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Rosa MJ, Foppa Pedretti N, Goldson B, Mathews N, Merced-Nieves F, Xhani N, Bosquet Enlow M, Gershon R, Ho E, Huddleston K, Wright RO, Wright RJ, Colicino E. Integrating Data Across Multiple Sites in the Northeastern United States to Examine Associations Between a Prenatal Metal Mixture and Child Cognition. Am J Epidemiol 2024; 193:606-616. [PMID: 37981721 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwad233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We applied a novel hierarchical Bayesian weighted quantile sum (HBWQS) regression to combine data across 3 study sites to examine associations between prenatal exposure to metals and cognitive functioning in childhood. Data from 326 mother-child dyads enrolled in an ongoing cohort study, the Programming of Intergenerational Stress Mechanisms (PRISM) Study, based in New York, New York (recruitment in 2013-2020) and Boston, Massachusetts (recruitment 2011-2013), and the First Thousand Days of Life (FTDL) cohort study (recruitment 2012-2019), based in northern Virginia, were used. Arsenic, cadmium, manganese, lead, and antimony were measured in urine collected during pregnancy. Cognitive functioning was assessed in children aged 3-11 years using the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Cognition Battery. The HBWQS regression showed a negative association between the urinary metal mixture and the Cognition Early Childhood Composite Score in the PRISM New York City (β = -3.67, 95% credible interval (CrI): -7.61, -0.01) and FTDL (β = -3.76, 95% CrI: -7.66, -0.24) samples, with a similar trend in the PRISM Boston sample (β = -3.24, 95% CrI: -6.77, 0.144). We did not detect these associations in traditionally pooled models. HBWQS regression allowed us to account for site heterogeneity and detect associations between prenatal metal-mixture exposure and cognitive outcomes in childhood. Given the ubiquity of metals exposure, interventions aimed at reducing prenatal exposure may improve cognitive outcomes in children. This article is part of a Special Collection on Environmental Epidemiology.
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Schrenk D, Bignami M, Bodin L, Chipman JK, del Mazo J, Grasl‐Kraupp B, Hogstrand C, Hoogenboom L(R, Leblanc J, Nebbia CS, Nielsen E, Ntzani E, Petersen A, Sand S, Vleminckx C, Wallace H, Barregård L, Benford D, Broberg K, Dogliotti E, Fletcher T, Rylander L, Abrahantes JC, Gómez Ruiz JÁ, Steinkellner H, Tauriainen T, Schwerdtle T. Update of the risk assessment of inorganic arsenic in food. EFSA J 2024; 22:e8488. [PMID: 38239496 PMCID: PMC10794945 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The European Commission asked EFSA to update its 2009 risk assessment on arsenic in food carrying out a hazard assessment of inorganic arsenic (iAs) and using the revised exposure assessment issued by EFSA in 2021. Epidemiological studies show that the chronic intake of iAs via diet and/or drinking water is associated with increased risk of several adverse outcomes including cancers of the skin, bladder and lung. The CONTAM Panel used the benchmark dose lower confidence limit based on a benchmark response (BMR) of 5% (relative increase of the background incidence after adjustment for confounders, BMDL05) of 0.06 μg iAs/kg bw per day obtained from a study on skin cancer as a Reference Point (RP). Inorganic As is a genotoxic carcinogen with additional epigenetic effects and the CONTAM Panel applied a margin of exposure (MOE) approach for the risk characterisation. In adults, the MOEs are low (range between 2 and 0.4 for mean consumers and between 0.9 and 0.2 at the 95th percentile exposure, respectively) and as such raise a health concern despite the uncertainties.
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3
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Vázquez Cervantes GI, González Esquivel DF, Ramírez Ortega D, Blanco Ayala T, Ramos Chávez LA, López-López HE, Salazar A, Flores I, Pineda B, Gómez-Manzo S, Pérez de la Cruz V. Mechanisms Associated with Cognitive and Behavioral Impairment Induced by Arsenic Exposure. Cells 2023; 12:2537. [PMID: 37947615 PMCID: PMC10649068 DOI: 10.3390/cells12212537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Arsenic (As) is a metalloid naturally present in the environment, in food, water, soil, and air; however, its chronic exposure, even with low doses, represents a public health concern. For a long time, As was used as a pigment, pesticide, wood preservative, and for medical applications; its industrial use has recently decreased or has been discontinued due to its toxicity. Due to its versatile applications and distribution, there is a wide spectrum of human As exposure sources, mainly contaminated drinking water. The fact that As is present in drinking water implies chronic human exposure to this metalloid; it has become a worldwide health problem, since over 200 million people live where As levels exceed safe ranges. Many health problems have been associated with As chronic exposure including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal disturbances, and brain dysfunctions. Because As can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the brain represents a target organ where this metalloid can exert its long-term toxic effects. Many mechanisms of As neurotoxicity have been described: oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction; all of them can converge, thus leading to impaired cellular functions, cell death, and in consequence, long-term detrimental effects. Here, we provide a current overview of As toxicity and integrated the global mechanisms involved in cognitive and behavioral impairment induced by As exposure show experimental strategies against its neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Ignacio Vázquez Cervantes
- Neurobiochemistry and Behavior Laboratory, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (G.I.V.C.); (D.F.G.E.); (T.B.A.); (H.E.L.-L.)
| | - Dinora Fabiola González Esquivel
- Neurobiochemistry and Behavior Laboratory, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (G.I.V.C.); (D.F.G.E.); (T.B.A.); (H.E.L.-L.)
| | - Daniela Ramírez Ortega
- Neuroimmunology Department, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (D.R.O.); (A.S.); (I.F.); (B.P.)
| | - Tonali Blanco Ayala
- Neurobiochemistry and Behavior Laboratory, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (G.I.V.C.); (D.F.G.E.); (T.B.A.); (H.E.L.-L.)
| | - Lucio Antonio Ramos Chávez
- Departamento de Neuromorfología Funcional, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City 14370, Mexico;
| | - Humberto Emanuel López-López
- Neurobiochemistry and Behavior Laboratory, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (G.I.V.C.); (D.F.G.E.); (T.B.A.); (H.E.L.-L.)
| | - Alelí Salazar
- Neuroimmunology Department, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (D.R.O.); (A.S.); (I.F.); (B.P.)
| | - Itamar Flores
- Neuroimmunology Department, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (D.R.O.); (A.S.); (I.F.); (B.P.)
| | - Benjamín Pineda
- Neuroimmunology Department, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (D.R.O.); (A.S.); (I.F.); (B.P.)
| | - Saúl Gómez-Manzo
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Genética, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud, México City 04530, Mexico;
| | - Verónica Pérez de la Cruz
- Neurobiochemistry and Behavior Laboratory, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (G.I.V.C.); (D.F.G.E.); (T.B.A.); (H.E.L.-L.)
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4
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Rychlik KA, Illingworth EJ, Sanchez IF, Attreed SE, Sinha P, Casin KM, Taube N, Loube J, Tasneen R, Kabir R, Nuermberger E, Mitzner W, Kohr MJ, Sillé FCM. Long-term effects of prenatal arsenic exposure from gestational day 9 to birth on lung, heart, and immune outcomes in the C57BL/6 mouse model. Toxicol Lett 2023; 383:17-32. [PMID: 37244563 PMCID: PMC10527152 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2023.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal arsenic exposure is a major public health concern, associated with altered birth outcomes and increased respiratory disease risk. However, characterization of the long-term effects of mid-pregnancy (second trimester) arsenic exposure on multiple organ systems is scant. This study aimed to characterize the long-term impact of mid-pregnancy inorganic arsenic exposure on the lung, heart, and immune system, including infectious disease response using the C57BL/6 mouse model. Mice were exposed from gestational day 9 till birth to either 0 or 1000 µg/L sodium (meta)arsenite in drinking water. Male and female offspring assessed at adulthood (10-12 weeks of age) did not show significant effects on recovery outcomes after ischemia reperfusion injury but did exhibit increased airway hyperresponsiveness compared to controls. Flow cytometric analysis revealed significantly greater total numbers of cells in arsenic-exposed lungs, lower MHCII expression in natural killer cells, and increased percentages of dendritic cell populations. Activated interstitial (IMs) and alveolar macrophages (AMs) isolated from arsenic-exposed male mice produced significantly less IFN-γ than controls. Conversely, activated AMs from arsenic-exposed females produced significantly more IFN-γ than controls. Although systemic cytokine levels were higher upon Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection in prenatally arsenic-exposed offspring there was no difference in lung Mtb burden compared to controls. This study highlights significant long-term impacts of prenatal arsenic exposure on lung and immune cell function. These effects may contribute to the elevated risk of respiratory diseases associated with prenatal arsenic exposure in epidemiology studies and point to the need for more research into mechanisms driving these maintained responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristal A Rychlik
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Public Health Program, School of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton, TX, USA
| | - Emily J Illingworth
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ian F Sanchez
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sarah E Attreed
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA/ARS Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Plum Island, CT, USA
| | - Prithvi Sinha
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kevin M Casin
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nicole Taube
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jeff Loube
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rokeya Tasneen
- Center for Tuberculosis Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Raihan Kabir
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Eric Nuermberger
- Center for Tuberculosis Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Wayne Mitzner
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mark J Kohr
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Fenna C M Sillé
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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5
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Colwell M, Flack N, Rezabek A, Faulk C. Intergenerational arsenic exposure on the mouse epigenome and metabolic physiology. ENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS 2023; 64:72-87. [PMID: 36593717 PMCID: PMC9974848 DOI: 10.1002/em.22526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Inorganic arsenic (iAs) is one of the largest toxic exposures to impact humanity worldwide. Exposure to iAs during pregnancy may disrupt the proper remodeling of the epigenome of F1 developing offspring and potentially their F2 grand-offspring via disruption of fetal primordial germ cells (PGCs). There is a limited understanding between the correlation of disease phenotype and methylation profile within offspring of both generations and whether it persists to adulthood. Our study aims to understand the intergenerational effects of in utero iAs exposure on the epigenetic profile and onset of disease phenotypes within F1 and F2 adult offspring, despite the lifelong absence of direct arsenic exposure within these generations. We exposed F0 female mice (C57BL6/J) to the following doses of iAs in drinking water 2 weeks before pregnancy until the birth of the F1 offspring: 1, 10, 245, and 2300 ppb. We found sex- and dose-specific changes in weight and body composition that persist from early time to adulthood within both generations. Fasting blood glucose challenge suggests iAs exposure causes dysregulation of glucose metabolism, revealing generational, exposure, and sex-specific differences. Toward understanding the mechanism, genome-wide DNA methylation data highlights exposure-specific patterns in liver, finding dysregulation within genes associated with cancer, T2D, and obesity. We also identified regions containing persistently differentially methylated CpG sites between F1 and F2 generations. Our results indicate the F1 developing embryos and their PGCs, which will result in F2 progeny, retain epigenetic damage established during the prenatal period and are associated with adult metabolic dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathia Colwell
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
| | - Nicole Flack
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine
| | - Amanda Rezabek
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
| | - Christopher Faulk
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
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Singh RD, Tiwari R, Sharma V, Khan H, Gangopadhyay S, Singh S, Koshta K, Shukla S, Arjaria N, Mandrah K, Jagdale PR, Patnaik S, Roy SK, Singh D, Giri AK, Srivastava V. Prenatal arsenic exposure induces immunometabolic alteration and renal injury in rats. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 9:1045692. [PMID: 36714129 PMCID: PMC9874122 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1045692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Arsenic (As) exposure is progressively associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD), a leading public health concern present worldwide. The adverse effect of As exposure on the kidneys of people living in As endemic areas have not been extensively studied. Furthermore, the impact of only prenatal exposure to As on the progression of CKD also has not been fully characterized. In the present study, we examined the effect of prenatal exposure to low doses of As 0.04 and 0.4 mg/kg body weight (0.04 and 0.4 ppm, respectively) on the progression of CKD in male offspring using a Wistar rat model. Interestingly, only prenatal As exposure was sufficient to elevate the expression of profibrotic (TGF-β1) and proinflammatory (IL-1α, MIP-2α, RANTES, and TNF-α) cytokines at 2-day, 12- and 38-week time points in the exposed progeny. Further, alteration in adipogenic factors (ghrelin, leptin, and glucagon) was also observed in 12- and 38-week old male offspring prenatally exposed to As. An altered level of these factors coincides with impaired glucose metabolism and homeostasis accompanied by progressive kidney damage. We observed a significant increase in the deposition of extracellular matrix components and glomerular and tubular damage in the kidneys of 38-week-old male offspring prenatally exposed to As. Furthermore, the overexpression of TGF-β1 in kidneys corresponds with hypermethylation of the TGF-β1 gene-body, indicating a possible involvement of prenatal As exposure-driven epigenetic modulations of TGF-β1 expression. Our study provides evidence that prenatal As exposure to males can adversely affect the immunometabolism of offspring which can promote kidney damage later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radha Dutt Singh
- Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, New Delhi, India,Radha Dutt Singh, ,
| | - Ratnakar Tiwari
- Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Vineeta Sharma
- Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India,Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Hafizurrahman Khan
- Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Siddhartha Gangopadhyay
- Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Sukhveer Singh
- Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Kavita Koshta
- Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Shagun Shukla
- Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Nidhi Arjaria
- Advanced Imaging Facility, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Kapil Mandrah
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, New Delhi, India,Regulatory Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Pankaj Ramji Jagdale
- Regulatory Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Satyakam Patnaik
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, New Delhi, India,Regulatory Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Somendu Kumar Roy
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, New Delhi, India,Regulatory Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Dhirendra Singh
- Regulatory Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ashok Kumar Giri
- Molecular and Human Genetics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Vikas Srivastava
- Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, New Delhi, India,*Correspondence: Vikas Srivastava, ,
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7
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Lu Z, Wang F, Xia Y, Cheng S, Zhang J, Qin X, Tian X, Wang B, Qiu J, Zou Z, Jiang X, Chen C. Involvement of gut-brain communication in arsenite-induced neurobehavioral impairments in adult male mice. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 249:114370. [PMID: 36508802 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Arsenite is a well-documented neurotoxic metalloid that widely distributes in the natural environment. However, it remains largely unclear how arsenite affects neurological function. Therefore, in this study, the healthy adult male mice were exposed to 0.5 mg/L and 5 mg/L arsenite through drinking water for 30 and 90 days, respectively. Our results showed that there was no significant alteration in the intestine and brain for 30 days exposure, but exposure to arsenite for 90 days significantly induced a reduction of locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior, caused pathological damage and inflammatory responses in the brain and intestine. We also found that arsenite remarkably disrupted intestinal barrier integrity, decreased the levels of lysozyme and digestive enzymes. Intriguingly, chronic exposure to arsenite significantly changed the levels of gut-brain peptides. Taken together, this study provides meaningful insights that gut-brain communication may involve in the neurobehavioral impairments of arsenite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaohong Lu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Fanghong Wang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Yinyin Xia
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuqun Cheng
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Molecular Biology Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Xia Qin
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Tian
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingfu Qiu
- Department of Health Laboratory Technology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhen Zou
- Molecular Biology Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China; Research Center for Environment and Human Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xuejun Jiang
- Research Center for Environment and Human Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China; Center of Experimental Teaching for Public Health, Experimental Teaching and Management Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.
