetes and Diabetes-Related Disorders, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, New York, USA
- Center for Biomedical Science and Center for Bioelectric Medicine, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, New York, USA
| | - Jesse Roth
- Laboratory of Diabetes and Diabetes-Related Disorders, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA
- Center for Biomedical Science and Center for Bioelectric Medicine, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, New York, USA
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28
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Elmore SE, La Merrill MA. Oxidative Phosphorylation Impairment by DDT and DDE. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2019; 10:122. [PMID: 30915030 PMCID: PMC6422878 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
There is increasing evidence supporting the characterization of the pesticide DDT and its metabolite, DDE, as obesogens and metabolic disruptors. Elucidating the mechanism is critical to understanding whether the association of DDT and DDE with obesity and diabetes is in fact causal. One area of research investigating the etiology of metabolic diseases is mitochondrial toxicity. Several studies have found associations between mitochondrial defects and insulin resistance, cellular respiration, substrate utilization, and energy expenditure. Although the mitotoxicity of DDT and DDE was established 20-40 years ago, it was not viewed in the light of the diseases faced today; therefore, it is prudent to reexamine the mitotoxicity literature for mechanistic support of DDT and DDE as causal contributors to obesity and diabetes, as well as associated diseases, such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease. This review aims to focus on studies investigating the effect of DDT or DDE on mammalian mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. We illustrate that both DDT and DDE impair the electron transport chain (ETC) and oxidative phosphorylation. We conclude that there is reasonable data to suggest that DDT and DDE target specific complexes and processes within the mitochondria, and that these insults could in turn contribute to the role of DDT and DDE in mitochondria-associated diseases.
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Chamorro-Garcia R, Blumberg B. Current Research Approaches and Challenges in the Obesogen Field. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2019; 10:167. [PMID: 30967838 PMCID: PMC6438851 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a worldwide pandemic that also contributes to the increased incidence of other diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Increased obesity is generally ascribed to positive energy balance. However, recent findings suggest that exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as obesogens during critical windows of development, may play an important role in the current obesity trends. Several experimental approaches, from in vitro cell cultures to transgenerational in vivo studies, are used to better understand the mechanisms of action of obesogens, each of which contributes to answer different questions. In this review, we discuss current knowledge in the obesogen field and the existing tools developed in research laboratories using tributyltin as a model obesogen. By understanding the advantages and limitations of each of these tools, we will better focus and design experimental approaches that will help expanding the obesogen field with the objective of finding potential therapeutic targets in human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Chamorro-Garcia
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Bruce Blumberg
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Bruce Blumberg
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Wiss DA, Avena N, Rada P. Sugar Addiction: From Evolution to Revolution. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:545. [PMID: 30464748 PMCID: PMC6234835 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The obesity epidemic has been widely publicized in the media worldwide. Investigators at all levels have been looking for factors that have contributed to the development of this epidemic. Two major theories have been proposed: (1) sedentary lifestyle and (2) variety and ease of inexpensive palatable foods. In the present review, we analyze how nutrients like sugar that are often used to make foods more appealing could also lead to habituation and even in some cases addiction thereby uniquely contributing to the obesity epidemic. We review the evolutionary aspects of feeding and how they have shaped the human brain to function in "survival mode" signaling to "eat as much as you can while you can." This leads to our present understanding of how the dopaminergic system is involved in reward and its functions in hedonistic rewards, like eating of highly palatable foods, and drug addiction. We also review how other neurotransmitters, like acetylcholine, interact in the satiation processes to counteract the dopamine system. Lastly, we analyze the important question of whether there is sufficient empirical evidence of sugar addiction, discussed within the broader context of food addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Wiss
- Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Nicole Avena
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Pedro Rada
- School of Medicine, University of Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela
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31
