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Li H, Ye F, Li Z, Peng X, Wu L, Liu Q. The response of gut microbiota to arsenic metabolism is involved in arsenic-induced liver injury, which is influenced by the interaction between arsenic and methionine synthase. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 190:108824. [PMID: 38917623 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108824] [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: 02/25/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
The drivers of changes in gut microbiota under arsenic exposure and the mechanism by which microbiota affect arsenic metabolism are still unclear. Here, C57BL/6 mice were exposed to 0, 5, or 10 ppm NaAsO2 in drinking water for 6 months. The results showed that arsenic exposure induced liver injury and increased the abundance of folic acid (FA)/vitamin B12 (VB12)- and butyrate-synthesizing microbiota. Statistical analysis and in vitro cultures showed that microbiota were altered to meet the demand for FA/VB12 by arsenic metabolism and to resist the toxicity of unmetabolized arsenic. However, at higher arsenic levels, changes of these microbiota were inconsistent. A 3D molecular simulation showed that arsenic bound to methionine synthase (MTR), which was confirmed by SEC-UV-DAD (1 μM recombinant human MTR was purified with 0 or 2 μM NaAsO2 at room temperature for 1 h) and fluorescence-labeled arsenic co-localization (primary hepatocytes were exposed to 0, 0.5, or 1 μM ReAsH-EDT2 for 24 h) in non-cellular and cellular systems. Mechanistically, the arsenic-MTR interaction in the liver interferes with the utilization of FA/VB12, which increases arsenic retention and thus results in a substantial increase in the abundance of butyrate-synthesizing microbiota compared to FA/VB12-synthesizing microbiota. By exposing C57BL/6J mice to 0 or 10 ppm NaAsO2 with or without FA (6 mg/L) and VB12 (50 μg/L) supplementation in their drinking water for 6 months, we constructed an FA/VB12 intervention mouse model and found that FA/VB12 supplementation blocked the disturbance of gut microbiota, restored MTR levels, promoted arsenic metabolism, and alleviated liver injury. We demonstrate that the change of gut microbiota is a response to arsenic metabolism, a process influenced by the arsenic-MTR interaction. This study provides new insights for understanding the relationship between gut microbiota and arsenic metabolism and present therapeutic targets for arseniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Li
- Center for Global Health, China International Cooperation Center for Environment and Human Health, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Fuping Ye
- Chengdu Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenyang Li
- Center for Global Health, China International Cooperation Center for Environment and Human Health, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoshan Peng
- Center for Global Health, China International Cooperation Center for Environment and Human Health, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Wu
- Suzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Suzhou Institute for Advanced Study of Public Health, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Qizhan Liu
- Center for Global Health, China International Cooperation Center for Environment and Human Health, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China; Suzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Suzhou Institute for Advanced Study of Public Health, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
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Wei Y, Zhou YF, Xiao L, Qin J, Cheng H, Cai H, Chen X, Zou Y, Yang L, Zhang H, Zhang Z, Yang X. Associations of Heavy Metals with Cognitive Function: An Epigenome-Wide View of DNA Methylation and Mediation Analysis. Ann Neurol 2024; 96:87-98. [PMID: 38661228 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Exposure to heavy metals has been reported to be associated with impaired cognitive function, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This pilot study aimed to identify key heavy metal elements associated with cognitive function and further explore the potential mediating role of metal-related DNA methylation. METHODS Blood levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead, copper, manganese, and zinc and genome-wide DNA methylations were separately detected in peripheral blood in 155 older adults. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator penalized regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression were used to identify metals associated with cognitive function. An epigenome-wide association study examined the DNA methylation profile of the identified metal, and mediation analysis investigated its mediating role. RESULTS The MMSE scores showed a significant decrease of 1.61 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.64, -0.59) with each 1 standard deviation increase in ln-transformed arsenic level; this association was significant in multiple-metal models and dominated the overall negative effect of 6 heavy metal mixture on cognitive function. Seventy-three differentially methylated positions were associated with blood arsenic (p < 1.0 × 10-5). The methylation levels at cg05226051 (annotated to TDRD3) and cg18886932 (annotated to GAL3ST3) mediated 24.8% and 25.5% of the association between blood arsenic and cognitive function, respectively (all p < 0.05). INTERPRETATION Blood arsenic levels displayed a negative association with the cognitive function of older adults. This finding shows that arsenic-related DNA methylation alterations are critical partial mediators that may serve as potential biomarkers for further mechanism-related studies. ANN NEUROL 2024;96:87-98.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wei
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Yan-Feng Zhou
- Department of Social Medicine, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Lili Xiao
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Jian Qin
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Hong Cheng
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Haiqing Cai
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Xing Chen
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Yunfeng Zou
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Li Yang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Haiying Zhang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Zhiyong Zhang
- Department of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Exposomics and Entire Lifecycle Heath Research, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Xiaobo Yang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