| | - Chengzhi Chen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China; Research Center for Environment and Human Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.
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8
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Obasi CN, Frazzoli C, Orisakwe OE. Heavy metals and metalloids exposure and in vitro fertilization: Critical concerns in human reproductive medicine. FRONTIERS IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 2022; 4:1037379. [PMID: 36478891 PMCID: PMC9720145 DOI: 10.3389/frph.2022.1037379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposures to heavy metals and metalloids have been associated with decreased fecundity and fertility in couples conceiving via assisted reproduction. Heavy metals and metalloids can alter the homeostasis of critical hormones controlling sexual maturation by binding to critical hormones and receptors. This may disrupt the time course of sexual maturation directly or indirectly affecting reproductive competence in males and females. The present review aims to provide a summarized overview of associations between heavy metal exposure, reproductive concerns, and IVF outcomes. A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) in Google Scholar, Scopus, EMBASE and PubMed databases. Initial search produced 1,351 articles from which 30 articles were eligible to be included in the systematic review. From our results, 16 articles reported associations between selected heavy metals and IVF outcomes, while 14 articles summarized the role of heavy metals in reproductive concerns. For the studies on IVF outcomes, different human samples were examined for heavy metals. Heavy metals and metalloids (Pb, Hg, Cd, Cr, Mn, As) correlated negatively with oocyte fertilization/pregnancy rates in hair, follicular fluid, serum, urine and seminal plasma samples, while Cd and Hg in whole blood samples showed no associations. For the studies on reproductive concerns, high levels of heavy metals/metalloids were implicated in the following conditions: infertility (Cd, Pb, Ba, U), spontaneous abortion/miscarriage (Pb, Cd, Sb), congenital heart disease (Al, Mg, Cd), PCOS (As, Cd, Hg, Pb), endometriosis (Pb) and uterine leiomyomata (Hg). Taken together, the results of our study suggest that the impact of heavy metals and metalloids exposure on reproductive health may contribute to the failure rates of in vitro fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Nwadiuto Obasi
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology & Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
| | - Chiara Frazzoli
- Department for Cardiovascular, Dysmetabolic and Aging-Associated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Orish Ebere Orisakwe
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology & Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
- African Centre of Excellence for Public Health and Toxicological Research (ACE-PUTOR), University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
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9
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Politis MD, Yao M, Gennings C, Tamayo-Ortiz M, Valvi D, Kim-Schulze S, Qi J, Amarasiriwardena C, Pantic I, Tolentino MC, Estrada-Gutierrez G, Greenberg JH, Téllez-Rojo MM, Wright RO, Sanders AP, Rosa MJ. Prenatal Metal Exposures and Associations with Kidney Injury Biomarkers in Children. TOXICS 2022; 10:692. [PMID: 36422900 PMCID: PMC9699100 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10110692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) may be nephrotoxic, yet limited studies have examined subclinical kidney injury biomarkers in children. We assessed whether metal exposure in the second trimester (2T), a crucial time of kidney development, is associated with altered urine kidney injury and function biomarkers in preadolescent children. Analyses included 494 children participating in a birth cohort study in Mexico City. Concentrations of As, Cd, and Pb were measured from pregnant women in 2T blood and urine, and Hg in urine only. Kidney biomarkers were measured from children in urine at age 8-12 years. We assessed the associations between individual metals and (1) kidney biomarkers using linear regression and (2) a multi-protein kidney mixture using weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression. Associations of separate urine and blood metal mixtures with individual kidney biomarkers were assessed via WQS. Within the multi-protein mixture, the association with increased urinary As was predominated by urine alpha-1-microglobulin (A1M), interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP10), and fatty acid binding protein 1; the association with increased urinary Cd was predominated by A1M, clusterin, and albumin. The urine metal mixture was associated with increased albumin (0.23 ng/mL; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.10, 0.37), IP10 (0.15 ng/mL; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.28), and cystatin C (0.17 ng/mL; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.31); these associations were mainly driven by urinary As and Cd. We observed null associations between prenatal blood or urine metal mixtures and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Higher prenatal urinary metals, individually and as a mixture were associated with altered kidney injury biomarkers in children. Further research and longer participant follow-up are required to ascertain the risk of kidney disease later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria D. Politis
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Meizhen Yao
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Chris Gennings
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Marcela Tamayo-Ortiz
- Occupational Health Research Unit, Mexican Social Security Institute, Mexico City 06600, Mexico
| | - Damaskini Valvi
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Seunghee Kim-Schulze
- Human Immune Monitoring Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Oncological Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Jingjing Qi
- Human Immune Monitoring Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Chitra Amarasiriwardena
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ivan Pantic
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca 62100, Mexico
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City 06600, Mexico
| | - Mari Cruz Tolentino
- Department of Nutrition, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City 06600, Mexico
| | | | - Jason H. Greenberg
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Nephrology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Martha M. Téllez-Rojo
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca 62100, Mexico
| | - Robert O. Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Alison P. Sanders
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Maria José Rosa
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
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10
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Flanigan TJ, Ferguson SA, Law CD, Rosas-Hernandez H, Cuevas-Martinez E, Fitzpatrick S, Shen AN. Neurobehavioral and neurochemical effects of perinatal arsenite exposure in Sprague-Dawley rats. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2021; 90:107059. [PMID: 34979254 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2021.107059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to relatively high levels of inorganic arsenic (iAs) is associated with detrimental effects on human health, including cancer and diabetes. The effects of lower-level exposures are less clear, and gaps in the literature exist as to the effects of iAs exposure on neurodevelopment. The current study assessed the effects of perinatal iAs exposure on rodent neurodevelopment and behavior. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were exposed to arsenite (AsIII) via oral gavage on gestational days (GD) 6 through 21, and pups were directly dosed via gavage on postnatal days (PND) 1 through 21. Dams and offspring received the same doses: 0.00, 0.10, 1.50, or 3.75 mg/kg/day. Male and female offspring underwent a battery of behavioral assessments from weaning until PND 180. Brain arsenic levels increased in a dose-dependent manner at both PND 1 and 21. Results from the behavioral tests show that pre- and postnatal AsIII exposure did not adversely affect offspring weight gain, adolescent motor and cognitive functions, or adult motor and cognitive functions in the SD rat. There were no differences in concentration of several brain proteins associated with blood-brain barrier permeability, dopamine functions, and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Flanigan
- Division of Neurotoxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research/FDA, Jefferson, AR 72079, United States of America
| | - Sherry A Ferguson
- Division of Neurotoxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research/FDA, Jefferson, AR 72079, United States of America
| | - Charles D Law
- Division of Neurotoxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research/FDA, Jefferson, AR 72079, United States of America
| | - Hector Rosas-Hernandez
- Division of Neurotoxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research/FDA, Jefferson, AR 72079, United States of America
| | - Elvis Cuevas-Martinez
- Division of Neurotoxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research/FDA, Jefferson, AR 72079, United States of America
| | - Suzanne Fitzpatrick
- Office of the Center Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition/FDA, , United States of America
| | - Andrew N Shen
- Division of Neurotoxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research/FDA, Jefferson, AR 72079, United States of America.
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Rahman ML, Oken E, Hivert MF, Rifas-Shiman S, Lin PID, Colicino E, Wright RO, Amarasiriwardena C, Claus Henn BG, Gold DR, Coull BA, Cardenas A. Early pregnancy exposure to metal mixture and birth outcomes - A prospective study in Project Viva. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 156:106714. [PMID: 34147999 PMCID: PMC8842844 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to metals has been individually associated with birth outcomes. However, little is known about the effect of metal mixture, particularly at low exposure levels. OBJECTIVES To estimate individual and joint effects of metal mixture components on birth outcomes. METHODS We used data from 1,391 mother-infant pairs in Project Viva (1999-2002). We measured 11 metals in maternal 1st trimester erythrocyte; abstracted birth weight from medical records; calculated gestational age from last menstrual period or ultrasound; and obtained birth length (n = 729) and head circumference (n = 791) from research measurements. We estimated individual and joint effects of metals using multivariable linear and Bayesian kernel machine regressions. RESULTS In both single metal and metal mixture analyses, exposure to higher concentrations of arsenic was associated with lower birth weight in males, zinc with higher head circumference in females, and manganese with higher birth length in sex-combined analysis. We also observed sex-specific metal interactions with birth outcomes. Arsenic and manganese showed a synergistic association with birth weight in males, in whom an interquartile range (IQR) increase in arsenic was associated with 25.3 g (95% CI: -79.9, 29.3), 47.9 g (95% CI: -98.0, 2.1), and 72.2 g (95% CI: -129.8, -14.7) lower birth weight when manganese concentrations were at 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles, respectively. Lead and zinc showed an antagonistic association with head circumference in males, where an IQR increase in lead was associated with 0.18 cm (95% CI: -0.35, -0.02), 0.10 cm (95% CI: -0.25, 0.04), 0.03 cm (95% CI: -0.2, 0.14) smaller head circumference when zinc concentrations were at 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles, respectively. Exposure to higher concentrations of arsenic was also associated with lower gestational age in males when concentrations of manganese and lead were higher. DISCUSSION Maternal erythrocyte concentrations of arsenic, manganese, lead, and zinc were individually and interactively associated with birth outcomes. The associations varied by infant sex and exposure level of other mixture components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad L Rahman
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emily Oken
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marie-France Hivert
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Diabetes Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sheryl Rifas-Shiman
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pi-I D Lin
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elena Colicino
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chitra Amarasiriwardena
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Birgit G Claus Henn
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Diane R Gold
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brent A Coull
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andres Cardenas
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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12
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Stone J, Sutrave P, Gascoigne E, Givens MB, Fry RC, Manuck TA. Exposure to toxic metals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and the risk of preeclampsia and preterm birth in the United States: a review. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM 2021; 3:100308. [PMID: 33444805 PMCID: PMC8144061 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2021.100308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Preeclampsia and preterm birth are among the most common pregnancy complications and are the leading causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality in the United States. Adverse pregnancy outcomes are multifactorial in nature and increasing evidence suggests that the pathophysiology behind preterm birth and preeclampsia may be similar-specifically, both of these disorders may involve abnormalities in placental vasculature. A growing body of literature supports that exposure to environmental contaminants in the air, water, soil, and consumer and household products serves as a key factor influencing the development of adverse pregnancy outcomes. In pregnant women, toxic metals have been detected in urine, peripheral blood, nail clippings, and amniotic fluid. The placenta serves as a "gatekeeper" between maternal and fetal exposures, because it can reduce or enhance fetal exposure to various toxicants. Proposed mechanisms underlying toxicant-mediated damage include disrupted placental vasculogenesis, an up-regulated proinflammatory state, oxidative stressors contributing to prostaglandin production and consequent cervical ripening, uterine contractions, and ruptured membranes and epigenetic changes that contribute to disrupted regulation of endocrine and immune system signaling. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of studies examining the relationships between environmental contaminants in the US setting, specifically inorganic (eg, cadmium, arsenic, lead, and mercury) and organic (eg, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) toxicants, and the development of preeclampsia and preterm birth among women in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Stone
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Pragna Sutrave
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Emily Gascoigne
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Matthew B Givens
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Tracy A Manuck
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Chapel Hill, NC.