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Yang Y, Dong F, Liu X, Xu J, Wu X, Qi S, Liu W, Zheng Y. Thifluzamide affects lipid metabolism in zebrafish (Danio reio). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 633:1227-1236. [PMID: 29758875 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Thifluzamide, a succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicide, has been widely used in rice fields throughout the world and causes hepatotoxicity in zebrafish (Danio reio). This study was conducted to investigate the effect of thifluzamide on lipid metabolism in zebrafish after exposure to a control or, 0.019, 0.19, or 1.90mg/L thifluzamide for 28days. Following exposure, pathological changes in the liver were evaluated. Total cholesterol (TCHO) level, and triglyceride (TG) levels as well as hepatic lipase (HL), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), fatty acid synthetase (FAS) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT-I) activities were measured. In addition, the expression levels of genes related to lipid metabolism were quantified. No obvious accumulation of lipid droplets was detected in the liver following any of the thifluzamide treatments. TCHO and TG levels were significantly decreased. FAS activity was markedly decreased, and CPT-I activity was significantly increased in the 0.19 and 1.90mg/L groups. However, no apparent changes in HL and LPL activities were observed in any of the treatment groups. Additionally, the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism showed corresponding changes. The results suggest that altered gene expression and enzyme activities might be responsible for the changes in lipid metabolism, as evidenced by the decreased TCHO and TG levels. Overall, thifluzamide altered lipid metabolism and led to events that might contribute to developmental toxicity in exposed zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Fengshou Dong
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingang Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaohu Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Suzhen Qi
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenxian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Pastoral Agricultural Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730029, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongquan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China.
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32
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Archer E, Pavela G, McDonald S, Lavie CJ, Hill JO. Cell-Specific "Competition for Calories" Drives Asymmetric Nutrient-Energy Partitioning, Obesity, and Metabolic Diseases in Human and Non-human Animals. Front Physiol 2018; 9:1053. [PMID: 30147656 PMCID: PMC6097573 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian body is a complex physiologic “ecosystem” in which cells compete for calories (i.e., nutrient-energy). Axiomatically, cell-types with competitive advantages acquire a greater number of consumed calories, and when possible, increase in size and/or number. Thus, it is logical and parsimonious to posit that obesity is the competitive advantages of fat-cells (adipocytes) driving a disproportionate acquisition and storage of nutrient-energy. Accordingly, we introduce two conceptual frameworks. Asymmetric Nutrient-Energy Partitioning describes the context-dependent, cell-specific competition for calories that determines the partitioning of nutrient-energy to oxidation, anabolism, and/or storage; and Effective Caloric Intake which describes the number of calories available to constrain energy-intake via the inhibition of the sensorimotor appetitive cells in the liver and brain that govern ingestive behaviors. Inherent in these frameworks is the independence and dissociation of the energetic demands of metabolism and the neuro-muscular pathways that initiate ingestive behaviors and energy intake. As we demonstrate, if the sensorimotor cells suffer relative caloric deprivation via asymmetric competition from other cell-types (e.g., skeletal muscle- or fat-cells), energy-intake is increased to compensate for both real and merely apparent deficits in energy-homeostasis (i.e., true and false signals, respectively). Thus, we posit that the chronic positive energy balance (i.e., over-nutrition) that leads to obesity and metabolic diseases is engendered by apparent deficits (i.e., false signals) driven by the asymmetric inter-cellular competition for calories and concomitant differential partitioning of nutrient-energy to storage. These frameworks, in concert with our previous theoretic work, the Maternal Resources Hypothesis, provide a parsimonious and rigorous explanation for the rapid rise in the global prevalence of increased body and fat mass, and associated metabolic dysfunctions in humans and other mammals inclusive of companion, domesticated, laboratory, and feral animals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gregory Pavela
- The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | | | - Carl J Lavie
- School of Medicine, John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, The University of Queensland, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - James O Hill
- Center for Human Nutrition, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO, United States
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33
