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De Filippis F, Valentino V, Sequino G, Borriello G, Riccardi MG, Pierri B, Cerino P, Pizzolante A, Pasolli E, Esposito M, Limone A, Ercolini D. Exposure to environmental pollutants selects for xenobiotic-degrading functions in the human gut microbiome. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4482. [PMID: 38802370 PMCID: PMC11130323 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48739-7] [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: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental pollutants from different chemical families may reach the gut microbiome, where they can be metabolized and transformed. However, how our gut symbionts respond to the exposure to environmental pollution is still underexplored. In this observational, cohort study, we aim to investigate the influence of environmental pollution on the gut microbiome composition and potential activity by shotgun metagenomics. We select as a case study a population living in a highly polluted area in Campania region (Southern Italy), proposed as an ideal field for exposomic studies and we compare the fecal microbiome of 359 subjects living in areas with high, medium and low environmental pollution. We highlight changes in gut microbiome composition and functionality that were driven by pollution exposure. Subjects from highly polluted areas show higher blood concentrations of dioxin and heavy metals, as well as an increase in microbial genes related to degradation and/or resistance to these molecules. Here we demonstrate the dramatic effect that environmental xenobiotics have on gut microbial communities, shaping their composition and boosting the selection of strains with degrading capacity. The gut microbiome can be considered as a pivotal player in the environment-health interaction that may contribute to detoxifying toxic compounds and should be taken into account when developing risk assessment models. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov with the identifier NCT05976126.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca De Filippis
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università, 100, Portici, Italy
- Task Force on Microbiome Studies, University of Naples Federico II, Corso Umberto I, 40, Napoli, Italy
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2, Portici, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Valentino
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università, 100, Portici, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Sequino
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università, 100, Portici, Italy
| | - Giorgia Borriello
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2, Portici, Italy
| | | | - Biancamaria Pierri
- National Reference Centre for the Analysis and Study of the Correlation between Environment, Animal and Human, Via Salute, 2, Portici, Italy
| | - Pellegrino Cerino
- National Reference Centre for the Analysis and Study of the Correlation between Environment, Animal and Human, Via Salute, 2, Portici, Italy
| | - Antonio Pizzolante
- National Reference Centre for the Analysis and Study of the Correlation between Environment, Animal and Human, Via Salute, 2, Portici, Italy
| | - Edoardo Pasolli
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università, 100, Portici, Italy
- Task Force on Microbiome Studies, University of Naples Federico II, Corso Umberto I, 40, Napoli, Italy
| | - Mauro Esposito
- National Reference Centre for the Analysis and Study of the Correlation between Environment, Animal and Human, Via Salute, 2, Portici, Italy
| | - Antonio Limone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2, Portici, Italy
| | - Danilo Ercolini
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università, 100, Portici, Italy.
- Task Force on Microbiome Studies, University of Naples Federico II, Corso Umberto I, 40, Napoli, Italy.
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Ferrero G, Festa R, Follia L, Lettieri G, Tarallo S, Notari T, Giarra A, Marinaro C, Pardini B, Marano A, Piaggeschi G, Di Battista C, Trifuoggi M, Piscopo M, Montano L, Naccarati A. Small noncoding RNAs and sperm nuclear basic proteins reflect the environmental impact on germ cells. Mol Med 2024; 30:12. [PMID: 38243211 PMCID: PMC10799426 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-023-00776-6] [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: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Molecular techniques can complement conventional spermiogram analyses to provide new information on the fertilizing potential of spermatozoa and to identify early alterations due to environmental pollution. METHODS Here, we present a multilevel molecular profiling by small RNA sequencing and sperm nuclear basic protein analysis of male germ cells from 33 healthy young subjects residing in low and high-polluted areas. RESULTS Although sperm motility and sperm concentration were comparable between samples from the two sites, those from the high-pollution area had a higher concentration of immature/immune cells, a lower protamine/histone ratio, a reduced ability of sperm nuclear basic proteins to protect DNA from oxidative damage, and an altered copper/zinc ratio in sperm. Sperm levels of 32 microRNAs involved in intraflagellar transport, oxidative stress response, and spermatogenesis were different between the two areas. In parallel, a decrease of Piwi-interacting RNA levels was observed in samples from the high-polluted area. CONCLUSIONS This comprehensive analysis provides new insights into pollution-driven epigenetic alterations in sperm not detectable by spermiogram.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Ferrero
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Regione Gonzole 10, 10043, Orbassano, Turin, Italy
- Department of Computer Science, University of Turin, Corso Svizzera, 185, 10149, Turin, Italy
| | - Rosaria Festa
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Laura Follia
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Regione Gonzole 10, 10043, Orbassano, Turin, Italy
| | - Gennaro Lettieri
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Sonia Tarallo
- Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine (IIGM), c/o IRCCS Candiolo, SP 142 Km. 3,95, 10060, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
| | - Tiziana Notari
- Check-Up PolyDiagnostic and Research Laboratory, Andrology Unit, Viale Andrea De Luca 5, 84131, Salerno, Italy
| | - Antonella Giarra
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Carmela Marinaro
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Barbara Pardini
- Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine (IIGM), c/o IRCCS Candiolo, SP 142 Km. 3,95, 10060, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandra Marano
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Giulia Piaggeschi
- Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine (IIGM), c/o IRCCS Candiolo, SP 142 Km. 3,95, 10060, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
| | - Carla Di Battista
- Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine (IIGM), c/o IRCCS Candiolo, SP 142 Km. 3,95, 10060, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
| | - Marco Trifuoggi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Marina Piscopo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy.