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13
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Liang C, Han Y, Ma L, Wu X, Huang K, Yan S, Li Z, Xia X, Pan W, Sheng J, Wang Q, Tong S, Cao Y, Tao F. Low levels of arsenic exposure during pregnancy and maternal and neonatal thyroid hormone parameters: The determinants for these associations. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 145:106114. [PMID: 33035893 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The potential maternal and neonatal thyrotoxicity associated with exposure to arsenic during pregnancy is very limited and unclear. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to examine the associations between arsenic exposure levels in maternal and cord serum and maternal and neonatal thyroid hormone parameters in a prospective birth cohort study. METHODS The study including 2089 mother-neonate pairs was based upon Ma'an Shan birth cohort study in China. The exposure variables including maternal serum arsenic levels in the first, second and third trimester and average arsenic exposure level during pregnancy and cord serum arsenic level. Maternal serum TSH and FT4 levels in the first, second and third trimester and cord serum TSH and FT4 levels were determined using the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay with Cobas Elecsys 411. Linear mixed models were used to examine associations between arsenic exposure variables during pregnancy and maternal thyroid hormone parameters, and multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine associations between arsenic exposure during pregnancy and neonatal thyroid hormone parameters. Bayesian kernal machine regression (BKMR) analyses based on a kernel function were also used to examine the effects of exposure to metal mixtures (arsenic, mercury, cadmium and selenium). RESULTS The geometric means of arsenic exposure levels across 3 trimesters were 1.74 μg/L, 1.81 μg/L and 1.99 μg/L, respectively, and 1.90 μg/L in cord serum; the geometric means of maternal FT4 levels across 3 trimesters were 16.91 pmol/L, 11.91 pmol/L and 13.16 pmol/L, respectively, and 16.10 pmol/L in cord serum; the geometric means of maternal TSH levels across 3 trimesters were 1.27 μIU/mL, 2.32 μIU/mL and 2.08 μIU/mL, respectively, and 8.47 μIU/mL in cord serum. Maternal serum arsenic levels in the first, seond, third trimester and average arsenic exposure level during pregnancy were all not associated with maternal thyroid hormone parameters after adjustment for all the covariates, the adjusted β (95% CI) were -0.002 (-0.10 to 0.09), 0.05 (-0.05 to 0.16), -0.09 (-0.17 to 0.003) and -0.05 (-0.22 to 0.11) for maternal FT4, respectively; and -0.005 (-0.04 to 0.03), -0.003 (-0.04 to 0.03), -0.004 (-0.03 to 0.02) and -0.01 (-0.06 to 0.04) for maternal lnTSH, respectively. Maternal serum arsenic levels in the first, second trimester and average arsenic exposure level during pregnancy were all inversely associated with neonatal FT4 level after adjustment for all the confounders, the adjusted β (95% CI) were -0.19 (-0.31 to -0.07), -0.14 (-0.26 to -0.01), -0.22 (-0.42 to -0.02), respectively; and cord serum arsenic level was positively related with neonatal TSH level, the adjusted β (95% CI) were 0.04 (0.001 to 0.08). The adverse joint toxic effect of the four metals in maternal serum in the first trimester and in cord serum on neonatal thyroid hormone parameters were also found. CONCLUSIONS In this study, exposure to low levels of arsenic during pregnancy could directly affect neonatal thyroid hormone parameters without being mediated by maternal effect of exposure, and maternal serum arsenic levels in the first, second trimester and average arsenic exposure level during pregnancy and cord serum arsenic level may be risk factors affecting neonatal thyroid hormones. These findings indicate that neonates are more sensitive to the thyrotoxicity of arsenic exposure even at low levels. In addition, the adverse joint toxic effect of metal mixtures is also worthy of attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmei Liang
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yan Han
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Liya Ma
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wu
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Kun Huang
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Shuangqin Yan
- Ma'anshan Maternal and Child Healthcare (MCH) Center, Ma'anshan 243011, China
| | - Zhijuan Li
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Xun Xia
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Weijun Pan
- Ma'anshan Maternal and Child Healthcare (MCH) Center, Ma'anshan 243011, China
| | - Jie Sheng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Qunan Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Shilu Tong
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; School of Public Health and Social Work and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Yunxia Cao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China.
| | - Fangbiao Tao
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China.
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Drago G, Ruggieri S, Bianchi F, Sampino S, Cibella F. Birth Cohorts in Highly Contaminated Sites: A Tool for Monitoring the Relationships Between Environmental Pollutants and Children's Health. Front Public Health 2020; 8:125. [PMID: 32411642 PMCID: PMC7198735 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.00125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Industrial areas are characterized by the dispersion of environmental stressors that could possibly have long-term detrimental effects on both human health and the environment. Environmental contamination has been indicated to be one of the major risks for reproductive health. In this context, the effects of environmental pollution on pregnant women living in heavily polluted areas is of special interest. In fact, fetal development is a crucial phase due to the dynamic interaction between the maternal/external environments and the developing organs and tissues. Moreover, following Barker's postulate of the intrauterine origin of health and disease, the events occurring in this time window could affect future health. Birth cohorts provide the most suitable design for assessing the association between early-life and possible long-term health outcomes in highly contaminated sites. By providing an assessment of the early life environment throughout the collection of biological samples, birth cohorts offer the opportunity to study in-depth several possible confounders and outcomes by means of questionnaires and follow-ups based on clinical evaluations and bio-specimen samplings. The exposome comprises the totality of exposures from conception onwards; the birth cohort approach allows the integration of the exposures as a whole, including those related to socioeconomic status, with "omics" data from biological samples collected at birth and throughout life. In the characterization of the "fetal exposome," the placenta represents a highly informative and scarcely considered organ. For this purpose, the "Neonatal Environment and Health Outcomes" (NEHO) birth cohort has been established by enrolling pregnant women residing in contaminated sites and in surrounding areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaspare Drago
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, Palermo, Italy
| | - Silvia Ruggieri
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, Palermo, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Bianchi
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvestre Sampino
- Department of Experimental Embryology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Fabio Cibella
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, Palermo, Italy
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15
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Scott-Richardson M, Ruiz MO, Smith RL. Examining the Relationship Between Low Birth Weight Occurrence and Passive Measures of Environmental Arsenic by Census Tract in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties, Florida. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INSIGHTS 2020; 14:1178630220913053. [PMID: 32341650 PMCID: PMC7169366 DOI: 10.1177/1178630220913053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic is a public health concern because of its widespread distribution and high toxicity, even when doses are small. Low birth weight (LBW) occurrence, birth weights less than 2500 g, may be associated with prenatal exposure of arsenic from environmental factors and consuming contaminated drinking water and food. The objective of this study was to examine whether mothers living in areas of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties with varying levels of background arsenic in surface soil and water were associated with the occurrence of LBW. Inverse distance weight in ArcGIS was used to interpolate arsenic concentrations from environmental samples and estimate arsenic concentrations by census tracts in the two counties. After excluding multiple births and displaced geocoding addresses, birth data were obtained for the years of 2005 (n = 5845), 2010 (n = 5569), and 2015 (n = 5770) from the Bureau of Vital Statistics at the Florida Department of Health to assess temporal differences. Generalized linear models were used to analyze and compare the association between child and maternal demographic information, socioeconomic characteristics, and the environmental estimates of arsenic with LBW. No significant association was found between environmental arsenic concentration and LBW, suggesting that environmental contamination of the pregnant mother's census tract may not be a useful proxy in assessing risk for LBW.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Scott-Richardson
- Maya Scott-Richardson, Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2001 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana, IL 61802, USA.
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16
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Tinkelman NE, Spratlen MJ, Domingo-Relloso A, Tellez-Plaza M, Grau-Perez M, Francesconi KA, Goessler W, Howard BV, MacCluer J, North KE, Umans JG, Factor-Litvak P, Cole SA, Navas-Acien A. Associations of maternal arsenic exposure with adult fasting glucose and insulin resistance in the Strong Heart Study and Strong Heart Family Study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 137:105531. [PMID: 32059145 PMCID: PMC7521956 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Experimental and prospective epidemiologic evidence suggest that arsenic exposure has diabetogenic effects. However, little is known about how family exposure to arsenic may affect risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D)-related outcomes in adulthood. We evaluated the association of both maternal and offspring arsenic exposure with fasting glucose and incident T2D in 466 participants of the Strong Heart Family Study. Total arsenic (ΣAs) exposure was calculated as the sum of inorganic arsenic (iAs) and methylated (MMA, DMA) arsenic species in maternal and offspring baseline urine. Median maternal ΣAs at baseline (1989-91) was 7.6 µg/g creatinine, while median offspring ΣAs at baseline (2001-03) was 4.5 µg/g creatinine. Median offspring glucose in 2006-2009 was 94 mg/dL, and 79 participants developed T2D. The fully adjusted mean difference (95% CI) for offspring glucose was 4.40 (-3.46, 12.26) mg/dL per IQR increase in maternal ΣAs vs. 2.72 (-4.91 to 10.34) mg/dL per IQR increase in offspring ΣAs. The fully adjusted odds ratio (95%CI) of incident T2D was 1.35 (1.07, 1.69) for an IQR increase in maternal ΣAs and 1.15 (0.92, 1.43) for offspring ΣAs. The association of maternal ΣAs with T2D outcomes were attenuated with adjustment for offspring adiposity markers. Familial exposure to arsenic, as measured in mothers 15-20 years before offspring follow-up, is associated with increased odds of offspring T2D. More research is needed to confirm findings and better understand the importance of family exposure to arsenic in adult-onset diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi E Tinkelman
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Miranda Jones Spratlen
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Arce Domingo-Relloso
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria Tellez-Plaza
- National Center of Epidemiology, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Grau-Perez
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Barbara V Howard
- Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Washington, DC, USA; MedStar Health Research Institute, Hyattsville, MD, USA
| | - Jean MacCluer
- Population Health Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Kari E North
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jason G Umans
- Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Washington, DC, USA; MedStar Health Research Institute, Hyattsville, MD, USA
| | - Pam Factor-Litvak
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shelley A Cole
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Ana Navas-Acien
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA.