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Rapkin J, Jensen K, House CM, Wilson AJ, Hunt J. Genotype-by-sex-by-diet interactions for nutritional preference, dietary consumption, and lipid deposition in a field cricket. Heredity (Edinb) 2018; 121:361-373. [PMID: 30089778 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-018-0130-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in feeding behaviour, especially the overconsumption of calories, has led to a rise in the rates of obesity, diabetes, and other associated disorders in humans and a range of animals inhabiting human-influenced environments. However, understanding the relative contribution of genes, the nutritional environment, and their interaction to dietary intake and lipid deposition in the sexes still remains a major challenge. By combining nutritional geometry with quantitative genetics, we determined the effect of genes, the nutritional environment, and their interaction on the total nutritional preference (TP), total diet eaten (TE), and lipid mass (LM) of male and female black field crickets (Teleogryllus commodus) fed one of four diet pairs (DPs) differing in the ratio of protein to carbohydrate and total nutritional content. We found abundant additive genetic variance for TP, TE, and LM in both sexes and across all four DPs, with significant genetic correlations between TE and TP and between TP and LM in males. We also found significant genotype-by-DP and genotype-by-sex-by-DP interactions for each trait and significant genotype-by-sex interactions for TE and LM. Complex interactions between genes, sex, and the nutritional environment, therefore, play an important role in nutrient regulation and lipid deposition in T. commodus. This finding may also help explain the increasing rate of obesity and the maintenance of sex differences in obesity observed across many animal species, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Rapkin
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Kim Jensen
- Department of Bioscience, Terrestrial Ecology, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Clarissa M House
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK.,School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.,Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bay 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Alastair J Wilson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - John Hunt
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK. .,School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia. .,Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bay 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.
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Abstract
Obesity is a worldwide pandemic in adults as well as children and adds greatly to health care costs through its association with type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and cancers. The prevailing medical view of obesity is that it results from a simple imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure. However, numerous other factors are important in the etiology of obesity. The obesogen hypothesis proposes that environmental chemicals termed obesogens promote obesity by acting to increase adipocyte commitment, differentiation, and size by altering metabolic set points or altering the hormonal regulation of appetite and satiety. Many obesogens are endocrine disrupting chemicals that interfere with normal endocrine regulation. Endocrine disrupting obesogens are abundant in our environment, used in everyday products from food packaging to fungicides. In this review, we explore the evidence supporting the obesogen hypothesis, as well as the gaps in our knowledge that are currently preventing a complete understanding of the extent to which obesogens contribute to the obesity pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerrold J Heindel
- Program on Endocrine Disruption Strategies, Commonweal, Bolinas, California 94924, USA
| | - Bruce Blumberg
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA;
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35
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The Contributions of ‘Diet’, ‘Genes’, and Physical Activity to the Etiology of Obesity: Contrary Evidence and Consilience. Prog Cardiovasc Dis 2018; 61:89-102. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pcad.2018.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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36
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Barrett JR. DDT and Obesity in Humans: Exploring the Evidence in a New Way. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2018; 126:024003. [PMID: 29483061 PMCID: PMC6066343 DOI: 10.1289/ehp2545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
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37
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Voss JD, Goodson MS, Leon JC. Phenotype diffusion and one health: A proposed framework for investigating the plurality of obesity epidemics across many species. Zoonoses Public Health 2018; 65:279-290. [PMID: 29430857 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
We propose the idea of "phenotype diffusion," which is a rapid convergence of an observed trait in some human and animal populations. The words phenotype and diffusion both imply observations independent of mechanism as phenotypes are observed traits with multiple possible genetic mechanisms and diffusion is an observed state of being widely distributed. Recognizing shared changes in phenotype in multiple species does not by itself reveal a particular mechanism such as a shared exposure, shared adaptive need, particular stochastic process or a transmission pathway. Instead, identifying phenotype diffusion suggests the mechanism should be explored to help illuminate the ways human and animal health are connected and new opportunities for optimizing these links. Using the plurality of obesity epidemics across multiple species as a prototype for shared changes in phenotype, the goal of this review was to explore eco-evolutionary theories that could inform further investigation. First, evolutionary changes described by