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Mukherjee S, Dasgupta S, Mishra PK, Chaudhury K. Air pollution-induced epigenetic changes: disease development and a possible link with hypersensitivity pneumonitis. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:55981-56002. [PMID: 34498177 PMCID: PMC8425320 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16056-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution is a serious threat to our health and has become one of the major causes of many diseases including cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and cancer. The association between air pollution and various diseases has long been a topic of research interest. However, it remains unclear how air pollution actually impacts health by modulating several important cellular functions. Recently, some evidence has emerged about air pollution-induced epigenetic changes, which are linked with the etiology of various human diseases. Among several epigenetic modifications, DNA methylation represents the most prominent epigenetic alteration underlying the air pollution-induced pathogenic mechanism. Several other types of epigenetic changes, such as histone modifications, miRNA, and non-coding RNA expression, have also been found to have been linked with air pollution. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), one of the most prevalent forms of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), is triggered by the inhalation of certain organic and inorganic substances. HP is characterized by inflammation in the tissues around the lungs' airways and may lead to irreversible lung scarring over time. This review, in addition to other diseases, attempts to understand whether certain pollutants influence HP development through such epigenetic modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suranjana Mukherjee
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India.
| | - Sanjukta Dasgupta
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India
| | - Pradyumna K Mishra
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, 462030, India
| | - Koel Chaudhury
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India
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Yi JZ, McGee JS. Epigenetic-modifying therapies: An emerging avenue for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. Exp Dermatol 2021; 30:1167-1176. [PMID: 33752257 DOI: 10.1111/exd.14334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications include DNA methylation, histone modification and the action of microRNAs. These mechanisms coordinate in complex networks to control gene expression, thereby regulating key physiological processes in the skin and immune system. Recently, researchers have turned to the epigenome to understand the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin diseases. In psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, epigenetic modifications contribute to key pathogenic events such as immune activation, T-cell polarization and keratinocyte dysfunction. These discoveries have introduced new possibilities for the treatment of skin diseases; unlike genetics, epigenetic alterations are readily modifiable and potentially reversible. In this viewpoint essay, we summarize the current state of epigenetic research in inflammatory skin diseases and propose that targeting the histone machinery is a promising avenue for the development of new therapies for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Expanding on the progress that has already been made in the field of cancer epigenetics, we discuss existing epigenetic-modifying tools that can be applied to the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases and consider future directions for investigation in order to allow for the widespread clinical application of such therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Z Yi
- Department of Dermatology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jean S McGee
- Department of Dermatology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Muschler M, Rhein M, Ritter A, Hillemacher T, Frieling H, Bleich S, Glahn A. Epigenetic alterations of the POMC promoter in tobacco dependence. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2018; 28:875-879. [PMID: 29871818 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Impaired regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is substantially involved in several psychiatric disorders. Smoking interferes with HPA axis by activating proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons and thus stimulating the expression of POMC. The POMC transcript is processed into several peptide hormones, such as adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), that play a role in stress response and weight control. In alcohol dependence, POMC promoter methylation is associated with craving. Here, we describe evidence of altered POMC promoter methylation in smoking. To determine how tobacco dependence and its withdrawal affect POMC promoter-specific DNA methylation, we assessed blood samples of 36 tobacco dependent individuals at day 1, 7 and 14 of withdrawal compared to 41 healthy controls using direct bisulfite sequencing. We found that POMC promoter methylation is significantly higher in smokers than in non-smokers. Moreover, this methylation difference does not readapt within 14 days of abstinence. We offer two explanatory models: Smokers could have a higher methylation state before the onset of smoking and this premorbid status might be acquired by environmental factors in early life. Alternatively, smoking may activate POMC neurons and its protein expression. Therefore, increasing methylation status of its promoter might be an adjustment to keep homeostasis. In either way, altered POMC methylation in smokers seems to indicate an adaptation of stress signaling, thereby potentially serving as a marker for stress-related functions that support the addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Muschler
- Hannover Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
| | - Mathias Rhein
- Hannover Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Andreas Ritter
- Hannover Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas Hillemacher
- Hannover Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany; Paracelsus Medical University Nuremberg, Departement of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Prof.-Ernst-Nathan-Str. 1, 90419 Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Helge Frieling
- Hannover Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Stefan Bleich
- Hannover Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Alexander Glahn
- Hannover Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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Alteration of human hepatic drug transporter activity and expression by cigarette smoke condensate. Toxicology 2016; 363-364:58-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2016.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Revised: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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