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Mazurek D, Łoźna K, Bronkowska M. The concentration of selected elements in the placenta according to selected sociodemographic factors and their effect on birth mass and birth length of newborns. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2020; 58:126425. [PMID: 31735606 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2019.126425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The placenta is a remarkable organ which provides critical transport functions between the maternal and fetal circulations during pregnancy. The demand for mineral components increases during the gestational period, therefore, an appropriate intake of minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, and manganese, determines the correct growth and development of a fetus. The aim of the study was to assess the concentration of selected elements in the placenta, and to assess the impact of their concentrations on the birth weight and birth length of newborns. The second aim of the study was to assess the influence of selected sociodemographic factors on the concentration of elements in the placenta. RESULTS The study demonstrated that the age of mothers affected the concentration of Ca and Mn in the placenta, and their habit of tobacco smoking during the gestational period was associated with higher concentrations of Ca, P, K, Mg, Fe, Cu, and Cd in the placental tissue. The results also showed that concentrations of K, Fe, Zn, and Mn in the placental tissue affected birth length. Furthermore, the association was demonstrated between a higher Cd concentration in the placenta (≥ 0.0503 μg/g) and the birth anthropometric parameters of neonates. CONCLUSIONS Smoking during pregnancy and environment pollution are the factors that affects the concentration of elements in the placenta and contributes to their high accumulation in the placenta. Smoking during pregnancy causes an increased concentration of cadmium in the placenta which has negative health effects for the newborn. Women living in a big city or village had a higher concentration of cadmium in their placentas compared to women living in smaller cities. The significant influence of some elements (K, Fe, Zn, Cu and Cd) on the newborn's birth parameters was also demonstrated. The results of our research indicate the importance of the mother's lifestyle in providing the placenta with elements, which affects the growth of the fetus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominika Mazurek
- Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, ul. Chełmońskiego 37, 51-630 Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Karolina Łoźna
- Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, ul. Chełmońskiego 37, 51-630 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Monika Bronkowska
- Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, ul. Chełmońskiego 37, 51-630 Wroclaw, Poland
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18
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Han I, Whitworth KW, Zhang X, Afshar M, Berens PD, Symanski E. Characterization of urinary concentrations of heavy metals among socioeconomically disadvantaged black pregnant women. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2020; 192:200. [PMID: 32107644 PMCID: PMC7046578 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-020-8163-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to characterize exposures to metals using biological samples collected on socioeconomically disadvantaged black pregnant women. We obtained 131 anonymous urine samples provided by black pregnant women visiting a Medicaid-serving prenatal clinic in Houston, TX, from March 27, 2017 to April 11, 2017. We analyzed urine samples for 15 metals including cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and nickel (Ni) and for creatinine and cotinine. We found that median concentrations of zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), and aluminum (Al) among black pregnant women in this study were 1.5 to 3 times higher than levels reported among a cohort of well-educated non-Hispanic white pregnancy planners. We also observed elevated levels of urinary Cd and antimony (Sb) as compared with those reported for a nationally representative sample of adult women in the USA. Based on the results of an exploratory factor analysis, potential sources of metal exposures in this population may arise in home environments or be due to diet, industrial and natural sources, or traffic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inkyu Han
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, UTHealth School of Public Health, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Kristina W Whitworth
- Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, UTHealth School of Public Health in San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 77829, USA
| | - Xueying Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, UTHealth School of Public Health, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Masoud Afshar
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, UTHealth School of Public Health, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Pamela D Berens
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, UTHealth McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Elaine Symanski
- Center for Precision Environmental Health and Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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Liang C, Wu X, Huang K, Yan S, Li Z, Xia X, Pan W, Sheng J, Tao R, Tao Y, Xiang H, Hao J, Wang Q, Tong S, Tao F. Domain- and sex-specific effects of prenatal exposure to low levels of arsenic on children's development at 6 months of age: Findings from the Ma'anshan birth cohort study in China. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 135:105112. [PMID: 31881426 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between prenatal arsenic exposure at low levels and poor development in children, especially in regard to neurodevelopment, has aroused several concerns, but the conclusions have been inconsistent. It still remains unclear whether such adverse effect is associated with a specific profile of the developing brain in early life. To investigate the association between arsenic exposure in utero and children's development and behaviour, we performed a large prospective birth cohort study including 2315 mother-infant pairs in Anhui Province, China. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire of China (ASQ-C) was used to assess the status of children's development and behaviour at 6 months postpartum, and the levels of arsenic were determined in umbilical cord serum samples. Odds ratios for suspected developmental delay (SDD) in each domain of the ASQ-C clusters were estimated using logistic regression models. Compared with low arsenic levels group, medium and high arsenic levels were significantly associated with the increased risks of SDD in the personal-social domain among infants aged 6 months after adjustment for all potential confounders (OR = 1.33, 95% CI (1.01, 1.75) and OR = 1.47, 95% CI (1.08, 2.00), respectively). Sex stratification analysis demonstrated that this association was stronger in females. The sensitivity analyses also showed that high cord serum arsenic levels were associated with a 1.80-fold (95% CIs (1.12, 2.90)) higher risk of a more severe developmental delay in the personal-social domain among six-month-old females. Our results suggest that low-level arsenic exposure in utero could have an adverse domain-specific effect on children's development at 6 months of age, particularly among females. Further studies are warranted to support the findings and explore the mechanism of these domain-and sex-specific associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmei Liang
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wu
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Kun Huang
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Shuangqin Yan
- Ma'anshan Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Center, Ma'anshan, China
| | - Zhijuan Li
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xun Xia
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Weijun Pan
- Ma'anshan Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Center, Ma'anshan, China
| | - Jie Sheng
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Ruiwen Tao
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yiran Tao
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Haiyun Xiang
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Jiahu Hao
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Qunan Wang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Shilu Tong
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui, China; School of Public Health and Social Work and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Fangbiao Tao
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui, China.
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20
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Winterbottom EF, Ban Y, Sun X, Capobianco AJ, Marsit CJ, Chen X, Wang L, Karagas MR, Robbins DJ. Transcriptome-wide analysis of changes in the fetal placenta associated with prenatal arsenic exposure in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study. Environ Health 2019; 18:100. [PMID: 31752878 PMCID: PMC6868717 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-019-0535-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing evidence suggests that prenatal exposure to arsenic, even at common environmental levels, adversely affects child health. These adverse effects include impaired fetal growth, which can carry serious health implications lifelong. However, the mechanisms by which arsenic affects fetal health and development remain unclear. METHODS We addressed this question using a group of 46 pregnant women selected from the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study (NHBCS), a US cohort exposed to low-to-moderate arsenic levels in drinking water through the use of unregulated private wells. Prenatal arsenic exposure was assessed using maternal urine samples taken at mid-gestation. Samples of the fetal portion of the placenta were taken from the base of the umbilical cord insertion at the time of delivery, stored in RNAlater and frozen. We used RNA sequencing to analyze changes in global gene expression in the fetal placenta associated with in utero arsenic exposure, adjusting for maternal age. Gene set enrichment analysis and enrichment mapping were then used to identify biological processes represented by the differentially expressed genes. Since our previous analyses have identified considerable sex differences in placental gene expression associated with arsenic exposure, we analyzed male and female samples separately. RESULTS At FDR < 0.05, no genes were differentially expressed in female placenta, while 606 genes were differentially expressed in males. Genes showing the most significant associations with arsenic exposure in females were LEMD1 and UPK3B (fold changes 2.51 and 2.48), and in males, FIBIN and RANBP3L (fold changes 0.14 and 0.15). In gene set enrichment analyses, at FDR < 0.05, a total of 211 gene sets were enriched with differentially expressed genes in female placenta, and 154 in male placenta. In female but not male placenta, 103 of these gene sets were also associated with reduced birth weight. CONCLUSIONS Our results reveal multiple biological functions in the fetal placenta that are potentially affected by increased arsenic exposure, a subset of which is sex-dependent. Further, our data suggest that in female infants, the mechanisms underlying the arsenic-induced reduction of birth weight may involve activation of stress response pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily F Winterbottom
- Molecular Oncology Program, DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.
| | - Yuguang Ban
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Xiaodian Sun
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Anthony J Capobianco
- Molecular Oncology Program, DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Xi Chen
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Lily Wang
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation, John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Margaret R Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - David J Robbins
- Molecular Oncology Program, DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
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21
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Mullin AM, Amarasiriwardena C, Cantoral-Preciado A, Claus Henn B, Leon Hsu HH, Sanders AP, Svensson K, Tamayo-Ortiz M, Téllez-Rojo MM, Wright RO, Burris HH. Maternal blood arsenic levels and associations with birth weight-for-gestational age. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 177:108603. [PMID: 31357156 PMCID: PMC6737536 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 07/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Among highly exposed populations, arsenic exposure in utero may be associated with decreased birth weight, however less is known about potential effects of arsenic exposure in urban communities without contaminated sources such as drinking water. OBJECTIVE Investigate the association of blood arsenic levels with birth weight-for-gestational age categories within a prospective birth cohort study. DESIGN/METHODS We analyzed 730 mother-infant dyads within the Programming Research in Obesity, GRowth, Environment and Social Stressors (PROGRESS) cohort in Mexico City. Total arsenic was measured in maternal blood samples from the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, at delivery, as well as from infant umbilical cord blood samples. Multivariable, multinomial logistic regression models adjusting for maternal age at enrollment, pre-pregnancy body mass index, parity, infant sex, socioeconomic position, and prenatal environmental tobacco smoke exposure were used to calculate odds ratios of small-for-gestational age (<10th percentile, SGA) and large-for-gestational age (>90th percentile, LGA) compared to appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA) per unit increase of log-transformed arsenic. RESULTS Median (IQR) blood arsenic levels for maternal second trimester were 0.72 (0.33) μg/L, maternal third trimester 0.75 (0.41) μg/L, maternal at delivery 0.85 (0.70) μg/L, and infant cord 0.78 (0.65) μg/L. Maternal delivery and infant cord blood samples were most strongly correlated (spearman r = 0.65, p < 0.0001). Maternal arsenic levels at delivery were associated with significantly higher odds of both SGA (adj. OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.08-1.93) and LGA (adj. OR = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.12-3.67) compared to AGA. Results were similar for cord blood. There were 130 SGA infants and 22 LGA infants. Earlier in pregnancy, there were no significant associations of arsenic and birth weight-for-gestational age. However, we observed non-significantly higher odds of LGA among women with higher arsenic levels in the 3rd trimester (adj. OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 0.67-3.12). CONCLUSION We found that in a Mexico City birth cohort, higher maternal blood arsenic levels at delivery were associated with higher odds of both SGA and LGA. However, sources and species of arsenic were not known and the number of LGA infants was small, limiting the interpretation of this finding and highlighting the importance of future large studies to incorporate arsenic speciation. If our findings were confirmed in studies that addressed these limitations, determining modifiable factors that could be mitigated, such as sources of arsenic exposure, may be important for optimizing fetal growth to improve long-term health of children.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chitra Amarasiriwardena
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, United States
| | | | - Birgit Claus Henn
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, United States
| | - Hsiao-Hsien Leon Hsu
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, United States
| | - Alison P Sanders
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, United States
| | - Katherine Svensson
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, United States
| | - Marcela Tamayo-Ortiz
- National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico; National Council of Science and Technology, Mexico
| | - Martha M Téllez-Rojo
- National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico; National Council of Science and Technology, Mexico
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, United States
| | - Heather H Burris
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at Univ. of Pennsylvania, PA, United States.
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Altered Stool Microbiota of Infants with Cystic Fibrosis Shows a Reduction in Genera Associated with Immune Programming from Birth. J Bacteriol 2019; 201:JB.00274-19. [PMID: 31209076 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00274-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous work from our group indicated an association between the gastrointestinal microbiota of infants with cystic fibrosis (CF) and airway disease in this population. Here we report that stool microbiota of infants with CF demonstrates an altered but largely unchanging within-individual bacterial diversity (alpha diversity) over the first year of life, in contrast to the infants without CF (control cohort), which showed the expected increase in alpha diversity over the first year. The beta diversity, or between-sample diversity, of these two cohorts was significantly different over the first year of life and was statistically significantly associated with airway exacerbations, confirming our earlier findings. Compared with control infants, infants with CF had reduced levels of Bacteroides, a bacterial genus associated with immune modulation, as early as 6 weeks of life, and this significant reduction of Bacteroides spp. in the cohort with CF persisted over the entire first year of life. Only two other genera were significantly different across the first year of life: Roseburia was significantly reduced and Veillonella was significantly increased. Other genera showed differences between the two cohorts but only at selected time points. In vitro studies demonstrated that exposure of the apical face of polarized intestinal cell lines to Bacteroides species supernatants significantly reduced production of interleukin 8 (IL-8), suggesting a mechanism whereby changes in the intestinal microbiota could impact inflammation in CF. This work further establishes an association between gastrointestinal microbiota, inflammation, and airway disease in infants with CF and presents a potential opportunity for therapeutic interventions beginning in early life.IMPORTANCE There is growing evidence for a link between gastrointestinal bacterial communities and airway disease progression in CF. We demonstrate that infants with CF ≤1 year of age show a distinct stool microbiota versus that of control infants of a comparable age. We detected associations between the gut microbiome and airway exacerbation events in the cohort of infants with CF, and in vitro studies provided one possible mechanism for this observation. These data clarify that current therapeutics do not establish in infants with CF a gastrointestinal microbiota like that in healthy infants, and we suggest that interventions that direct the gastrointestinal microbiota closer to a healthy state may provide systemic benefits to these patients during a critical window of immune programming that might have implications for lifelong health.