hologenome evolution, pawnobe evolution, transposable element (TE) thrust and the drifty gene hypothesis will be discussed within the context of the selection asymmetries among human and animal populations. Secondly, the ecology of common source exposures (bovine milk, xenohormesis and "obesogens"), niche evolution and the hygiene hypothesis will be summarized. Finally, we synthesize these considerations. For example, many agricultural breeds have been aggressively selected for weight gain, microbiota (e.g., adenovirus 36, toxoplasmosis) associated with (or infecting) these breeds cause experimental weight gain in other animals, and these same microbes are associated with human obesity. We propose applications of phenotype diffusion could include zoonotic biosurveillance, biocontainment, antibiotic stewardship and environmental priorities. The One Health field is focused on the connections between the health of humans, animals and the environment, and so identification of phenotype diffusion is highly relevant for practitioners (public health officials, physicians and veterinarians) in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D Voss
- Epidemiology Consult Service Division, United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, USA
| | - M S Goodson
- 711th Human Performance Wing, Human Effectiveness Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, USA.,UES Inc., Dayton, OH, USA
| | - J C Leon
- Epidemiology Consult Service Division, United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, USA
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38
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Bentley RA, Ross CN, O'Brien MJ. Obesity, Metabolism, and Aging: A Multiscalar Approach. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2018; 155:25-42. [PMID: 29653680 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Obesity contributes to the aging process through the alteration of metabolic pathways evidenced biochemically in the relationship between caloric restriction and longevity. Humans have entered into an era of metabolism and aging entirely unprecedented in their evolution, with a diet that, for many, contains a majority of calories as sugar and yields an expected lifespan of over 80years in industrialized nations. Deeply embedded in the complex issue of obesity are questions of behavior, causality versus correlation, and appropriate models. For example, are primates a better reference than mice for studying metabolic connections between obesity and aging? We consider those issues from the standpoint of life-history theory, especially implications of the interplay of refined sugar and socioeconomic disparities for the future of human health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Corinna N Ross
- Texas A&M University-San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
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39
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Öhlund M, Palmgren M, Holst BS. Overweight in adult cats: a cross-sectional study. Acta Vet Scand 2018; 60:5. [PMID: 29351768 PMCID: PMC5775588 DOI: 10.1186/s13028-018-0359-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Overweight in cats is a major risk factor for diabetes mellitus and has also been associated with other disorders. Overweight and obesity are believed to be increasing problems in cats, as is currently seen in people, with important health consequences. The objectives of the present study were to determine the prevalence of overweight in cats from two different cohorts in a cross-sectional study design and to assess associations between overweight and diagnoses, and between overweight and demographic and environmental factors. Data were obtained from medical records for cats (n = 1072) visiting an academic medical center during 2013–2015, and from a questionnaire on insured cats (n = 1665). From the medical records, information on body condition score, breed, age, sex, neutering status, and diagnosis was obtained. The questionnaire included questions relating to the cat’s body condition, breed, age, sex, neutering status, outdoor access, activity level, and diet. Data were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression. Results The prevalence of overweight was 45% in the medical records cohort and 22% in the questionnaire cohort, where owners judged their pet’s body condition. Overweight cats in the medical records cohort were more likely to be diagnosed with lower urinary tract disease, diabetes mellitus, respiratory disease, skin disorders, locomotor disease, and trauma. Eating predominantly dry food, being a greedy eater, and inactivity were factors associated with an increased risk of overweight in the final model in the questionnaire cohort. In both cohorts, the Birman and Persian breeds, and geriatric cats, were less likely to be overweight, and male cats were more likely to be overweight. Conclusions The prevalence of overweight cats (45%) as assessed by trained personnel was high and in the same range as previously reported. Birman and Persian cats had a lower risk of overweight. The association with dry food found in adult, neutered cats is potentially important because this type of food is commonly fed to cats worldwide, and warrants further attention. Drawbacks related to the study design need to be acknowledged when interpreting the results, such as a potential for selection bias for cats visiting an animal hospital, and an information bias for questionnaire data. The high occurrence of overweight in cats needs to be addressed because it negatively affects their health. