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Pandaram A, Paul J, Wankhar W, Thakur A, Verma S, Vasudevan K, Wankhar D, Kammala AK, Sharma P, Jaganathan R, Iyaswamy A, Rajan R. Aspartame Causes Developmental Defects and Teratogenicity in Zebra Fish Embryo: Role of Impaired SIRT1/FOXO3a Axis in Neuron Cells. Biomedicines 2024; 12:855. [PMID: 38672209 PMCID: PMC11048232 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12040855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Aspartame, a widely used artificial sweetener, is present in many food products and beverages worldwide. It has been linked to potential neurotoxicity and developmental defects. However, its teratogenic effect on embryonic development and the underlying potential mechanisms need to be elucidated. We investigated the concentration- and time-dependent effects of aspartame on zebrafish development and teratogenicity. We focused on the role of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and Forkhead-box transcription factor (FOXO), two proteins that play key roles in neurodevelopment. It was found that aspartame exposure reduced the formation of larvae and the development of cartilage in zebrafish. It also delayed post-fertilization development by altering the head length and locomotor behavior of zebrafish. RNA-sequencing-based DEG analysis showed that SIRT1 and FOXO3a are involved in neurodevelopment. In silico and in vitro analyses showed that aspartame could target and reduce the expression of SIRT1 and FOXO3a proteins in neuron cells. Additionally, aspartame triggered the reduction of autophagy flux by inhibiting the nuclear translocation of SIRT1 in neuronal cells. The findings suggest that aspartame can cause developmental defects and teratogenicity in zebrafish embryos and reduce autophagy by impairing the SIRT1/FOXO3a axis in neuron cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athiram Pandaram
- Department of Physiology, Dr. ALM PG Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Chennai 600113, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Jeyakumari Paul
- Department of Physiology, Dr. ALM PG Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Chennai 600113, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Wankupar Wankhar
- Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Assam down town University, Guwahati 781026, Assam, India
| | - Abhimanyu Thakur
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, Ben May Department for Cancer Research, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, New Delhi 110017, India
| | - Sakshi Verma
- Department of Pharmacy, Usha Martin University, Ranchi 835103, Jharkhand, India
| | - Karthick Vasudevan
- Department of Biotechnology, REVA University, Bangalore 560064, Karnataka, India
| | - Dapkupar Wankhar
- Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Assam down town University, Guwahati 781026, Assam, India
| | - Ananth Kumar Kammala
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77550, USA
| | - Priyanshu Sharma
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ravindran Jaganathan
- Preclinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, Royal College of Medicine Perak, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh 30450, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Ashok Iyaswamy
- Mr. & Mrs. Ko Chi-Ming Centre for Parkinson’s Disease Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
- Department of Biochemistry, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore 641021, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ravindran Rajan
- Department of Physiology, Dr. ALM PG Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Chennai 600113, Tamil Nadu, India
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Jiang L, Yu Z, Zhao Y, Yin D. Obesogenic potentials of environmental artificial sweeteners with disturbances on both lipid metabolism and neural responses. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 919:170755. [PMID: 38340820 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170755] [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: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Artificial sweeteners (ASs) entered the environments after application and emissions. Recent studies showed that some ASs had obesogenic risks. However, it remained unclear whether such risks are common and how they provoke such effects. Presently, the effects of 8 widely used ASs on lipid accumulation were measured in Caenorhabditis elegans. Potential mechanisms were explored with feeding and locomotion behavior, lipid metabolism and neural regulation. Results showed that acesulfame (ACE), aspartame (ASP), saccharin sodium (SOD), sucralose (SUC) and cyclamate (CYC) stimulated lipid accumulation at μg/L levels, showing obesogenic potentials. Behavior investigation showed that ACE, ASP, SOD, SUC and CYC biased more feeding in the energy intake aspect against the locomotion in the energy consumption one. Neotame (NEO), saccharin (SAC) and alitame (ALT) reduced the lipid accumulation without significant obesogenic potentials in the present study. However, all 8 ASs commonly disturbed enzymes (e.g., acetyl-CoA carboxylase) in lipogenesis and those (e.g., carnitine palmitoyl transferase) in lipolysis. In addition, ASs disturbed PPARγ (via expressions of nhr-49), TGF-β/DAF-7 (daf-7) and SREBP (sbp-1) pathways. Moreover, they also interfered neurotransmitters including serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA) and acetylcholine (ACh), with influences in Gsα (e.g., via expressions of gsα-1, ser-7), glutamate (e.g., mgl-1), and cGMP-dependent signaling pathways (e.g., egl-4). In summary, environmental ASs commonly disturbed neural regulation connecting behavior and lipid metabolism, and 5 out of 8 showed clear obesogenic potentials. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: Artificial sweeteners (ASs) are become emerging pollutants after wide application and continuous emission. Recent studies showed that some environmental ASs had obesogenic risks. The present study employed Caenorhabditis elegans to explore the influences of 8 commonly used ASs on lipid metabolisms and also the underlying mechanisms. Five out of 8 ASs stimulated lipid accumulation at μg/L levels, and they biased energy intake against energy consumption. The other three ASs reduced the lipid accumulation. ASs commonly disturbed lipogenesis and lipolysis via PPARγ, TGF-β and SREBP pathways, and also influenced neurotransmitters with Gsα, glutamate and cGMP-dependent signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linhong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Zhenyang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
| | - Yanbin Zhao
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China
| | - Daqiang Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China