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Sinha D, Prasad P. Health effects inflicted by chronic low-level arsenic contamination in groundwater: A global public health challenge. J Appl Toxicol 2019; 40:87-131. [PMID: 31273810 DOI: 10.1002/jat.3823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Groundwater arsenic (As) contamination is a global public health concern. The high level of As exposure (100-1000 μg/L or even higher) through groundwater has been frequently associated with serious public health hazards, e.g., skin disorders, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory problems, complications of gastrointestinal tract, liver and splenic ailments, kidney and bladder disorders, reproductive failure, neurotoxicity and cancer. However, reviews on low-level As exposure and the imperative health effects are far less documented. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has set the permissible standard of As in drinking water at 10 μg/L. Considering the WHO and USEPA guidelines, most of the developed countries have established standards at or below this guideline. Worldwide many countries including India have millions of aquifers with low-level As contamination (≤50 μg/L). The exposed population of these areas might not show any As-related skin lesions (hallmark of As toxicity particularly in a population consuming As contaminated groundwater >300 μg/L) but might be subclinically affected. This review has attempted to encompass the wide range of health effects associated with chronic low-level As exposure ≤50 μg/L and the probable mechanisms that might provide a better insight regarding the underlying cause of these clinical manifestations. Therefore, there is an urgent need to create mass awareness about the health effects of chronic low-level As exposure and planning of proper mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dona Sinha
- Receptor Biology and Tumor Metastasis, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Priyanka Prasad
- Receptor Biology and Tumor Metastasis, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India
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Litzky JF, Marsit CJ. Epigenetically regulated imprinted gene expression associated with IVF and infertility: possible influence of prenatal stress and depression. J Assist Reprod Genet 2019; 36:1299-1313. [PMID: 31127477 PMCID: PMC6642239 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-019-01483-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Despite the growing body of research implying an impact of in vitro fertilization (IVF) on imprinted genes and epigenetics, few studies have examined the effects of underlying subfertility or prenatal stress on epigenetics, particularly in terms of their role in determining infant birthweights. Both subfertility and prenatal stressors have been found to impact epigenetics and may be confounding the effect of IVF on epigenetics and imprinted genes. Like IVF, both of these exposures-infertility and prenatal stressors-have been associated with lower infant birthweights. The placenta, and specifically epigenetically regulated placental imprinted genes, provides an ideal but understudied mechanism for evaluating the relationship between underlying genetics, environmental exposures, and birthweight. METHODS AND RESULTS In this review, we discuss the impacts of IVF and infertility on birthweight, epigenetic mechanisms and genomic imprinting, and the role of these mechanisms in the IVF population and discuss the role and importance of the placenta in infant development. We then highlight recent work on the relationships between infertility, IVF, and prenatal stressors in terms of placental imprinting. CONCLUSIONS In combination, the studies discussed, as well as two recent projects of our own on placental imprinted gene expression, suggest that lower birthweights in IVF infants are secondary to a combination of exposures including the infertility and prenatal stress that couples undergoing IVF are experiencing. The work highlighted herein emphasizes the need for appropriate control populations that take infertility into account and also for consideration of prenatal psychosocial stressors as confounders and causes of variation in IVF infant outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia F Litzky
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, CNR 202, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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Curtis SW, Cobb DO, Kilaru V, Terrell ML, Marder ME, Barr DB, Marsit CJ, Marcus M, Conneely KN, Smith AK. Exposure to polybrominated biphenyl and stochastic epigenetic mutations: application of a novel epigenetic approach to environmental exposure in the Michigan polybrominated biphenyl registry. Epigenetics 2019; 14:1003-1018. [PMID: 31200609 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2019.1629232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Endocrine-disrupting compounds are associated with altered epigenetic regulation and adverse health outcomes, although inconsistent results suggest that people have varied responses to the same exposure. Interpersonal variation in response to environmental exposures is not identified using standard, population-based methods. However, methods that capture an individual's response, such as analyzing stochastic epigenetic mutations (SEMs), may capture currently missed effects of environmental exposure. To test whether polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) was associated with SEMs, DNA methylation was measured using Illumina's MethylationEPIC array in PBB-exposed individuals, and SEMs were identified. Association was tested using a linear regression with robust sandwich variance estimators, controlling for age, sex, lipids, and cell types. The number of SEMs was variable (range: 119-18,309), and positively associated with age (p = 1.23e-17), but not with sex (p = 0.97). PBBs and SEMs were only positively associated in people who were older when they were exposed (p = 0.02 vs. p = 0.91). Many subjects had SEMs enriched in biological pathways, particularly in pathways involved with xenobiotic metabolism and endocrine function. Higher number of SEMs was also associated with higher age acceleration (intrinsic: p = 1.70e-3; extrinsic: p = 3.59e-11), indicating that SEMs may be associated with age-related health problems. Finding an association between environmental contaminants and higher SEMs may provide insight into individual differences in response to environmental contaminants, as well as into the biological mechanism behind SEM formation. Furthermore, these results suggest that people may be particularly vulnerable to epigenetic dysregulation from environmental exposures as they age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah W Curtis
- a Genetics and Molecular Biology Program, Laney Graduate School, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Dawayland O Cobb
- b Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Varun Kilaru
- b Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Metrecia L Terrell
- c Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - M Elizabeth Marder
- d Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Dana Boyd Barr
- d Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- d Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Michele Marcus
- e Departments of Epidemiology, Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, and Department of Pediatrics Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Karen N Conneely
- f Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Alicia K Smith
- g Departments of Gynecology and Obstetrics & Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA
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Developmental neurotoxicity of inorganic arsenic exposure in Sprague-Dawley rats. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2019; 72:49-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2019.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Winterbottom EF, Moroishi Y, Halchenko Y, Armstrong DA, Beach PJ, Nguyen QP, Capobianco AJ, Ayad NG, Marsit CJ, Li Z, Karagas MR, Robbins DJ. Prenatal arsenic exposure alters the placental expression of multiple epigenetic regulators in a sex-dependent manner. Environ Health 2019; 18:18. [PMID: 30819207 PMCID: PMC6396530 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-019-0455-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to arsenic has been linked to a range of adverse health conditions in later life. Such fetal origins of disease are frequently the result of environmental effects on the epigenome, leading to long-term alterations in gene expression. Several studies have demonstrated effects of prenatal arsenic exposure on DNA methylation; however the impact of arsenic on the generation and decoding of post-translational histone modifications (PTHMs) is less well characterized, and has not been studied in the context of prenatal human exposures. METHODS In the current study, we examined the effect of exposure to low-to-moderate levels of arsenic in a US birth cohort, on the expression of 138 genes encoding key epigenetic regulators in the fetal portion of the placenta. Our candidate genes included readers, writers and erasers of PTHMs, and chromatin remodelers. RESULTS Arsenic exposure was associated with the expression of 27 of the 138 epigenetic genes analyzed. When the cohort was stratified by fetal sex, arsenic exposure was associated with the expression of 40 genes in male fetal placenta, and only 3 non-overlapping genes in female fetal placenta. In particular, we identified an inverse relationship between arsenic exposure and expression of the gene encoding the histone methyltransferase, PRDM6 (p < 0.001). Mutation of PRDM6 has been linked to the congenital heart defect, patent ductus arteriosus. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that prenatal arsenic exposure may have sex-specific effects on the fetal epigenome, which could plausibly contribute to its subsequent health impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily F. Winterbottom
- Molecular Oncology Program, DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Yuka Moroishi
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
| | - Yuliya Halchenko
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
| | - David A. Armstrong
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03756 USA
| | - Paul J. Beach
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
| | - Quang P. Nguyen
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
| | - Anthony J. Capobianco
- Molecular Oncology Program, DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Nagi G. Ayad
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Zhigang Li
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
| | - Margaret R. Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
| | - David J. Robbins
- Molecular Oncology Program, DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
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Curtis SW, Cobb DO, Kilaru V, Terrell ML, Kennedy EM, Marder ME, Barr DB, Marsit CJ, Marcus M, Conneely KN, Smith AK. Exposure to polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) associates with genome-wide DNA methylation differences in peripheral blood. Epigenetics 2019; 14:52-66. [PMID: 30676242 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2019.1565590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In 1973, Michigan residents were exposed to polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) when it was accidentally added to farm animal feed. Highly exposed individuals and their children have experienced endocrine-related health problems, though the underlying mechanism behind these remains unknown. We investigated whether PBB exposure is associated with variation in DNA methylation in peripheral blood samples from 658 participants of the Michigan PBB registry using the MethylationEPIC BeadChip, as well as investigated what the potential function of the affected regions are and whether these epigenetic marks are known to associate with endocrine system pathways. After multiple test correction (FDR <0.05), 1890 CpG sites associated with total PBB levels. These CpGs were not enriched in any particular biological pathway, but were enriched in enhancer and insulator regions, and depleted in regions near the transcription start site or in CpG islands (p < 0.05). They were also more likely to be in ARNT and ESR2 transcription factor binding sites (p = 3.27e-23 and p = 1.62e-6, respectively), and there was significant overlap between CpGs associated with PBB and CpGs associated with estrogen (p < 2.2e-16). PBB-associated CpGs were also enriched for CpGs known to be associated with gene expression in blood (eQTMs) (p < 0.05). These eQTMs were enriched for pathways related to immune function and endocrine-related autoimmune disease (FDR <0.05). These results indicate that exposure to PBB is associated with differences in epigenetic marks that suggest that it is acting similarly to estrogen and is associated with dysregulated immune system pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah W Curtis
- a Genetics and Molecular Biology Program, Laney Graduate SchoolLaney Graduate School , Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Dawayland O Cobb
- b Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Varun Kilaru
- b Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Metrecia L Terrell
- c Department of Epidemiology , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Elizabeth M Kennedy
- d Department of Environmental Health , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - M Elizabeth Marder
- d Department of Environmental Health , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Dana Boyd Barr
- d Department of Environmental Health , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- d Department of Environmental Health , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Michele Marcus
- e Departments of Epidemiology, Environmental Health , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health , Atlanta , GA , USA.,f Department of Pediatrics , Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Karen N Conneely
- g Department of Human Genetics , Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Alicia K Smith
- a Genetics and Molecular Biology Program, Laney Graduate SchoolLaney Graduate School , Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA.,b Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA.,h Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science , Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA
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He X, Karagas MR, Murray C. Impact of receipt of private well arsenic test results on maternal use of contaminated drinking water in a U.S. population. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 643:1005-1012. [PMID: 30189517 PMCID: PMC8601766 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to inorganic arsenic in drinking water has known cancer and non-cancer health effects. However, no prior studies have addressed response to well water testing for arsenic during pregnancy, a time of known heightened risk perception. Using a US pregnancy cohort, we assessed the impact of receiving well water arsenic test results on subsequent use of arsenic-contaminated tap water. Study participants were 24-28 weeks' gestation at study entry and reported living in a residence served by a private, unregulated well. Upon enrollment participants provided a tap water sample which was tested for arsenic using ICP-MS. During pregnancy and every four months after, participants were asked their extent of tap water use for drinking, cooking and mixing infant formula. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds of tap water use at one year post-partum in relation to baseline tap water use and arsenic concentration. Compared to those who used tap water <50% of the time, mothers who reported using tap water for drinking and cooking >50% of time in their prenatal questionnaire had 8.54 times the odds of using their tap water at 1-year postpartum (95% CI: 5.37, 13.60). After adjusting for frequency of prenatal tap water use, mothers were less likely to use tap water for drinking and cooking (OR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.19, 0.60) and for mixing formula (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.86) if the high arsenic concentration (>10 μg/L) was known to them. Our findings suggest that providing well water test results during pregnancy may reduce subsequent maternal use of iAs contaminated tap water for drinking, cooking, and mixing infant formula. Public health implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei He
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA.
| | - Margaret R Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine and Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA.
| | - Carolyn Murray
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Departments of Medicine and Community and Family Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine and Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA.
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Bozack AK, Cardenas A, Quamruzzaman Q, Rahman M, Mostofa G, Christiani DC, Kile ML. DNA methylation in cord blood as mediator of the association between prenatal arsenic exposure and gestational age. Epigenetics 2018; 13:923-940. [PMID: 30175652 PMCID: PMC6284783 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2018.1516453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal arsenic exposure is associated with adverse birth outcomes and disease risk later in life, which could be mediated through epigenetic dysregulation. We evaluated the association between arsenic and gestational age (GA) that was mediated through DNA methylation (DNAm) using data from a Bangladeshi birth cohort. Arsenic exposure was measured in maternal drinking water at ≤16 weeks GA and maternal toenails collected ≤1 month postpartum. Cord blood DNAm was measured using Infinium HumanMethylation450 arrays (n = 44, discovery phase). Top loci identified in the discovery phase were then pyrosequenced in a second group (n = 569, validation phase). Structural equation models (SEM) evaluated the direct and indirect effects of arsenic and DNAm on GA. In the discovery phase, arsenic was associated with differential DNAm of 139 loci that were associated with GA (P < 1.10X10-6; |β regression|>0.10). Each doubling in water arsenic concentration decreased GA by 2 days, which was fully mediated through the main principal component of the top-ten CpGs (P < 0.001). In the validation phase, there were direct and indirect effects of miR214-3 and MCC DNAm on GA. In an adjusted SEM model, mediation of the association between arsenic and GA by miR124-3 was borderline significant (P = 0.061). This study therefore identified DNAm at specific loci in cord blood that mediated the effect of arsenic exposure on GA. Specifically, prenatal arsenic exposure was associated with lower methylation of miR124-3 that mediated the exposure-response of arsenic on GA. Future research should evaluate if these epigenetic changes are persistent and associated with disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne K. Bozack
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andres Cardenas
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | - David C. Christiani
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Molly L. Kile
- School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
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Schiffman C, McHale CM, Hubbard AE, Zhang L, Thomas R, Vermeulen R, Li G, Shen M, Rappaport SM, Yin S, Lan Q, Smith MT, Rothman N. Identification of gene expression predictors of occupational benzene exposure. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205427. [PMID: 30300410 PMCID: PMC6177191 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previously, using microarrays and mRNA-Sequencing (mRNA-Seq) we found that occupational exposure to a range of benzene levels perturbed gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. OBJECTIVES In the current study, we sought to identify gene expression biomarkers predictive of benzene exposure below 1 part per million (ppm), the occupational standard in the U.S. METHODS First, we used the nCounter platform to validate altered expression of 30 genes in 33 unexposed controls and 57 subjects exposed to benzene (<1 to ≥5 ppm). Second, we used SuperLearner (SL) to identify a minimal number of genes for which altered expression could predict <1 ppm benzene exposure, in 44 subjects with a mean air benzene level of 0.55±0.248 ppm (minimum 0.203ppm). RESULTS nCounter and microarray expression levels were highly correlated (coefficients >0.7, p<0.05) for 26 microarray-selected genes. nCounter and mRNA-Seq levels were poorly correlated for 4 mRNA-Seq-selected genes. Using negative binomial regression with adjustment for covariates and multiple testing, we confirmed differential expression of 23 microarray-selected genes in the entire benzene-exposed group, and 27 genes in the <1 ppm-exposed subgroup, compared with the control group. Using SL, we identified 3 pairs of genes that could predict <1 ppm benzene exposure with cross-validated AUC estimates >0.9 (p<0.0001) and were not predictive of other exposures (nickel, arsenic, smoking, stress). The predictive gene pairs are PRG2/CLEC5A, NFKBI/CLEC5A, and ACSL1/CLEC5A. They play roles in innate immunity and inflammatory responses. CONCLUSIONS Using nCounter and SL, we validated the altered expression of multiple mRNAs by benzene and identified gene pairs predictive of exposure to benzene at levels below the US occupational standard of 1ppm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Schiffman
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Cliona M. McHale
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Alan E. Hubbard
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Luoping Zhang
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Reuben Thomas
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Roel Vermeulen
- Institute of Risk assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Guilan Li
- Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Min Shen
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Stephen M. Rappaport
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Songnian Yin
- Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Lan
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Martyn T. Smith
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Nathaniel Rothman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
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32
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Hoen AG, Madan JC, Li Z, Coker M, Lundgren SN, Morrison HG, Palys T, Jackson BP, Sogin ML, Cottingham KL, Karagas MR. Sex-specific associations of infants' gut microbiome with arsenic exposure in a US population. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12627. [PMID: 30135504 PMCID: PMC6105615 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30581-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Arsenic is a ubiquitous environmental toxicant with antimicrobial properties that can be found in food and drinking water. The influence of arsenic exposure on the composition of the human microbiome in US populations remains unknown, particularly during the vulnerable infant period. We investigated the relationship between arsenic exposure and gut microbiome composition in 204 infants prospectively followed as part of the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study. Infant urine was analyzed for total arsenic concentration using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Stool microbiome composition was determined using sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Infant urinary arsenic related to gut microbiome composition at 6 weeks of life (p = 0.05, adjusted for infant feeding type and urine specific gravity). Eight genera, six within the phylum Firmicutes, were enriched with higher arsenic exposure. Fifteen genera were negatively associated with urinary arsenic concentration, including Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium. Upon stratification by both sex and feeding method, we found detectable associations among formula-fed males (p = 0.008), but not other groups (p > 0.05 for formula-fed females and for breastfed males and females). Our findings from a US population indicate that even moderate arsenic exposure may have meaningful, sex-specific effects on the gut microbiome during a critical window of infant development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne G Hoen
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA.