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13028-018-0359-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Chusyd DE, Brown JL, Hambly C, Johnson MS, Morfeld K, Patki A, Speakman JR, Allison DB, Nagy TR. Adiposity and Reproductive Cycling Status in Zoo African Elephants. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2018; 26:103-110. [PMID: 29265776 PMCID: PMC5744898 DOI: 10.1002/oby.22046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The majority of zoo African elephants exhibit abnormal reproductive cycles, but it is unclear why. Acyclicity has been positively associated with body condition scores. The objective of this study was to measure body composition and examine the relationship between adiposity and cyclicity status, mediated by glucose, insulin, leptin, and inflammation. METHODS Body composition was assessed by deuterium dilution in 22 African elephants. Each elephant was weighed and given deuterated water orally (0.05 mL/kg), and blood was collected from the ear prior to and five times after deuterium administration. Glucose, insulin, leptin, and proinflammatory biomarker concentrations in serum were determined. RESULTS Body fat percentage ranged from 5.24% to 15.97%. Fat adjusted for fat free mass (FFM) and age was not significantly associated with cyclicity status (P = 0.332). Age was the strongest predictor of cyclicity status (P = 0.040). Fat was correlated with weight (ρ = 0.455, P = 0.044) and when adjusted for FFM with circulating glucose (ρ = 0.520, P = 0.022) and showed a trend for association with leptin (unadjusted: ρ = 0.384, P = 0.095; adjusted for FFM: ρ = 0.403, P = 0.087). CONCLUSIONS Deuterium dilution appears to be an available technique to measure body composition in African elephants. In this sample, fat was not associated with cyclicity status, and age may be more important to cyclicity status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniella E. Chusyd
- Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Nutrition Obesity Research Center, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Janine L. Brown
- Department of Reproductive Sciences, Conservation & Research Center, National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Catherine Hambly
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Maria S. Johnson
- Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | | | - Amit Patki
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - John R. Speakman
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - David B. Allison
- Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Nutrition Obesity Research Center, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Office of Energetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Nathan Shock Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Diabetes Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Tim R. Nagy
- Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Nutrition Obesity Research Center, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Nathan Shock Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Diabetes Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
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Chamorro-Garcia R, Diaz-Castillo C, Shoucri BM, Käch H, Leavitt R, Shioda T, Blumberg B. Ancestral perinatal obesogen exposure results in a transgenerational thrifty phenotype in mice. Nat Commun 2017; 8:2012. [PMID: 29222412 PMCID: PMC5722856 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01944-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ancestral environmental exposures to non-mutagenic agents can exert effects in unexposed descendants. This transgenerational inheritance has significant implications for understanding disease etiology. Here we show that exposure of F0 mice to the obesogen tributyltin (TBT) throughout pregnancy and lactation predisposes unexposed F4 male descendants to obesity when dietary fat is increased. Analyses of body fat, plasma hormone levels, and visceral white adipose tissue DNA methylome and transcriptome collectively indicate that the F4 obesity is consistent with a leptin resistant, thrifty phenotype. Ancestral TBT exposure induces global changes in DNA methylation and altered expression of metabolism-relevant genes. Analysis of chromatin accessibility in F3 and F4 sperm reveals significant differences between control and TBT groups and significant similarities between F3 and F4 TBT groups that overlap with areas of differential methylation in F4 adipose tissue. Our data suggest that ancestral TBT exposure induces changes in chromatin organization transmissible through meiosis and mitosis. Early life exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals has been linked to increased adiposity during adulthood. Here Chamorro-García et al. show that ancestral exposure to the obesogen tributyltin causes obesity in untreated F4 generation male descendants by inducing heritable changes in genome architecture that promote a thrifty phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Chamorro-Garcia
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, 2011 Biological Sciences 3, Irvine, CA, 92697-2300, USA
| | - Carlos Diaz-Castillo
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, 2011 Biological Sciences 3, Irvine, CA, 92697-2300, USA
| | - Bassem M Shoucri
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, 2011 Biological Sciences 3, Irvine, CA, 92697-2300, USA
| | - Heidi Käch
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, 2011 Biological Sciences 3, Irvine, CA, 92697-2300, USA.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Ron Leavitt
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, 2011 Biological Sciences 3, Irvine, CA, 92697-2300, USA
| | - Toshi Shioda
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Bldg 149, 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.
