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Li T, Fan X, Cai M, Jiang Y, Wang Y, He P, Ni J, Mo A, Peng C, Liu J. Advances in investigating microcystin-induced liver toxicity and underlying mechanisms. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 905:167167. [PMID: 37730048 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167167] [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: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Microcystins (MCs) are a class of biologically active cyclic heptapeptide pollutants produced by the freshwater alga Microcystis aeruginosa. With increased environmental pollution, MCs have become a popular research topic. In recent years, the hepatotoxicity of MCs and associated effects and mechanisms have been studied extensively. Current epidemiological data indicate that long-term human exposure to MCs can lead to severe liver toxicity, acute toxicity, and death. In addition, current toxicological studies on the liver, a vital target organ of MCs, indicate that MC contamination is associated with the development of liver cancer, nonalcoholic fatty liver, and liver fibrosis. MCs produce hepatotoxicity that affects the metabolic homeostasis of the liver, induces apoptosis, and acts as a pro-cancer factor, leading to liver lesions. MCs mainly mediate the activation of signaling pathways, such as the ERK/JNK/p38 MAPK and IL-6-STAT3 pathways, which leads to oxidative damage and even carcinogenesis. Moreover, MCs can act synergistically with other pollutants to produce combined toxicity. However, few systematic reviews have been performed on these new findings. This review systematically summarizes the toxic effects and mechanisms of MCs on the liver and discusses the combined liver toxicity effects of MCs and other pollutants to provide reference for subsequent research. The toxicity of different MC isomers deserves further study. The detection methods and limit standards of MCs in agricultural and aquatic products will represent important research directions in the future. Standard protocols for fish sampling during harmful algal blooms or to evaluate the degree of MC toxicity in nature are lacking. In future, bioinformatics can be applied to offer insights into MC toxicology research and potential drug development for MC poisoning. Further research is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms of liver function damage in combined-exposure toxicology studies to establish treatment for MC-induced liver damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Li
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Xinting Fan
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Meihan Cai
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Yuanyuan Jiang
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Yaqi Wang
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Peishuang He
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Juan Ni
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Aili Mo
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Cuiying Peng
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China.
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Roy S, Saha P, Bose D, Trivedi A, More M, Xiao S, Diehl AM, Chatterjee S. Hepatic NLRP3-Derived Hsp70 Binding to TLR4 Mediates MASLD to MASH Progression upon Inhibition of PP2A by Harmful Algal Bloom Toxin Microcystin, a Second Hit. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16354. [PMID: 38003543 PMCID: PMC10671242 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216354] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Harmful algal bloom toxin microcystin has been associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) progression and hepatocellular carcinoma, though the mechanisms remain unclear. Using an established mouse model of MASLD, we show that the NLRP3-Hsp70-TLR4 axis drives in part the inflammation of the liver lobule that results in the progression of MASLD to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Results showed that mice deficient in NLRP3 exhibited decreased MASH pathology, blocked Hsp70 expression, and co-binding with NLRP3, a crucial protein component of the liver inflammasome. Hsp70, both in the liver lobule and extracellularly released in the liver vasculature, acted as a ligand to TLR4 in the liver, primarily in hepatocytes to activate the NF-κB pathway, ultimately leading to hepatic cell death and necroptosis, a crucial pathology of MASH progression. The above studies show a novel insight into an inflammasome-triggered Hsp70-mediated inflammation that may have broader implications in MASLD pathology. MASLD to MASH progression often requires multiple hits. One of the mediators of progressive MASLD is environmental toxins. In this research report, we show for the first time a novel mechanism where microcystin-LR, an environmental toxin, advances MASLD to MASH by triggering the release of Hsp70 as a DAMP to activate TLR4-induced inflammation in the liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhajit Roy
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (S.R.); (P.S.); (D.B.); (A.T.)
| | - Punnag Saha
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (S.R.); (P.S.); (D.B.); (A.T.)
| | - Dipro Bose
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (S.R.); (P.S.); (D.B.); (A.T.)
| | - Ayushi Trivedi
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (S.R.); (P.S.); (D.B.); (A.T.)
| | - Madhura More
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (S.R.); (P.S.); (D.B.); (A.T.)
| | - Shuo Xiao
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA;
| | - Anna Mae Diehl
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA;
| | - Saurabh Chatterjee
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (S.R.); (P.S.); (D.B.); (A.T.)