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Gu W, Wang T, Lin Y, Wang Y, Chen Y, Dai Y, Duan H. Particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals, DNA methylation and DNA methyltransferase among middle-school students in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:172087. [PMID: 38561129 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172087] [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: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The main components of particulate matter (PM) had been reported to change DNA methylation levels. However, the mixed effect of PM and its constituents on DNA methylation and the underlying mechanism in children has not been well characterized. To investigate the association between single or mixture exposures and global DNA methylation or DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), 273 children were recruited (110 in low-exposed area and 163 in high-exposed area) in China. Serum benzo[a]pyridin-7,8-dihydroglycol-9, 10-epoxide (BPDE)-albumin adduct and urinary metals were determined as exposure markers. The global DNA methylation (% 5mC) and the mRNA expression of DNMT1, and DNMT3A were measured. The linear regression, quantile-based g-computation (QGC), and mediation analyses were performed to investigate the effects of individual and mixture exposure. We found that significantly lower levels of % 5mC (P < 0.001) and the mRNA expression of DNMT3A in high-PM exposed group (P = 0.031). After adjustment for age, gender, BMI z-score, detecting status of urinary cotinine, serum folate, and white blood cells, urinary arsenic (As) was negatively correlated with the % 5mC. One IQR increase in urinary As (19.97 μmol/mol creatinine) was associated with a 11.06 % decrease in % 5mC (P = 0.026). Serum BPDE-albumin adduct and urinary cadmium (Cd) were negatively correlated with the levels of DNMT1 and DNMT3A (P < 0.05). Mixture exposure was negatively associated with expression of DNMT3A in QGC analysis (β: -0.19, P < 0.001). Mixture exposure was significantly associated with decreased % 5mC in the children with non-detected cotinine or normal serum folate (P < 0.05), which the most contributors were PAHs and As. The mediated effect of hypomethylation through DNMT1 or DNMT3A pathway was not observed. Our findings indicated that individual and mixture exposure PAHs and metal components had negative associations with global DNA methylation and decreased DNMT3A expression significantly in school-age individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Gu
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health, National Institute for Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China; China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health, National Institute for Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yang Lin
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health, National Institute for Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China; Beijing Chaoyang District Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Yanhua Wang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health, National Institute for Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China; State Key Laboratory of Trauma and Chemical Poisoning, China
| | - Yuanyuan Chen
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Yufei Dai
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Huawei Duan
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health, National Institute for Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China; State Key Laboratory of Trauma and Chemical Poisoning, China.
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Hua W, Han X, Li F, Lu L, Sun Y, Hassanian-Moghaddam H, Tian M, Lu Y, Huang Q. Transgenerational Effects of Arsenic Exposure on Learning and Memory in Rats: Crosstalk between Arsenic Methylation, Hippocampal Metabolism, and Histone Modifications. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:6475-6486. [PMID: 38578163 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c07989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Arsenic (As) is widely present in the natural environment, and exposure to it can lead to learning and memory impairment. However, the underlying epigenetic mechanisms are still largely unclear. This study aimed to reveal the role of histone modifications in environmental levels of arsenic (sodium arsenite) exposure-induced learning and memory dysfunction in male rats, and the inter/transgenerational effects of paternal arsenic exposure were also investigated. It was found that arsenic exposure impaired the learning and memory ability of F0 rats and down-regulated the expression of cognition-related genes Bdnf, c-Fos, mGlur1, Nmdar1, and Gria2 in the hippocampus. We also observed that inorganic arsenite was methylated to DMA and histone modification-related metabolites were altered, contributing to the dysregulation of H3K4me1/2/3, H3K9me1/2/3, and H3K4ac in rat hippocampus after exposure. Therefore, it is suggested that arsenic methylation and hippocampal metabolism changes attenuated H3K4me1/2/3 and H3K4ac while enhancing H3K9me1/2/3, which repressed the key gene expressions, leading to cognitive impairment in rats exposed to arsenic. In addition, paternal arsenic exposure induced transgenerational effects of learning and memory disorder in F2 male rats through the regulation of H3K4me2 and H3K9me1/2/3, which inhibited c-Fos, mGlur1, and Nmdar1 expression. These results provide novel insights into the molecular mechanism of arsenic-induced neurotoxicity and highlight the risk of neurological deficits in offspring with paternal exposure to arsenic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhen Hua
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
- Department of Health Inspection and Quarantine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Xuejingping Han
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Fuping Li
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Yiqiong Sun
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Hossein Hassanian-Moghaddam
- Department of Clinical Toxicology, Shohada-e Tajrish Hospital, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran
| | - Meiping Tian
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Yanyang Lu
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Qingyu Huang
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