| | - Bruce Blumberg
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, 2011 Biological Sciences 3, Irvine, CA, 92697-2300, USA. .,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, 92697-2300, CA, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, 92697-2300, CA, USA.
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Schneider JE, Benton NA, Russo KA, Klingerman CM, Williams WP, Simberlund J, Abdulhay A, Brozek JM, Kriegsfeld LJ. RFamide-related Peptide-3 and the Trade-off between Reproductive and Ingestive Behavior. Integr Comp Biol 2017; 57:1225-1239. [PMID: 28985338 PMCID: PMC5886337 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Ingestive and sex behaviors are important for individual survival and reproductive success, but when environmental energy availability is limited, individuals of many different species make a trade-off, forfeiting sex for ingestive behavior. For example, food-deprived female Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) forego vaginal scent marking and lordosis (sex behaviors) in favor of foraging, hoarding, and eating food (ingestive behavior). Reproductive processes tend to be energetically costly, and individual survival requires homeostasis in metabolic energy. Thus, during energetic challenges, the chances of survival are enhanced by decreasing the energy expended on reproductive processes. The entire hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) system is inhibited by severe energetic challenges, but comparatively little is known about the effects of mild energetic challenges. We hypothesized that (1) a trade-off is made between sex and ingestive behavior even when the level of food restriction is insufficient to inhibit the HPG system; (2) mild energetic challenges force a trade-off between appetitive ingestive and sex behaviors, but not consummatory versions of the same behaviors; and (3) the trade-off is orchestrated by ovarian steroid modulation of RFamide-related peptide 3 (RFRP-3). In other species, RFRP-3, an ortholog of avian gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone, is implicated in control of behavior in response to energetic challenges and stressful stimuli. In support of our three hypotheses, there is a "dose-response" effect of food restriction and re-feeding on the activation of RFRP-3-immunoreactive cells in the dorsomedial hypothalamus and on appetitive behaviors (food hoarding and sexual motivation), but not on consummatory behaviors (food intake and lordosis), with no significant effect on circulating levels of estradiol or progesterone. The effect of food restriction on the activation of RFRP-3 cells is modulated at the time of estrus in gonadally-intact females and in ovariectomized females treated with progesterone alone or with estradiol plus progesterone. Intracerebral treatment with RFRP-3 results in significant decreases in sexual motivation and results in significant but small increases in food hoarding in hamsters fed ad libitum. These and other results are consistent with the idea that ovarian steroids and RFRP-3 are part of a system that orchestrates trade-offs in appetitive behaviors in environments where energy availability fluctuates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill E Schneider
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
| | - Noah A Benton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
| | - Kim A Russo
- Department of Psychology and The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Candice M Klingerman
- Department of Biological and Allied Health Sciences, Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, PA 17815, USA
| | - Wilbur P Williams
- Department of Psychology and The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jessica Simberlund
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
| | - Amir Abdulhay
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
| | - Jeremy M Brozek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
| | - Lance J Kriegsfeld
- Department of Psychology and The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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Feroe A, Broene R, Albuquerque D, Ruiz P. Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, Transgenerational Epigenetics and Metabolic Diseases. EC ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLIC RESEARCH 2017; 21:31-51. [PMID: 34734213 PMCID: PMC8563023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental chemicals can produce effects on the endocrine system through epigenetic mechanisms. These can considerably decrease or increase the sensitivity of multiple hormones depending on the dose, route, or time of exposure. The exposure of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during the in utero period could be a critical window, altering the epigenome profile. Recently, several researchers suggest a role of EDCs in the obesity epidemic. In this brief review, we focused on how four EDCs (bisphenol A, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and tributyltin) may underlay transgenerational epigenetic effects. We also discuss the adipogenesis signaling pathway and the impact of exposure to individual or mixtures of EDCs on the developing endocrine system. Understanding the molecular determinants of epigenetic memory across generations will provide essential insight into how environmental exposure can affect the health of individuals, as well as subsequent generations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard Broene