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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Wu J, Jia S, Xu B, Yao X, Shao J, Yao J, Cen D, Yao X. Bicyclol attenuates high fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis through modulating multiple pathways in mice. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1157200. [PMID: 37007016 PMCID: PMC10063911 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1157200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The pathological progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is driven by multiple factors, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) represents its progressive form. In our previous studies, we found that bicyclol had beneficial effects on NAFLD/ NASH. Here we aim to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of the bicyclol effect on NAFLD/NASH induced by high-fat diet (HFD) feeding.Methods: A mice model of NAFLD/NASH induced by HFD-feeding for 8 weeks was used. As a pretreatment, bicyclol (200 mg/kg) was given to mice by oral gavage twice daily. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stains were processed to evaluate hepatic steatosis, and hepatic fibrous hyperplasia was assessed by Masson staining. Biochemistry analyses were used to measure serum aminotransferase, serum lipids, and lipids in liver tissues. Proteomics and bioinformatics analyses were performed to identify the signaling pathways and target proteins. Data are available via Proteome X change with identifier PXD040233. The real-time RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were performed to verify the proteomics data.Results: Bicyclol had a markedly protective effect against NAFLD/NASH by suppressing the increase of serum aminotransferase, hepatic lipid accumulation and alleviating histopathological changes in liver tissues. Proteomics analyses showed that bicyclol remarkably restored major pathways related to immunological responses and metabolic processes altered by HFD feeding. Consistent with our previous results, bicyclol significantly inhibited inflammation and oxidative stress pathway related indexes (SAA1, GSTM1 and GSTA1). Furthermore, the beneficial effects of bicyclol were closely associated with the signaling pathways of bile acid metabolism (NPC1, SLCOLA4 and UGT1A1), cytochrome P450-mediated metabolism (CYP2C54, CYP3A11 and CYP3A25), biological processes such as metal ion metabolism (Ceruloplasmin and Metallothionein-1), angiogenesis (ALDH1A1) and immunological responses (IFI204 and IFIT3).Discussion: These findings suggested that bicyclol is a potential preventive agent for NAFLD/NASH by targeting multiple mechanisms in future clinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyi Wu
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Pharmaceutical University, Ningbo, China
| | - Shu Jia
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Pharmaceutical University, Ningbo, China
| | - Benghong Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology, Shenzhen Medical Key Discipline of Health Toxicology, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shengzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaokun Yao
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Pharmaceutical University, Ningbo, China
| | - Jingping Shao
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Pharmaceutical University, Ningbo, China
| | - Jianzuo Yao
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Li Huili Hospital Affiliated to Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Danwei Cen
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Pharmaceutical University, Ningbo, China
| | - Xiaomin Yao
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Pharmaceutical University, Ningbo, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaomin Yao,
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Gu S, Jiang M, Zhang B. Microcystin-LR in Primary Liver Cancers: An Overview. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14100715. [PMID: 36287983 PMCID: PMC9611980 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14100715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The cyanobacterial blooms produced by eutrophic water bodies have become a serious environmental issue around the world. After cellular lysing or algaecide treatment, microcystins (MCs), which are regarded as the most frequently encountered cyanobacterial toxins in fresh water, are released into water. Among all the variants of MCs, MC-LR has been widely studied due to its severe hepatotoxicity. Since 1992, various studies have identified the important roles of MC-LR in the origin and progression of primary liver cancers (PLCs), although few reviews have focused on it. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the major achievements and shortcomings observed in the past few years. Based on the available literature, the mechanisms of how MC-LR induces or promotes PLCs are elucidated in this review. This review aims to enhance our understanding of the role that MC-LR plays in PLCs and provides a rational approach for future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shen Gu
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China
- Translational Medicine Research Center, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-0571-56007664
| | - Mingxuemei Jiang
- Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310001, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China
- Translational Medicine Research Center, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China
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