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Peng X, Li H, Wang D, Wu L, Hu J, Ye F, Syed BM, Liu D, Zhang J, Liu Q. Intrauterine arsenic exposure induces glucose metabolism disorders in adult offspring by targeting TET2-mediated DNA hydroxymethylation reprogramming of HNF4α in developing livers, an effect alleviated by ascorbic acid. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 465:133405. [PMID: 38185084 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133405] [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: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to arsenic during gestation has lasting health-related effects on the developing fetus, including an increase in the risk of metabolic disease later in life. Epigenetics is a potential mechanism involved in this process. Ten-eleven translocation 2 (TET2) has been widely considered as a transferase of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). Here, mice were exposed, via drinking water, to arsenic or arsenic combined with ascorbic acid (AA) during gestation. For adult offspring, intrauterine arsenic exposure exhibited disorders of glucose metabolism, which are associated with DNA hydroxymethylation reprogramming of hepatic nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF4α). Further molecular structure analysis, by SEC-UV-DAD, SEC-ICP-MS, verified that arsenic binds to the cysteine domain of TET2. Mechanistically, arsenic reduces the stability of TET2 by binding to it, resulting in the decrease of 5hmC levels in Hnf4α and subsequently inhibiting its expression. This leads to the disorders of expression of its downstream key glucose metabolism genes. Supplementation with AA blocked the reduction of TET2 and normalized the 5hmC levels of Hnf4α, thus alleviating the glucose metabolism disorders. Our study provides targets and methods for the prevention of offspring glucose metabolism abnormalities caused by intrauterine arsenic exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoshan Peng
- Center for Global Health, China International Cooperation Center for Environment and Human Health, Jiangsu Safety Assessment and Research Center for Drug, Pesticide, and Veterinary Drug, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Han Li
- Center for Global Health, China International Cooperation Center for Environment and Human Health, Jiangsu Safety Assessment and Research Center for Drug, Pesticide, and Veterinary Drug, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Dapeng Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Wu
- Suzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Suzhou Institute of Public Health, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiacai Hu
- Institute of Physical and Chemical Testing, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Fuping Ye
- Center for Global Health, China International Cooperation Center for Environment and Human Health, Jiangsu Safety Assessment and Research Center for Drug, Pesticide, and Veterinary Drug, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Binafsha Manzoor Syed
- Medical Research Centre, Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences, Jamshoro 76090, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - Deye Liu
- Institute of Physical and Chemical Testing, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingshu Zhang
- Center for Global Health, China International Cooperation Center for Environment and Human Health, Jiangsu Safety Assessment and Research Center for Drug, Pesticide, and Veterinary Drug, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Qizhan Liu
- Center for Global Health, China International Cooperation Center for Environment and Human Health, Jiangsu Safety Assessment and Research Center for Drug, Pesticide, and Veterinary Drug, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China; Suzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Suzhou Institute of Public Health, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
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Zhou J, Hong H, Zhao J, Fang R, Chen S, Tang C. Metabolome analysis to investigate the effect of heavy metal exposure and chemoprevention agents on toxic injury caused by a multi-heavy metal mixture in rats. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167513. [PMID: 37783434 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Heavy metal pollution is a significant threat to both the environment and living organisms. This is especially vital considering the persistent and cumulative nature of heavy metal exposure, which can lead to severe and chronic health consequences for individuals. Therefore, implementing effective treatments is critical to addressing the serious public health issues posed by heavy metal pollution. In this study, nontargeted metabolomics was carried out to investigate the metabolic changes associated with long-term low-dose intake of mixed heavy metal pollutants (MHMPs) in liver, kidney, and plasma samples of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with and without treatment to reveal the underlying toxic effects of MHMPs and the effects of chemoprevention agents, including epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), trisodium citrate dihydrate (TCD), and glutathione (GSH). In the liver, kidney, and plasma, we observed a total of 21, 69, and 16 metabolites, respectively, exhibiting significant differences (P < 0.05, fold change >1.2 or <0.83, and VIP ≥ 1) between the control group and the mixture group. The findings demonstrated that exposure to MHMPs leads to the dysregulation of numerous metabolic pathways, with a particular emphasis on purine metabolism and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis with upregulated renal purine metabolites and downregulated hepatic purine metabolites as well as renal aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis-related metabolites. However, the application of chemical protectants was shown to partially restore the metabolic alterations induced by MHMPs, particularly purine metabolism-related metabolites, including hepatic adenine and renal adenine, guanine, guanosine, adenosine monophosphate (AMP), and hypoxanthine. In addition, liver adenosine, kidney inosine and L-phenylalanine were considered the main regulated sites based on their significant correlations with multiple heavy metals. Our study provides crucial insights into the toxicological mechanisms of heavy metal pollution and has the potential to guide the development of effective preventive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyue Zhou
- School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Hang Hong
- School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Jinshun Zhao
- School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Rui Fang
- School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Shushu Chen
- School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Chunlan Tang
- School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China.