- Children's Environmental Health & Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA.
| | - Juliette C Madan
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Children's Environmental Health & Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Zhigang Li
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Modupe Coker
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Sara N Lundgren
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Hilary G Morrison
- Josephine Bay Paul Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Thomas Palys
- Children's Environmental Health & Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Brian P Jackson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Mitchell L Sogin
- Josephine Bay Paul Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kathryn L Cottingham
- Children's Environmental Health & Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Margaret R Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Children's Environmental Health & Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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Exposure to Arsenite in CD-1 Mice during Juvenile and Adult Stages: Effects on Intestinal Microbiota and Gut-Associated Immune Status. mBio 2018; 9:mBio.01418-18. [PMID: 30108172 PMCID: PMC6094480 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01418-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Intestinal microbiota composition and gut-associated immune response can contribute to the toxicity of arsenic. We investigated the potential toxicity of short-term arsenic exposure on gut microbiome composition, intestinal immune status, microbial arsenic resistance gene, and arsenic metabolic profiles in adult and developmental stages of CD-1 mice. The potential toxicity of arsenite [As(III)] was determined for two life stages: (i) adult animals at 24 or 48 h after single gavage (0.05 mg/kg body weight [b.w.] [low dose], 0.1 mg/kg b.w. [medium dose], and 0.2 mg/kg b.w. [high dose]) and repeated exposure at 1 mg/liter for 8 days and (ii) postnatal day 10 (PND10) and PND21 after single gavage (0.05 mg/kg b.w.). Dose- and time-dependent responses in bacterial recovery/microbial composition were observed in adults after a single gavage. Repeated exposure caused a transient decrease in the recovery of intestinal bacteria, a shift in the bacterial population with abundance of arsenic resistance genes, and evidence for host metabolism of arsenite into less-reactive trivalent methylated species. Arsenic exposure in adult animals induced high levels of CC chemokines and of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine secretion in intestine. Arsenic exposure at PND21 resulted in the development of distinct bacterial populations. Results of this study highlight significant changes in the intestinal microbiome and gut-associated immune status during a single or repeated exposure to arsenic in juvenile and adult animals. The data warrant investigation of the long-term effects of oral arsenic exposure on the microbiome and of immune system development and responses.IMPORTANCE Transformation of organic arsenic to toxic inorganic arsenic (iAs) is likely carried out by intestinal bacteria, and iAs may alter the viability of certain microbial populations. This study addressed the impact of arsenic exposure on intestinal microbiota diversity and host gut-associated immune mediators during early development or adulthood using scenarios of acute or repeated doses. During acute arsenic exposure, animals developed defense functions characterized by higher abundances of bacteria that are involved in arsenic resistance or detoxification mechanisms. Arsenite had a negative effect on the abundance of bacterial species that are involved in the conversion of protein to butyrate, which is an alternative energy source in the intestine. The intestinal mucosal immune cytokine profile reflected a mechanism of protection from arsenic toxicity.
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Liu H, Lu S, Zhang B, Xia W, Liu W, Peng Y, Zhang H, Wu K, Xu S, Li Y. Maternal arsenic exposure and birth outcomes: A birth cohort study in Wuhan, China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 236:817-823. [PMID: 29462776 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Maternal arsenic exposure leads to adverse birth outcomes, but the critical window of this susceptibility keeps unclear. To determine whether the associations between maternal arsenic exposure and birth outcomes were trimester-specific, we conducted a birth cohort study of 1390 women from 2014 to 2016 in Wuhan, China. We examined associations between total urinary arsenic concentrations in three trimesters and birth weight, birth length and the risk of small for gestational age (SGA), and the differences of these associations across trimesters using generalized estimating equations. Maternal urinary arsenic concentrations varied across trimesters and were weakly correlated. Arsenic concentrations in the 3rd trimester, but not in the 1st and 2nd trimesters, were associated with birth outcomes. For each doubling of arsenic levels in the 3rd trimester, birth weight was decreased 24.27 g (95% confidence interval (CI): -46.99, -1.55), birth length was decreased 0.13 cm (95% CI: -0.22, -0.04), and the risk for SGA birth was increased 25% (95% CI: 1.03, 1.49). Further, stratified analyses indicated that these associations were only observed in female infants. Our findings indicate maternal arsenic levels in the 3rd trimester seemed to have significant impacts on birth outcomes, and also emphasize the public health interventions relevance to arsenic exposure in late pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxiu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (HUST), Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shi Lu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Wuhan Medical and Health Center for Women and Children, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Wei Xia
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (HUST), Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Wenyu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (HUST), Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yang Peng
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (HUST), Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | | | - Kangbing Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shunqing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (HUST), Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (HUST), Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
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Laine JE, Fry RC. A Systems Toxicology-based Approach Reveals Biological Pathways Dysregulated by Prenatal Arsenic Exposure. Ann Glob Health 2018; 82:189-96. [PMID: 27325076 PMCID: PMC4989910 DOI: 10.1016/j.aogh.2016.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) is associated with dysregulated fetal gene and protein expression. Potential biological mechanisms that underlie these changes include, but are not limited to, changes to the epigenome. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to identify whether the expression of key genes, proteins, or both and their associated biological pathways are perturbed by compiling datasets from studies on prenatal arsenic exposure. METHODS We compiled datasets from 12 studies that analyzed the relationship between prenatal iAs exposure and changes to the fetal epigenome (5-methyl cytosine), transcriptome (mRNA expression), and/or proteome (protein expression). FINDINGS Across the 12 studies, a set of 845 unique genes was identified and found to enrich for their role in biological pathways, including the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor, and the glucocorticoid receptor. Tumor necrosis factor was identified as a putative cellular regulator underlying most (n = 277) of the identified iAs-associated gene or protein expression changes. CONCLUSIONS The identification of the common set of genes across numerous human cohorts suggests a conserved biological response to prenatal arsenic exposure. The genes/proteins and their associated pathways may be useful in future mechanistic investigations of iAs associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Laine
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
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Rahman ML, Valeri L, Kile ML, Mazumdar M, Mostofa G, Qamruzzaman Q, Rahman M, Baccarelli A, Liang L, Hauser R, Christiani DC. Investigating causal relation between prenatal arsenic exposure and birthweight: Are smaller infants more susceptible? ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2017; 108:32-40. [PMID: 28787626 PMCID: PMC5623127 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2017.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 06/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/30/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Shortening of gestation and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) are the two main determinants of birthweight. Low birthweight has been linked with prenatal arsenic exposure, but the causal relation between arsenic and birthweight is not well understood. OBJECTIVES We applied a quantile causal mediation analysis approach to determine the association between prenatal arsenic exposure and birthweight in relation to shortening of gestation and IUGR, and whether the susceptibility of arsenic exposure varies by infant birth sizes. METHODS In a longitudinal birth cohort in Bangladesh, we measured arsenic in drinking water (n=1182) collected at enrollment and maternal toenails (n=1104) collected ≤1-month postpartum using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Gestational age was determined using ultrasound at ≤16weeks' gestation. Demographic information was collected using a structured questionnaire. RESULTS Of 1184 singleton livebirths, 16.4% (n=194) were low birthweight (<2500g), 21.9% (n=259) preterm (<37weeks' gestation), and 9.2% (n=109) both low birthweight and preterm. The median concentrations of arsenic in drinking water and maternal toenails were 2.2μg/L (range: below the level of detection [LOD]-1400) and 1.2μg/g (range: <LOD-46.6), respectively. Prenatal arsenic exposure was negatively associated with birthweight, where the magnitude of the association varied across birthweight percentiles. The effect of arsenic on birthweight mediated via shortening of gestation affected all infants irrespective of birth sizes (β range: 10th percentile=-19.7g [95% CI: -26.7, -13.3] to 90th percentile=-10.9g [95% CI: -18.5, -5.9] per natural log water arsenic increase), whereas the effect via pathways independent of gestational age affected only the smaller infants (β range: 10th percentile=-28.0g [95% CI: -43.8, -9.9] to 20th percentile=-14.9g [95% CI: -30.3, -1.7] per natural log water arsenic increase). Similar pattern was observed for maternal toenail arsenic. CONCLUSIONS The susceptibility of prenatal arsenic exposure varied by infant birth sizes, placing smaller infants at greater risk of lower birthweight by shortening of gestation and possibly growth restriction. It is important to mitigate prenatal arsenic exposure to improve perinatal outcomes in Bangladesh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad L Rahman
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Linda Valeri
- McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Molly L Kile
- Oregon State University, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Maitreyi Mazumdar
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Andrea Baccarelli
- Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Liming Liang
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Russ Hauser
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David C Christiani
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Boston, MA, USA.
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Almberg KS, Turyk ME, Jones RM, Rankin K, Freels S, Graber JM, Stayner LT. Arsenic in drinking water and adverse birth outcomes in Ohio. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 157:52-59. [PMID: 28521257 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Revised: 04/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Arsenic in drinking water has been associated with adverse reproductive outcomes in areas with high levels of naturally occurring arsenic. Less is known about the reproductive effects of arsenic at lower levels. OBJECTIVES This research examined the association between low-level arsenic in drinking water and small for gestational age (SGA), term low birth weight (term LBW), very low birth weight (VLBW), preterm birth (PTB), and very preterm birth (VPTB) in the state of Ohio. METHODS Exposure was defined as the mean annual arsenic concentration in drinking water in each county in Ohio from 2006 to 2008 using Safe Drinking Water Information System data. Birth outcomes were ascertained from the birth certificate records of 428,804 births in Ohio from the same time period. Multivariable generalized estimating equation logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between arsenic and each birth outcome separately. Sensitivity analyses were performed to examine the roles of private well use and prenatal care utilization in these associations. RESULTS Arsenic in drinking water was associated with increased odds of VLBW (AOR 1.14 per µg/L increase; 95% CI 1.04, 1.24) and PTB (AOR 1.10; 95% CI 1.06, 1.15) among singleton births in counties where <10% of the population used private wells. No significant association was observed between arsenic and SGA, or VPTB, but a suggestive association was observed between arsenic and term LBW. CONCLUSIONS Arsenic in drinking water was positively associated with VLBW and PTB in a population where nearly all (>99%) of the population was exposed under the current maximum contaminant level of 10µg/L. Current regulatory standards may not be protective against reproductive effects of prenatal exposure to arsenic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten S Almberg
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, 1603 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60607, USA.
| | - Mary E Turyk
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, 1603 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60607, USA.
| | - Rachael M Jones
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Division, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, 2121 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
| | - Kristin Rankin
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, 1603 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60607, USA.
| | - Sally Freels
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, 1603 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60607, USA.
| | - Judith M Graber
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, 1603 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60607, USA; Epidemiology Department, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, School of Public Health, 683 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States.
| | - Leslie T Stayner
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, 1603 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60607, USA.