| | - Luigi Montano
- Andrology Unit and Service of Lifestyle Medicine in UroAndrology, Local Health Authority (ASL) Salerno, Coordination Unit of the Network for Environmental and Reproductive Health (Eco-FoodFertility Project), S. Francesco di Assisi Hospital, 84020, Oliveto Citra, Salerno, Italy.
- PhD Program in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy.
| | - Alessio Naccarati
- Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine (IIGM), c/o IRCCS Candiolo, SP 142 Km. 3,95, 10060, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
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Montuori P, De Rosa E, Cerino P, Pizzolante A, Nicodemo F, Gallo A, Rofrano G, De Vita S, Limone A, Triassi M. Estimation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Groundwater from Campania Plain: Spatial Distribution, Source Attribution and Health Cancer Risk Evaluation. TOXICS 2023; 11:toxics11050435. [PMID: 37235250 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11050435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 1168 groundwater samples of the Campania Plain (Southern Italy), taken using a municipal environmental pressure index (MIEP), and to analyze the distribution of these compounds to determine source PAHs using ratios of isomers diagnostic. Lastly, this study also aimed to estimate the potential health cancer risk in groundwaters. The data indicated that the highest concentration of PAHs was found in groundwater from Caserta Province and the contents of BghiP, Phe, and Nap were detected in the samples. The spatial distribution of these pollutants was evaluated using the Jenks method; moreover, the data indicated that incremental lifetime cancer risk ILCRingestion ranged from 7.31 × 10-20 to 4.96 × 10-19, while ILCRdermal ranged from 4.32 × 10-11 to 2.93 × 10-10. These research findings may provide information about the Campania Plain's groundwater quality and aid in the development of preventative measures to lessen PAH contamination in groundwater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Montuori
- Department of Public Health, "Federico II" University, Via Sergio Pansini No. 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Elvira De Rosa
- Department of Public Health, "Federico II" University, Via Sergio Pansini No. 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Pellegrino Cerino
- Department of Public Health, "Federico II" University, Via Sergio Pansini No. 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Pizzolante
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute No. 2, 80055 Naples, Italy
| | - Federico Nicodemo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute No. 2, 80055 Naples, Italy
| | - Alfonso Gallo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute No. 2, 80055 Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Rofrano
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute No. 2, 80055 Naples, Italy
| | - Sabato De Vita
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute No. 2, 80055 Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Limone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute No. 2, 80055 Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Triassi
- Department of Public Health, "Federico II" University, Via Sergio Pansini No. 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
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Albanese S, Ebrahimi P, Aruta A, Cicchella D, De Vivo B, Lima A. Potentially toxic elements in the soils of Campi Flegrei (south Italy) and the immediate surroundings: Spatial distribution, origin and probabilistic human health risk. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 313:137297. [PMID: 36410516 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137297] [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: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Campi Flegrei is an active volcanic field in south Italy where the potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are of growing concern because the intensive anthropogenic and volcanic activities might pose adverse human health effects. In this article, 394 topsoils (0-15 cm) are collected for instrumental analysis of the <2 mm fraction. The geochemical maps indicate that higher concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni and Sb are related to the urban area, but greater levels of As, Tl, Co, Cu, Se and V are observed in the other parts. A robust principal component analysis detected: (1) the Pb-Zn-Hg-Cd-Sb-Cr-Ni association that probably highlights anthropogenic activities such as heavy traffic load and fossil fuel combustion in the urbanized area; (2) the Al-Fe-Mn-Ti-Tl-V-Co-As-U-Th association that mostly reveals the contribution of pyroclastic deposits; and (3) the Na-K-B association that feasibly indicates the weathering degree. The probabilistic health risk modeling for the children under 6 years old shows negligible Pb and Zn non-carcinogenic risk and unexpected Pb carcinogenic risk for exposure through soil ingestion. However, for the inhalation pathway, the children aged <1 year old have the highest chance (90%) of acceptable (i.e. between 1E-6 and 1E-4) Pb carcinogenic health risk. This should not be overlooked because Naples is under high environmental pressure and previous studies reported the increased Pb and Zn quantities in soil over a 26-year timespan. Overall, the results of geostatistical interpolation, compositional data analysis and probabilistic health risk modeling potentially uncover the link between soil geochemistry and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Albanese
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Resources Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Pooria Ebrahimi
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Resources Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80126, Italy.