- Department of Chemistry, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME, USA
| | - David Albuquerque
- Research Center for Anthropology and Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Patricia Ruiz
- Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, Georgia
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Cano-Sancho G, Salmon AG, La Merrill MA. Association between Exposure to p,p'-DDT and Its Metabolite p,p'-DDE with Obesity: Integrated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2017; 125:096002. [PMID: 28934091 PMCID: PMC5915185 DOI: 10.1289/ehp527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Revised: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prevalence of obesity is increasing in all countries, becoming a substantial public health concern worldwide. Increasing evidence has associated obesity with persistent pollutants such as the pesticide DDT and its metabolite p,p'-DDE. OBJECTIVES Our objective was to systematically review the literature on the association between exposure to the pesticide DDT and its metabolites and obesity to develop hazard identification conclusions. METHODS We applied a systematic review-based strategy to identify and integrate evidence from epidemiological, in vivo, and in vitro studies. The evidence from prospective epidemiological studies was quantitatively synthesized by meta-analysis. We rated the body of evidence and integrated the streams of evidence to systematically develop hazard identification conclusions. RESULTS We identified seven epidemiological studies reporting prospective associations between exposure to p,p'-DDE and adiposity assessed by body mass index (BMI) z-score. The results from the meta-analysis revealed positive associations between exposure to p,p'-DDE and BMI z-score (β=0.13 BMI z-score (95% CI: 0.01, 0.25) per log increase of p,p'-DDE). Two studies constituted the primary in vivo evidence. Both studies reported positive associations between exposure to p,p'-DDT and increased adiposity in rodents. We identified 19 in vivo studies and 7 in vitro studies that supported the biological plausibility of the obesogenic effects of p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE. CONCLUSIONS We classified p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE as "presumed" to be obesogenic for humans, based on a moderate level of primary human evidence, a moderate level of primary in vivo evidence, and a moderate level of supporting evidence from in vivo and in vitro studies. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP527.
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Affiliation(s)
- German Cano-Sancho
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Davis , Davis, California, USA
| | - Andrew G Salmon
- Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency , Oakland, California, USA
| | - Michele A La Merrill
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Davis , Davis, California, USA
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Teng KT, McGreevy PD, Toribio JAL, Raubenheimer D, Kendall K, Dhand NK. Risk factors for underweight and overweight in cats in metropolitan Sydney, Australia. Prev Vet Med 2017; 144:102-111. [DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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Candellone A, Morgan D, Buttignol S, Meineri G. Leaner, Healthier, Happier Together--A Family-Centred Approach to Weight Loss with the Overweight Dog and Her Caregivers. Vet Sci 2017; 4:vetsci4030041. [PMID: 29056699 PMCID: PMC5644662 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci4030041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity represents a one of the most significant healthcare issues facing human and companion animal populations worldwide. A complex relationship commonly exists between owners and their companion animal, particularly around feeding behaviour. Obese companion animals commonly live alongside caregivers who are also struggling with their own body weight. This case report highlights the importance of a family-centred approach to canine obesity as a way to engage with the pet's caregivers to help maximize their compliance towards the successful implementation of a tailored weight loss programme. Lara, an overweight dog weighing 35 kilos with a body condition score (BCS) of 7-7.5/9, was referred for a nutritional assessment. A comprehensive, pro-active and multidisciplinary protocol, tailored towards a family-centred approach, was established. After a 16-week programme, Lara reached the target body weight. The caregivers' compliance was assessed as being excellent; they also reassessed their individual lifestyle and were able to increase awareness towards their own nutritional issues and body weight perception, resulting in weight loss in all caregivers. Lara's case report represents how a family-centred approach can lead to successful patient weight loss and to a modification in the caregivers' way of thinking about nutrition and their own lifestyle, with the final goal of living a healthier and longer life together.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Candellone
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.