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Winterbottom EF, Koestler DC, Fei DL, Wika E, Capobianco AJ, Marsit CJ, Karagas MR, Robbins DJ. The aquaglyceroporin AQP9 contributes to the sex-specific effects of in utero arsenic exposure on placental gene expression. Environ Health 2017; 16:59. [PMID: 28615018 PMCID: PMC5471920 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-017-0267-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex-specific factors play a major role in human health and disease, including responses to environmental stresses such as toxicant exposure. Increasing evidence suggests that such sex differences also exist during fetal development. In a previous report using the resources of the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study (NHBCS), we found that low-to-moderate in utero exposure to arsenic, a highly toxic and widespread pollutant, was associated with altered expression of several key developmental genes in the fetal portion of the placenta. These associations were sex-dependent, suggesting that in utero arsenic exposure differentially impacts male and female fetuses. In the present study, we investigated the molecular basis for these sex-specific responses to arsenic. METHODS Using NanoString technology, we further analyzed the fetal placenta samples from the NHBCS for the expression of genes encoding arsenic transporters and metabolic enzymes. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to examine their relationship with arsenic exposure and with key developmental genes, after stratification by fetal sex. RESULTS We found that maternal arsenic exposure was strongly associated with expression of the AQP9 gene, encoding an aquaglyceroporin transporter, in female but not male fetal placenta. Moreover, AQP9 expression associated with that of a subset of female-specific arsenic-responsive genes. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that AQP9 is upregulated in response to arsenic exposure in female, but not male, fetal placenta. Based on these results and prior studies, increased AQP9 expression may lead to increased arsenic transport in the female fetal placenta, which in turn may alter the expression patterns of key developmental genes that we have previously shown to be associated with arsenic exposure. Thus, this study suggests that AQP9 may play a role in the sex-specific effects of in utero arsenic exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily F. Winterbottom
- Molecular Oncology Program, DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Devin C. Koestler
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA
| | - Dennis Liang Fei
- Molecular Oncology Program, DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- Current address: Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Eric Wika
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA
| | - Anthony J. Capobianco
- Molecular Oncology Program, DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Margaret R. Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
| | - David J. Robbins
- Molecular Oncology Program, DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
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Luo Y, McCullough LE, Tzeng JY, Darrah T, Vengosh A, Maguire RL, Maity A, Samuel-Hodge C, Murphy SK, Mendez MA, Hoyo C. Maternal blood cadmium, lead and arsenic levels, nutrient combinations, and offspring birthweight. BMC Public Health 2017; 17:354. [PMID: 28438148 PMCID: PMC5402649 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-017-4225-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) are common environmental contaminants that have been associated with lower birthweight. Although some essential metals may mitigate exposure, data are inconsistent. This study sought to evaluate the relationship between toxic metals, nutrient combinations and birthweight among 275 mother-child pairs. Methods Non-essential metals, Cd, Pb, As, and essential metals, iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), copper (Cu), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and manganese (Mn) were measured in maternal whole blood obtained during the first trimester using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Folate concentrations were measured by microbial assay. Birthweight was obtained from medical records. We used quantile regression to evaluate the association between toxic metals and nutrients due to their underlying wedge-shaped relationship. Ordinary linear regression was used to evaluate associations between birth weight and toxic metals. Results After multivariate adjustment, the negative association between Pb or Cd and a combination of Fe, Se, Ca and folate was robust, persistent and dose-dependent (p < 0.05). However, a combination of Zn, Cu, Mn and Mg was positively associated with Pb and Cd levels. While prenatal blood Cd and Pb were also associated with lower birthweight. Fe, Se, Ca and folate did not modify these associations. Conclusion Small sample size and cross-sectional design notwithstanding, the robust and persistent negative associations between some, but not all, nutrient combinations with these ubiquitous environmental contaminants suggest that only some recommended nutrient combinations may mitigate toxic metal exposure in chronically exposed populations. Larger longitudinal studies are required to confirm these findings. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4225-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Luo
- Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | | | - Jung-Ying Tzeng
- Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA. .,Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA. .,Department of Statistics, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
| | - Thomas Darrah
- School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Avner Vengosh
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Rachel L Maguire
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27533, USA
| | - Arnab Maity
- Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | - Cathrine Hoyo
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27533, USA.
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Laine JE, Bailey KA, Olshan AF, Smeester L, Drobná Z, Stýblo M, Douillet C, García-Vargas G, Rubio-Andrade M, Pathmasiri W, McRitchie S, Sumner SJ, Fry RC. Neonatal Metabolomic Profiles Related to Prenatal Arsenic Exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:625-633. [PMID: 27997141 PMCID: PMC5460981 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b04374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal inorganic arsenic (iAs) exposure is associated with health effects evident at birth and later in life. An understanding of the relationship between prenatal iAs exposure and alterations in the neonatal metabolome could reveal critical molecular modifications, potentially underpinning disease etiologies. In this study, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-based metabolomic analysis was used to identify metabolites in neonate cord serum associated with prenatal iAs exposure in participants from the Biomarkers of Exposure to ARsenic (BEAR) pregnancy cohort, in Gómez Palacio, Mexico. Through multivariable linear regression, ten cord serum metabolites were identified as significantly associated with total urinary iAs and/or iAs metabolites, measured as %iAs, %monomethylated arsenicals (MMAs), and %dimethylated arsenicals (DMAs). A total of 17 metabolites were identified as significantly associated with total iAs and/or iAs metabolites in cord serum. These metabolites are indicative of changes in important biochemical pathways such as vitamin metabolism, the citric acid (TCA) cycle, and amino acid metabolism. These data highlight that maternal biotransformation of iAs and neonatal levels of iAs and its metabolites are associated with differences in neonate cord metabolomic profiles. The results demonstrate the potential utility of metabolites as biomarkers/indicators of in utero environmental exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E. Laine
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Kathryn A. Bailey
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Andrew F. Olshan
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Lisa Smeester
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Zuzana Drobná
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Miroslav Stýblo
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Christelle Douillet
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Gonzalo García-Vargas
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Juarez del Estado de Durango, Gómez Palacio, Durango 35050, Mexico
| | - Marisela Rubio-Andrade
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Juarez del Estado de Durango, Gómez Palacio, Durango 35050, Mexico
| | - Wimal Pathmasiri
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Susan McRitchie
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Susan J. Sumner
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Rebecca C. Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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McCollum CW, Conde-Vancells J, Hans C, Vazquez-Chantada M, Kleinstreuer N, Tal T, Knudsen T, Shah SS, Merchant FA, Finnell RH, Gustafsson JÅ, Cabrera R, Bondesson M. Identification of vascular disruptor compounds by analysis in zebrafish embryos and mouse embryonic endothelial cells. Reprod Toxicol 2016; 70:60-69. [PMID: 27838387 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2016.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
To identify vascular disruptor compounds (VDCs), this study utilized an in vivo zebrafish embryo vascular model in conjunction with a mouse endothelial cell model to screen a subset of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ToxCast Phase I chemical inventory. In zebrafish, 161 compounds were screened and 34 were identified by visual inspection as VDCs, of which 28 were confirmed as VDCs by quantitative image analysis. Testing of the zebrafish VDCs for their capacity to inhibit endothelial tube formation in the murine yolk-sac-derived endothelial cell line C166 identified 22 compounds that both disrupted zebrafish vascular development and murine endothelial in vitro tubulogenesis. Putative molecular targets for the VDCs were predicted using EPA's Toxicological Prioritization Index tool and a VDC signature based on a proposed adverse outcome pathway for developmental vascular toxicity. In conclusion, our screening approach identified 22 novel VDCs, some of which were active at nanomolar concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine W McCollum
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Javier Conde-Vancells
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Charu Hans
- Department of Computer Science, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Mercedes Vazquez-Chantada
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | | | | | | | - Shishir S Shah
- Department of Computer Science, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Fatima A Merchant
- Department of Computer Science, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA; Department of Engineering Technology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Richard H Finnell
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Jan-Åke Gustafsson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA; Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Novum, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Robert Cabrera
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Maria Bondesson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA; Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
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Kurzius-Spencer M, Harris RB, Hartz V, Roberge J, Hsu CH, O’Rourke MK, Burgess JL. Relation of dietary inorganic arsenic to serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) at different threshold concentrations of tap water arsenic. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2016; 26:445-51. [PMID: 25605447 PMCID: PMC4698357 DOI: 10.1038/jes.2014.92] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2014] [Revised: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 11/13/2014] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic (As) exposure is associated with cancer, lung and cardiovascular disease, yet the mechanisms involved are not clearly understood. Elevated matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) levels are also associated with these diseases, as well as with exposure to water As. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of dietary components of inorganic As (iAs) intake on serum MMP-9 concentration at differing levels of tap water As. In a cross-sectional study of 214 adults, dietary iAs intake was estimated from 24-h dietary recall interviews using published iAs residue data; drinking and cooking water As intake from water samples and consumption data. Aggregate iAs intake (food plus water) was associated with elevated serum MMP-9 in mixed model regression, with and without adjustment for covariates. In models stratified by tap water As, aggregate intake was a significant positive predictor of serum MMP-9 in subjects exposed to water As≤10 μg/l. Inorganic As from food alone was associated with serum MMP-9 in subjects exposed to tap water As≤3 μg/l. Exposure to iAs from food and water combined, in areas where tap water As concentration is ≤10 μg/l, may contribute to As-induced changes in a biomarker associated with toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Kurzius-Spencer
- University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- University of Arizona, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Robin B. Harris
- University of Arizona, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- University of Arizona, Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Vern Hartz
- University of Arizona, Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Jason Roberge
- Carolinas Healthcare System, Dickson Advanced Analytics Group, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
| | - Chiu-Hsieh Hsu
- University of Arizona, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- University of Arizona, Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Mary Kay O’Rourke
- University of Arizona, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Jefferey L. Burgess
- University of Arizona, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona, USA
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Gilbert-Diamond D, Emond JA, Baker ER, Korrick SA, Karagas MR. Relation between in Utero Arsenic Exposure and Birth Outcomes in a Cohort of Mothers and Their Newborns from New Hampshire. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2016; 124:1299-307. [PMID: 26955061 PMCID: PMC4977046 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1510065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Revised: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies suggest that arsenic exposure influences birth outcomes; however, findings are mixed. OBJECTIVE We assessed in utero arsenic exposure in relation to birth outcomes and whether maternal prepregnancy weight and infant sex modified the associations. METHODS Among 706 mother-infant pairs exposed to low levels of arsenic through drinking water and diet, we assessed in utero arsenic exposure using maternal second-trimester urinary arsenic, maternal prepregnancy weight through self-report, and birth outcomes from medical records. RESULTS Median (interquartile range) of total urinary arsenic [tAs; inorganic arsenic (iAs) + monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) + dimethylarsinic acid (DMA)] was 3.4 μg/L (1.7-6.0). In adjusted linear models, each doubling of tAs was associated with a 0.10-cm decrease (95% CI: -0.19, -0.01) in head circumference. Results were similar for MMA and DMA. Ln(tAs) and ln(DMA) were positively associated with birth length in infant males only; among males, each doubling of tAs was associated with a 0.28-cm increase (95% CI: 0.09, 0.46) in birth length (pinteraction = 0.04). Results were similar for DMA. Additionally, arsenic exposure was inversely related to ponderal index, and associations differed by maternal weight. Each ln(tAs) doubling of tAs was associated with a 0.55-kg/m3 lower (95% CI: -0.82, -0.28, p < 0.001) ponderal index for infants of overweight/obese, but not normal-weight, mothers (pinteraction < 0.01). Finally, there was a significant interaction between maternal weight status, infant sex, and arsenic exposure on birth weight (pinteraction = 0.03). In girls born of overweight/obese mothers, each doubling of tAs was associated with a 62.9-g decrease (95% CI: -111.6, -14.2) in birth weight, though the association was null in the other strata. CONCLUSIONS Low-level arsenic exposure may affect fetal growth, and the associations may be modified by maternal weight status and infant sex. CITATION Gilbert-Diamond D, Emond JA, Baker ER, Korrick SA, Karagas MR. 2016. Relation between in utero arsenic exposure and birth outcomes in a cohort of mothers and their newborns from New Hampshire. Environ Health Perspect 124:1299-1307; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1510065.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane Gilbert-Diamond
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Emond
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Emily R. Baker
- Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Susan A. Korrick
- Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Margaret R. Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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Henn BC, Ettinger AS, Hopkins MR, Jim R, Amarasiriwardena C, Christiani DC, Coull BA, Bellinger DC, Wright RO. Prenatal Arsenic Exposure and Birth Outcomes among a Population Residing near a Mining-Related Superfund Site. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2016; 124:1308-15. [PMID: 26859631 PMCID: PMC4977047 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1510070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Revised: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Limited epidemiologic data exist on prenatal arsenic exposure and fetal growth, particularly in the context of co-exposure to other toxic metals. OBJECTIVE We examined whether prenatal arsenic exposure predicts birth outcomes among a rural U.S. population, while adjusting for exposure to lead and manganese. METHODS We collected maternal and umbilical cord blood samples at delivery from 622 mother-infant pairs residing near a mining-related Superfund site in Northeast Oklahoma. Whole blood arsenic, lead, and manganese were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We modeled associations between arsenic concentrations and birth weight, gestational age, head circumference, and birth weight for gestational age. RESULTS Median (25th-75th percentile) maternal and umbilical cord blood metal concentrations, respectively, were as follows: arsenic, 1.4 (1.0-2.3) and 2.4 (1.8-3.3) μg/L; lead, 0.6 (0.4-0.9) and 0.4 (0.3-0.6) μg/dL; manganese, 22.7 (18.8-29.3) and 41.7 (32.2-50.4) μg/L. We estimated negative associations between maternal blood arsenic concentrations and birth outcomes. In multivariable regression models adjusted for lead and manganese, an interquartile range increase in maternal blood arsenic was associated with -77.5 g (95% CI: -127.8, -27.3) birth weight, -0.13 weeks (95% CI: -0.27, 0.01) gestation, -0.22 cm (95% CI: -0.42, -0.03) head circumference, and -0.14 (95% CI: -0.24, -0.04) birth weight for gestational age z-score units. Interactions between arsenic concentrations and lead or manganese were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS In a population with environmental exposure levels similar to the U.S. general population, maternal blood arsenic was negatively associated with fetal growth. Given the potential for relatively common fetal and early childhood arsenic exposures, our finding that prenatal arsenic can adversely affect birth outcomes is of considerable public health importance. CITATION Claus Henn B, Ettinger AS, Hopkins MR, Jim R, Amarasiriwardena C, Christiani DC, Coull BA, Bellinger DC, Wright RO. 2016. Prenatal arsenic exposure and birth outcomes among a population residing near a mining-related Superfund site. Environ Health Perspect 124:1308-1315; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1510070.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Claus Henn
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Address correspondence to B. Claus Henn, Boston University School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, 715 Albany St., Boston, MA 02118 USA. Telephone: (617) 638-4653.