| | - Antonio Aruta
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Resources Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Domenico Cicchella
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, Benevento 82100, Italy
| | - Benedetto De Vivo
- Pegaso Online University, Napoli 80132, Italy; Retired: University of Napoli Federico II, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Annamaria Lima
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Resources Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80126, Italy
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Pierri B, Buonerba C, Pierri A, Pizzolante A, Ferro A, Crispo A, Bollati V, Sanchez TR, Grazia Andreassi M, Esposito M, Cerino P. Exposure study on susceptible people - SPES: An integrative biomonitoring approach. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 158:106931. [PMID: 34653810 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106931] [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: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The evaluation of environmental exposure risk requires a global analysis of pollution phenomena, including biological effects and potentially correlated clinical outcomes in susceptible populations. Although human biomonitoring plays a fundamental role in assessing the degree of contamination, it is not effective alone in identifying a direct link between exposure, biomolecular effects and outcomes on target organisms. While toxicogenomics and epidemiology are mainly focused on the investigation of molecular reactions and clinical outcomes, the monitoring of environmental matrices works independently to characterize the territorial distribution of toxic compounds, without proving any correlated health risk for residents. OBJECTIVES We propose a new biomonitoring model based on a whole systemic analytical evaluation of environmental context. The paradigm of the method consists of identifying the sources of pollution, the migration pathways of those pollutants and their effects on target organisms. By means of this innovative, holistic epidemiological approach, we included healthy human subjects in a cohort to identify potential risks of exposure and predict possible correlated clinical outcomes. 4205 residents of the Campania region were enrolled in the "SPES" biomonitoring study, which especially focused on the areas dubbed "Land of Fires" in the recent decades. DISCUSSION The analysis of environmental exposure risk suffers the lack of data integration from various science fields, and this comes down to a limited point of view and a limited knowledge of phenomena. In implementing our model, we first constructed an analytical picture of the Real-world situation. We next conducted a comparative risk assessment, in order to identify possible correlations between pollution and health within a holistic view. CONCLUSION This type of research activities aims to support the implementation of public health interventions and to become a reference model in the evaluation of the risk of exposure to environmental pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biancamaria Pierri
- Centro di Referenza Nazionale per l'analisi e studio di correlazione tra ambiente, animale e uomo, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Portici, (NA), Italy; Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, (SA), Italy.
| | - Carlo Buonerba
- Centro di Referenza Nazionale per l'analisi e studio di correlazione tra ambiente, animale e uomo, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Portici, (NA), Italy
| | - Andrea Pierri
- Centro di Referenza Nazionale per l'analisi e studio di correlazione tra ambiente, animale e uomo, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Portici, (NA), Italy
| | - Antonio Pizzolante
- Centro di Referenza Nazionale per l'analisi e studio di correlazione tra ambiente, animale e uomo, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Portici, (NA), Italy
| | - Amedeo Ferro
- Centro di Referenza Nazionale per l'analisi e studio di correlazione tra ambiente, animale e uomo, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Portici, (NA), Italy
| | - Anna Crispo
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Valentina Bollati
- EPIGET LAB, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Tiffany R Sanchez
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, 10032 New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria Grazia Andreassi
- Clinical Physiology Institute, National Research Council of Italy (IFC-CNR), Pisa, Italy
| | - Mauro Esposito
- Centro di Referenza Nazionale per l'analisi e studio di correlazione tra ambiente, animale e uomo, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Portici, (NA), Italy
| | - Pellegrino Cerino
- Centro di Referenza Nazionale per l'analisi e studio di correlazione tra ambiente, animale e uomo, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Portici, (NA), Italy
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Could Kallikrein-Related Serine Peptidase 3 Be an Early Biomarker of Environmental Exposure in Young Women? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18168833. [PMID: 34444582 PMCID: PMC8392638 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18168833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Bisphenols and phthalates affect androgen receptor-mediated signaling that directly regulates Kallikrein-Related serine Peptidase 3 (KLK3) secretion, indicating that environmental factors may play a role in KLK3 secretion. With the aim of obtaining preliminary data on whether KLK3 could serve as an early marker of environmental pollution effects, in 61 and 58 healthy women living in a high environmental impact (HEI) and low environmental impact (LEI) area, respectively, serum KLK3 levels at different phases of menstrual cycle were measured. KLK3 values resulted in always being higher in the HEI group with respect to the LEI group. These differences were particularly relevant in the ovulatory phase (cycle day 12°–13°) of the menstrual cycle. The differences in KLK3 values during the three phases of the menstrual cycle were significant in the LEI group differently from the HEI group. In addition, higher progesterone levels were observed in the LEI group with respect to the HEI group in the luteal phase, indicating an opposite trend of KLK3 and progesterone in this phase of the menstrual cycle. Although changes in KLK3 could also depend on other factors, these preliminary data could be an early indication of an expanding study of the role of biomarkers in assessing early environmental effects for female reproductive health.
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