Effects of Exposure to Mixed Organic Solvents on Blood Pressure in Non-Smoking Women Working in a Pharmaceutical Company

GCN5-mediated PKM2 acetylation participates in benzene-induced hematotoxicity through regulating glycolysis and inflammation via p-Stat3/IL17A axis

Benzene is a common environmental carcinogen that induces leukemia. Studies suggest that metabolic disorder has a relationship with the toxicity of benzene. Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) is a key rate-limiting enzyme in glycolysis. However, the upstream and downstream regulatory mechanisms of PKM2 in benzene-induced hematotoxicity and the therapeutic effects of targeting PKM2 in vivo are unclear. This study aims to provide insights into the new mechanism of benzene-induced hematotoxicity and reveal the therapeutic significance of targeting PKM2. Herein, we demonstrated that PKM2-dependent glycolysis contributes to benzene-induced hematotoxicity by regulating inflammation reaction. Mechanistically, acetylated proteomics revealed that 1,4-benzoquinone (1,4-BQ) induced acetylation of PKM2 at position K66, and this modification contributed to the increase of PKM2 expression and can be inhibited by inhibition of acetyltransferase GCN5. Meanwhile, the elevated PKM2 was shown to prompt the activation of nuclear phosphorylated Stat3 (p-Stat3) and IL17A. Clinically, pharmacological inhibition of PKM2 alleviated the blood toxicity induced by benzene, which was mainly characterized by an increase in routine blood parameters and improvement of hematopoietic imbalance. Besides, elevated PKM2 is a promising biomarker in people occupationally exposed to benzene. Overall, we identified PKM2/p-Stat3/IL-17A axis participates in the hematotoxicity of benzene, and targeting PKM2 has certain therapeutic implications in hematologic diseases.

The relationship between occupational exposure to organic solvents and metabolic syndrome in petroleum refinery workers in Tehran, Iran

AIMS

The rising prevalence of metabolic syndrome has made it a major health concern. Chronic occupational exposure to organic solvents affects different systems of the body. This study aimed to investigate the association between exposure to organic solvents and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in petroleum refinery workers.

METHOD

This study was conducted in 2019-2020 on workers employed in an Iranian petroleum refinery. The demographic and occupational information on the participants was obtained using the interview method. Their height, weight, and blood pressure were measured by the occupational health team, and fasting blood samples were taken from them to measure the paraclinical parameters.

RESULTS

In this study, 1009 petroleum refinery workers were analyzed. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in workers was 20.1% and it was about two times higher in exposed workers (CI 95%: 1.61-3.35) compared to non-exposed ones. Factors associated with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome include age, higher BMI, exercise, and longer exposure to organic solvents.

CONCLUSION

Findings of this study suggested that exposure to organic solvents is associated with increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome (the highest association was observed with elevated serum triglycerides). Besides, longer exposure to organic solvents increased the risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

Experimental exposure to gasohol impairs sperm quality with recognition of the classification pattern of exposure groups by machine learning algorithms

Contamination caused by leakage at gas stations leads to possible exposure of the general population when in contact with contaminated water and soil. The present study aimed to evaluate the reproductive effects of exposure of adult male rats to gasohol and evaluate the performance of machine learning (ML) algorithms for pattern recognition and classification of the exposure groups. Rats were orally exposed to 0 (control), 16 (EA), 160 (EB), or 800 mg kg^-1 bw day^-1 of gasohol (EC), for 30 consecutive days. Sperm quality of the groups exposed to two higher doses was reduced in comparison to the control group. The sperm parameters decreased were: daily sperm production, sperm number in the caput/corpus epididymis, progressive motility, mitochondrial activity, and acrosomal membrane integrity. Sperm transit time in the epididymis cauda and sperm isolated head were increased in EB and EC. Sertoli cells number was decreased in these groups, but their support capacity was maintained. ML methods were used to identify patterns between samples of control and exposure groups. The results obtained by ML methods were very promising, obtaining about 90% of accuracy. It was concluded that the exposure of rats to different doses of gasohol impair spermatogenesis and sperm quality, with a recognizable classification pattern of exposure groups at ML.

Occupational Exposures and Metabolic Syndrome Among Hispanics/Latinos: Cross-Sectional Results From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

OBJECTIVE

We assessed the cross-sectional relationships of self-reported current occupational exposures to solvents, metals, and pesticides with metabolic syndrome and its components among 7127 participants in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

METHODS

Metabolic syndrome was defined as a clustering of abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high blood pressure, and/or high fasting glucose. Regression models that incorporated inverse probability of exposure weighting were used to estimate prevalence ratios.

RESULTS

Solvent exposure was associated with a 32% higher prevalence of high blood pressure (95% confidence interval: 1.09 to 1.60) than participants not reporting exposure. No associations were observed for occupational exposures with abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein, or metabolic syndrome.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that solvent exposure may be an important occupational risk factor for high blood pressure among Hispanics/Latinos in the United States.

A study on neurobehavioral performance of workers occupationally exposed to solvent in synthetic resin manufacturing

Background:

One major effect of occupational solvent exposure is central nervous system (CNS) impairment, ranging from depression to encephalopathy with cognitive, behavioral changes. Exposures in industries being varied, classification of health outcomes for different exposures is important.

Objectives:

This study assessed neurobehavioral performance of synthetic resin manufacturing workers exposed to organic solvent, mainly formalin.

Materials and Methods:

This cross-sectional study selected subjects by random selection from all such workers of an Indian city. Questionnaire survey and assessment by a neurobehavioral test battery (NBT) was undertaken.

Results:

Comparison between actual and allied workers observed significant difference in tweezer dexterity, card sorting and backward memory scores. Significant effect of exposure was observed on tweezer dexterity, card sorting, and hand dynamometer scores.

Conclusion:

Changes of neurobehavioral performance might occur following solvent exposure and these changes might have a relationship with the quantum of exposure. Periodic examination of workers with NBT is needed for detection of early neurotoxic effects.

Current understandings and perspectives on non-cancer health effects of benzene: a global concern

OBJECTIVE

Benzene, as a volatile organic compound, is known as one of the main air pollutants in the environment. The aim of this review is to summarize all available evidences on non-cancerous health effects of benzene providing an overview of possible association of exposure to benzene with human chronic diseases, specially, in those regions of the world where benzene concentration is being poorly monitored.

METHODOLOGY

A bibliographic search of scientific databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scirus was conducted with key words of "benzene toxic health effects", "environmental volatile organic compounds", "diabetes mellitus and environmental pollutants", "breast cancer and environmental pollution", "prevalence of lung cancer", and "diabetes prevalence". More than 300 peer reviewed papers were examined. Experimental and epidemiologic studies reporting health effects of benzene and volatile organic compounds were included in the study.

RESULTS

Epidemiologic and experimental studies suggest that benzene exposure can lead to numerous non-cancerous health effects associated with functional aberration of vital systems in the body like reproductive, immune, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, and respiratory.

CONCLUSION

Chronic diseases have become a health burden of global dimension with special emphasis in regions with poor monitoring over contents of benzene in petrochemicals. Benzene is a well known carcinogen of blood and its components, but the concern of benzene exposure is more than carcinogenicity of blood components and should be evaluated in both epidemiologic and experimental studies. Aspect of interactions and mechanism of toxicity in relation to human general health problems especially endocrine disturbances with particular reference to diabetes, breast and lung cancers should be followed up.