| | - Adrienne S. Ettinger
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Marianne R. Hopkins
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rebecca Jim
- Local Environmental Action Demanded (L.E.A.D.) Agency, Inc., Vinita, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Chitra Amarasiriwardena
- Division of Environmental Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - David C. Christiani
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brent A. Coull
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David C. Bellinger
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, and
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Robert O. Wright
- Division of Environmental Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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Karagas MR, Punshon T, Sayarath V, Jackson BP, Folt CL, Cottingham KL. Association of Rice and Rice-Product Consumption With Arsenic Exposure Early in Life. JAMA Pediatr 2016; 170:609-16. [PMID: 27111102 PMCID: PMC5215769 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2016.0120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Rice-a typical first food and major ingredient in various infant foods-contains inorganic arsenic (As), but the extent of As exposure from these foods has not been well characterized in early childhood. OBJECTIVE To determine the types and frequency of rice and rice-containing products consumed by infants in the first year of life and the association with As biomarker concentrations. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Included were infants from singleton births of pregnant women enrolled in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study from 2011 to 2014 whose parents were interviewed during their first year of life. Enrolled women from selected clinics were aged 18 to 45 years, living in the same residence since their last menstrual period, in households served by a private water system, and had no plans to move during pregnancy. Data on infants' intake of rice and rice products were collected from interviews with their parents at 4, 8, and 12 months' follow-up and from a 3-day food diary at 12 months from March 2013 to August 2014. EXPOSURES Infants' intake of rice and rice products. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Total urinary As and the sum of As species measured using inductively coupled mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography with inductively coupled mass spectrometry. Commonly reported infant rice snacks were tested for As. RESULTS We obtained dietary data on 759 of 951 infants (79.8% participation rate). Of these, 391 infants (51.7%) were male, and the mean (SD) gestational age was 39.4 (1.7) weeks. An estimated 80% were introduced to rice cereal during their first year. At 12 months, 32.6% of infants (42 of 129) were fed rice snacks. Among infants aged 12 months who did not eat fish or seafood, the geometric mean total urinary As concentrations were higher among those who ate infant rice cereal (9.53 µg/L) or rice snacks (4.97 µg/L) compared with those who did not eat rice or rice products (2.85 µg/L; all P < .01). Infant rice snacks contained between 36 and 568 ng/g of As and 5 to 201 ng/g of inorganic As. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Our findings indicate that intake of rice cereal and other rice-containing foods, such as rice snacks, contribute to infants' As exposure and suggest that efforts should be made to reduce As exposure during this critical phase of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret R Karagas
- Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire2Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, New Hampshire
| | - Tracy Punshon
- Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire3Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - Vicki Sayarath
- Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire2Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, New Hampshire
| | - Brian P Jackson
- Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire4Trace Element Analysis Core Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - Carol L Folt
- Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire3Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire5University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Kathryn L Cottingham
- Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire3Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
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Bloom MS, Neamtiu IA, Surdu S, Pop C, Anastasiu D, Appleton AA, Fitzgerald EF, Gurzau ES. Low level arsenic contaminated water consumption and birth outcomes in Romania-An exploratory study. Reprod Toxicol 2016; 59:8-16. [PMID: 26518419 PMCID: PMC4783180 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2015.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Revised: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Women are exposed to drinking water with low arsenic concentrations (<10.0μg/L) worldwide, yet little work has been done to assess the risk. To begin to address this data gap, we conducted an exploratory study of birth outcomes in Timis County, Romania. We prospectively followed 122 women with singleton deliveries, for whom we constructed individual exposure indicators using self-reported water consumption weighted by arsenic measured in drinking water sources. There were no overall confounder-adjusted effects for arsenic exposure on birth outcomes. Yet, higher average arsenic (10μg/L) was associated with a -2.45 lower birth weight Z-score (P=0.021) and a -1.17 shorter birth length Z-score (P=0.029) among smokers. Higher average iAs (10μg/L) was also associated with smaller ponderal index in boys (P=0.023). Our results suggest smoking may potentiate an otherwise benign arsenic exposure. A larger, more definitive biomarker-based study is needed to investigate the potential risks in conjunction with smoking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Bloom
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY, USA.
| | | | - Simona Surdu
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY, USA
| | - Cristian Pop
- Environmental Health Center, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Doru Anastasiu
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Victor Babes", Timisoara, Romania; Gynecology Department of the Emergency County Hospital, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Allison A Appleton
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY, USA
| | - Edward F Fitzgerald
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY, USA
| | - Eugen S Gurzau
- Environmental Health Center, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Punshon T, Davis MA, Marsit CJ, Theiler SK, Baker ER, Jackson Brian P, Conway DC, Karagas MR. Placental arsenic concentrations in relation to both maternal and infant biomarkers of exposure in a US cohort. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2015; 25:599-603. [PMID: 25805251 PMCID: PMC4583336 DOI: 10.1038/jes.2015.16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2014] [Revised: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2015] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic crosses the placenta and may have adverse consequences in utero and later in life. At present, little is known about arsenic concentrations in placenta and their relation to maternal and infant exposures particularly at common levels of exposure. We measured placenta arsenic in a US cohort potentially exposed via drinking water from private wells, and evaluated the relationships between placenta and maternal and infant biomarker arsenic concentrations. We measured total arsenic concentrations in placental samples from women enrolled in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study (N=766). We compared these data to maternal urinary arsenic (total arsenic and individual species) collected at approximately 24-28 week gestation, along with maternal post-partum toenails and infant toenails using non-parametric multivariate analysis of log10-transformed data. We also examined the association between placental arsenic and household drinking water arsenic. Placenta arsenic concentrations were related to arsenic concentrations in maternal urine (β 0.55, P value <0.0001), maternal (β 0.30, P value 0.0196) and infant toenails (β 0.40, P value 0.0293) and household drinking water (β 0.09, P value <0.0001). Thus, our data suggest that placenta arsenic concentrations reflect both maternal and infant exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy Punshon
- Dartmouth College, Department of Biology, 78 College Street, Hanover, NH, 03755
| | - Matthew A. Davis
- Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755
| | | | | | - P. Jackson Brian
- Dartmouth College, Department of Biology, 78 College Street, Hanover, NH, 03755
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High-resolution elemental mapping of human placental chorionic villi using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. Anal Bioanal Chem 2015; 407:6839-50. [PMID: 26138895 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-015-8861-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Revised: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The placenta is the organ that mediates transport of nutrients and waste materials between mother and fetus. Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SXRF) microanalysis is a tool for imaging the distribution and quantity of elements in biological tissue, which can be used to study metal transport across biological membranes. Our aims were to pilot placental biopsy specimen preparation techniques that could be integrated into an ongoing epidemiology birth cohort study without harming rates of sample acquisition. We studied the effects of fixative (formalin or glutaraldehyde) and storage duration (30 days or immediate processing) on metal distribution and abundance and investigated a thaw-fixation protocol for archived specimens stored at -80 °C. We measured fixative elemental composition with and without a placental biopsy via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to quantify fixative-induced elemental changes. Formalin-fixed specimens showed hemolysis of erythrocytes. The glutaraldehyde-paraformaldehyde solution in HEPES buffer (GTA-HEPES) had superior anatomical preservation, avoided hemolysis, and minimized elemental loss, although some cross-linking of exogenous Zn was evident. Elemental loss from tissue stored in fixative for 1 month showed variable losses (≈40 % with GTA-HEPES), suggesting storage duration be controlled for. Thawing of tissue held at -80 °C in a GTA-HEPES solution provided high-quality visual images and elemental images.
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Thomas S, Arbuckle TE, Fisher M, Fraser WD, Ettinger A, King W. Metals exposure and risk of small-for-gestational age birth in a Canadian birth cohort: The MIREC study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2015; 140:430-9. [PMID: 25967284 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2015.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Revised: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic are some of the most common toxic metals to which Canadians are exposed. The effect of exposure to current low levels of toxic metals on fetal growth restriction is unknown. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine relationships between exposure to lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic during pregnancy, and risk of small for gestational age (SGA) birth. METHODS Lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic levels were measured in blood samples from the first and third trimesters in 1835 pregnant women from across Canada. Arsenic species in first trimester urine were also assessed. Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using log binomial multivariate regression. Important covariates including maternal age, parity, pre-pregnancy BMI, and smoking, were considered in the analysis. An exploratory analysis was performed to examine potential effect modification of these relationships by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GSTP1 and GSTO1 genes. RESULTS No association was found between blood lead, cadmium or arsenic and risk for SGA. We observed an increased risk for SGA for the highest compared to the lowest tertile of exposure for mercury (>1.6 µg/L, RR=1.56.; 95% CI=1.04-2.58) and arsenobetaine (>2.25 µg/L, RR=1.65; 95% CI=1.10-2.47) after adjustment for the effects of parity and smoking. A statistically significant interaction was observed in the relationship between dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) levels in urinary arsenic and SGA between strata of GSTO1 A104A (p for interaction=0.02). A marginally significant interaction was observed in the relationship between blood lead and SGA between strata of GSTP1 A114V (p for interaction=0.06). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest a small increase in risk for SGA in infants born to women exposed to mercury and arsenic. Given the conflicting evidence in the literature this warrants further investigation in other pregnant populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shari Thomas
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tye E Arbuckle
- Population Studies Division, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
| | - Mandy Fisher
- Population Studies Division, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - William D Fraser
- Sainte Justine University Hospital Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Adrienne Ettinger
- Center for Perinatal, Pediatric & Environmental Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Will King
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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GLI3 Links Environmental Arsenic Exposure and Human Fetal Growth. EBioMedicine 2015; 2:536-43. [PMID: 26288817 PMCID: PMC4535308 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2015.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2014] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Although considerable evidence suggests that in utero arsenic exposure affects children's health, these data are mainly from areas of the world where groundwater arsenic levels far exceed the World Health Organization limit of 10 μg/L. We, and others, have found that more common levels of in utero arsenic exposure may also impact children's health. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. To address this issue, we analyzed the expression of key developmental genes in fetal placenta in a birth cohort of women using unregulated water supplies in a US region with elevated groundwater arsenic. We identified several genes whose expression associated with maternal arsenic exposure in a fetal sex-specific manner. In particular, expression of the HEDGEHOG pathway component, GLI3, in female placentae was both negatively associated with arsenic exposure and positively associated with infant birth weight. This suggests that modulation of GLI3 in the fetal placenta, and perhaps in other fetal tissues, contributes to arsenic's detrimental effects on fetal growth. We showed previously that arsenic-exposed NIH3T3 cells have reduced GLI3 repressor protein. Together, these studies identify GLI3 as a key signaling node that is affected by arsenic, mediating a subset of its effects on developmental signaling and fetal health. In utero arsenic exposure associates with the expression of several key developmental genes in the fetal placenta. There is extensive sexual dimorphism in the associations between placental gene expression and in utero arsenic exposure. GLI3 expression in the female fetal placenta associates with arsenic exposure and may mediate its effects on fetal growth.
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