| | - David Morgan
- Spectrum Brands Schweiz GmbH, 8305 Dietlikon, Switzerland.
| | - Simona Buttignol
- Ambulatorio Veterinario Associato dott.sse S. Buttignol-S. Confente, 10072 Mappano di Caselle, Italy.
| | - Giorgia Meineri
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.
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Vom Saal FS. TRIENNIAL REPRODUCTION SYMPOSIUM: Environmental programming of reproduction during fetal life: Effects of intrauterine position and the endocrine disrupting chemical bisphenol A. J Anim Sci 2017; 94:2722-36. [PMID: 27482660 DOI: 10.2527/jas.2015-0211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
During critical periods in fetal life, there is an increased vulnerability to perturbations in endocrine function due to environmental factors. Small shifts in concentrations of hormones that regulate the differentiation of organs, such as estradiol and testosterone, can have permanent effects on morphology, enzymatic activity, and hormone receptors in tissues as well as neurobehavioral effects. These changes can lead to effects throughout life, including impacting the risk for various diseases (referred to as the Developmental Origins of Adult Health and Disease hypothesis). The intrauterine position phenomenon concerns the consequence for fetuses of randomly implanting next to embryos of the same or opposite sex. An intrauterine position next to males vs. females results in small differences in serum testosterone and estradiol during fetal life that are associated with marked effects on life history (such as lifetime fecundity) in both males and females born in litters (mice, rats, gerbils, rabbits, and swine) as well as human twins. Research with mice subsequently demonstrated that a very small experimental change in fetal serum estradiol levels altered organogenesis and caused permanent changes in organ function. Taken together, these findings led to the hypothesis that environmental chemicals that mimic or antagonize hormone action (e.g., endocrine disrupting chemicals) could also be causing harm at very low exposures (the "low dose" hypothesis) within the range of exposure of humans, domesticated animals, and wildlife. There is now extensive evidence from experimental laboratory animals, sheep, and humans that fetal exposure to very low (presumably safe) doses of the endocrine disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA), which exhibits estrogenic activity, can cause permanent changes that can increase the risk of a wide array of diseases. The reasons that federal regulatory agencies are ignoring the massive literature showing adverse effects of BPA and other endocrine disrupting chemicals are discussed.
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Developmental Exposure to Environmental Chemicals and Metabolic Changes in Children. Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care 2016; 46:255-85. [PMID: 27401018 DOI: 10.1016/j.cppeds.2016.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The incidence of childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other forms of metabolic disease have been rising over the past several decades. Although diet and physical activity play important roles in these trends, other environmental factors also may contribute to this significant public health issue. In this article, we discuss the possibility that widespread exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may contribute to the development of metabolic diseases in children. We summarize the epidemiological evidence on exposure to environmental chemicals during early development and metabolic outcomes in infants and children. Prenatal exposure to EDCs, particularly the persistent organic pollutant DDT and its metabolite DDE, may influence growth patterns during infancy and childhood. The altered growth patterns associated with EDCs vary according to exposure level, sex, exposure timing, pubertal status, and age at which growth is measured. Early exposure to air pollutants also is linked to impaired metabolism in infants and children. As a result of these and other studies, professional health provider societies have called for a reduction in environmental chemical exposures. We summarize the resources available to health care providers to counsel patients on how to reduce chemical exposures. We conclude with a discussion of environmental policies that address chemical exposures and ultimately aim to improve public health.
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