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Stößer S, Lumpp T, Fischer F, Gunesch S, Schumacher P, Hartwig A. Effect of Long-Term Low-Dose Arsenic Exposure on DNA Methylation and Gene Expression in Human Liver Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15238. [PMID: 37894918 PMCID: PMC10607230 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015238] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Millions of people around the world are exposed to elevated levels of arsenic through food or drinking water. Epidemiological studies have linked chronic arsenic exposure to an increased risk of several cancers, cardiovascular disease, central nervous system neuropathies, and genotoxic as well as immunotoxic effects. In addition to the induction of oxidative stress and inhibition of DNA repair processes, epigenetic effects, including altered DNA methylation patterns resulting in aberrant gene expression, may contribute to carcinogenicity. However, the underlying mechanisms by which chronic micromolar concentrations of arsenite affect the methylation status of DNA are not fully understood. In this study, human HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells were treated with 0.5-10 μM sodium arsenite for 24 h, 10, or 20 days. During these periods, the effects on global DNA methylation, cell cycle phase distribution, and gene expression were investigated. While no impact on DNA methylation was seen after short-term exposure, global hypomethylation was observed at both long-term exposure periods, with concomitant induction of the DNA methyltransferase genes DNMT1 and DNMT3B, while DNMT3A was slightly down-regulated. Pronounced time- and concentration-dependent effects were also seen in the case of genes involved in DNA damage response and repair, inflammation, oxidative stress response, and metal homeostasis. These results suggest that chronic low-dose arsenite exposure can lead to global hypomethylation. As an underlying mechanism, the consistent down-regulation of DNA methyltransferase genes could be excluded; alternatively, interactions at the protein level could play an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Andrea Hartwig
- Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Institute of Applied Biosciences (IAB), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
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8
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Mo J, Liu X, Huang Y, He R, Zhang Y, Huang H. Developmental origins of adult diseases. MEDICAL REVIEW (BERLIN, GERMANY) 2022; 2:450-470. [PMID: 37724166 PMCID: PMC10388800 DOI: 10.1515/mr-2022-0027] [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: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
The occurrence and mechanisms of developmental adult diseases have gradually attracted attention in recent years. Exposure of gametes and embryos to adverse environments, especially during plastic development, can alter the expression of certain tissue-specific genes, leading to increased susceptibility to certain diseases in adulthood, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, neuropsychiatric, and reproductive system diseases, etc. The occurrence of chronic disease in adulthood is partly due to genetic factors, and the remaining risk is partly due to environmental-dependent epigenetic information alteration, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNAs. Changes in this epigenetic information potentially damage our health, which has also been supported by numerous epidemiological and animal studies in recent years. Environmental factors functionally affect embryo development through epimutation, transmitting diseases to offspring and even later generations. This review mainly elaborated on the concept of developmental origins of adult diseases, and revealed the epigenetic mechanisms underlying these events, discussed the theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Mo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, China
- The Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xuanqi Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yutong Huang
- The Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Renke He
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, China
- The Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hefeng Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, China
- The Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Research Units of Embryo Original Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (No. 2019RU056), Shanghai, China
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Yan N, Li Y, Xing Y, Wu J, Li J, Liang Y, Tang Y, Wang Z, Song H, Wang H, Xiao S, Lu M. Developmental arsenic exposure impairs cognition, directly targets DNMT3A, and reduces DNA methylation. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e54147. [PMID: 35373418 PMCID: PMC9171692 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202154147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental arsenic exposure has been associated with cognitive deficits in epidemiological studies, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we establish a mouse model of developmental arsenic exposure exhibiting deficits of recognition and spatial memory in the offspring. These deficits are associated with genome-wide DNA hypomethylation and abnormal expression of cognition-related genes in the hippocampus. Arsenic atoms directly bind to the cysteine-rich ADD domain of DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A), triggering ubiquitin- and proteasome-mediated degradation of DNMT3A in different cellular contexts. DNMT3A degradation leads to genome-wide DNA hypomethylation in mouse embryonic fibroblasts but not in non-embryonic cell lines. Treatment with metformin, a first-line antidiabetic agent reported to increase DNA methylation, ameliorates the behavioral deficits and normalizes the aberrant expression of cognition-related genes and DNA methylation in the hippocampus of arsenic-exposed offspring. Our study establishes a DNA hypomethylation effect of developmental arsenic exposure and proposes a potential treatment against cognitive deficits in the offspring of pregnant women in arsenic-contaminated areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni Yan
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuntong Li
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yangfei Xing
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiale Wu
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiabing Li
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Liang
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yigang Tang
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhengyuan Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Huaxin Song
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Haoyu Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shujun Xiao
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Lu
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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