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Audira G, Lee JS, Vasquez RD, Roldan MJM, Lai YH, Hsiao CD. Assessments of carbon nanotubes toxicities in zebrafish larvae using multiple physiological and molecular endpoints. Chem Biol Interact 2024; 392:110925. [PMID: 38452846 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2024.110925] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have become one of the most promising materials for the technology industry. However, due to the extensive usage of these materials, they may be released into the environment, and cause toxicities to the organism. Here, their acute toxicities in zebrafish embryos and larvae were evaluated by using various assessments that may provide us with a novel perspective on their effects on aquatic animals. Before conducting the toxicity assessments, the CNTs were characterized as multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) functionalized with hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, which improved their solubility and dispersibility. Based on the results, abnormalities in zebrafish behaviors were observed in the exposed groups, indicated by a reduction in tail coiling frequency and alterations in the locomotion as the response toward photo and vibration stimuli that might be due to the disruption in the neuromodulatory system and the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by MWCNTs. Next, based on the respiratory rate assay, exposed larvae consumed more oxygen, which may be due to the injuries in the larval gill by the MWCNTs. Finally, even though no irregularity was observed in the exposed larval cardiac rhythm, abnormalities were shown in their cardiac physiology and blood flow with significant downregulation in several cardiac development-related gene expressions. To sum up, although the following studies are necessary to understand the exact mechanism of their toxicity, the current study demonstrated the environmental implications of MWCNTs in particularly low concentrations and short-term exposure, especially to aquatic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilbert Audira
- Department of Bioscience Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li, 320314, Taiwan; Department of Chemistry, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li, 320314, Taiwan
| | - Jiann-Shing Lee
- Department of Applied Physics, National Pingtung University, Pingtung, 900391, Taiwan
| | - Ross D Vasquez
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, 1015, Philippines; Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, 1015, Philippines; The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, 1015, Philippines
| | - Marri Jmelou M Roldan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Espana Blvd., Manila, 1015, Philippines
| | - Yu-Heng Lai
- Department of Chemistry, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, 11114, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Der Hsiao
- Department of Bioscience Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li, 320314, Taiwan; Department of Chemistry, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li, 320314, Taiwan; Center of Nanotechnology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li, 320314, Taiwan; Center for Aquatic Toxicology and Pharmacology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li, 320314, Taiwan.
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Lin XL, Guo F, Rillig MC, Chen C, Duan GL, Zhu YG. Effects of common artificial sweeteners at environmentally relevant concentrations on soil springtails and their gut microbiota. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 185:108496. [PMID: 38359549 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108496] [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: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Artificial sweeteners (AS) are extensively utilized as sugar substitutes and have been recognized as emerging environmental contaminants. While the effect of AS on aquatic organisms has garnered recent attention, their effects on soil invertebrates and gut microbial communities remain unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we exposed springtails (Folsomia candida) to both single and combined treatments of four typical AS (sucralose [SUC], saccharin [SAC], cyclamate [CYC], and acesulfame [ACE]) at environmentally relevant concentrations of 0.01, 0.1 and 1 mg kg-1 in soil. Following the first-generational exposure, the reproduction of juveniles showed a significant increase under all the AS treatments of 0.1 mg kg-1. The transcriptomic analysis revealed significant enrichment of several Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome pathways (e.g., glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, amino sugar, and nucleotide sugar metabolism, ribosome, and lysosome) in springtails under all AS treatments. Analysis of gut bacterial microbiota indicated that three AS (SUC, CYC, and ACE) significantly decreased alpha diversity, and all AS treatments increased the abundance of the genus Achromobacter. After the sixth-generational exposure to CYC, weight increased, but reproduction was inhibited. The pathways that changed significantly (e.g., extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, lysosome) were generally similar to those altered in first-generational exposure, but with opposite regulation directions. Furthermore, the effect on the alpha diversity of gut microbiota was contrary to that after first-generational exposure, and more noticeable disturbances in microbiota composition were observed. These findings underscore the ecological risk of AS in soils and improve our understanding of the toxicity effects of AS on living organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Long Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Fei Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100000, China
| | - Matthias C Rillig
- Institut Für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Chun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Gui-Lan Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Yong-Guan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
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Colín-García K, Elizalde-Velázquez GA, Gómez-Oliván LM, García-Medina S. Influence of sucralose, acesulfame-k, and their mixture on brain's fish: A study of behavior, oxidative damage, and acetylcholinesterase activity in Daniorerio. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 340:139928. [PMID: 37625490 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Sucralose (SUC) and acesulfame-k (ACE-K) are widely used artificial sweeteners worldwide; however, they are frequently detected in aquatic environments due to their low metabolism and inadequate removal during wastewater treatment. The harmful effects of these compounds on hydrobionts have yet to be fully understood, as data on their toxicity is limited and inconclusive. This research aimed to determine the impact of SUC (50, 75, 125 μg/L) and ACE-K (50, 75, 125 μg/L), individually and in combination, on fish's swimming behavior, acetylcholinesterase activity, and oxidative stress response after four months of exposure. Following exposure, adult Danio rerio displayed anxiety-like behavior, as evidenced by increased freezing time and decreased swimming activity. Additionally, analysis of fish brain tissue revealed a disruption of REDOX homeostasis, leading to oxidative stress, which may be responsible for the observed inhibition of AChE activity. The results indicated that ACE-K was more toxic than SUC, and the mixture of both compounds produced a more detrimental effect than when each compound was administered alone. These findings highlight the hazardous impacts of SUC and ACE-K on fish in environmentally relevant concentrations, suggesting that these compounds should be added to the priority pollutant list.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla Colín-García
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma Del Estado de México, Paseo Colón Intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, CP 50120, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Gustavo Axel Elizalde-Velázquez
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma Del Estado de México, Paseo Colón Intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, CP 50120, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Leobardo Manuel Gómez-Oliván
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma Del Estado de México, Paseo Colón Intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, CP 50120, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico.
| | - Sandra García-Medina
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Acuática, Departamento de Farmacia, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Av. Wilfrido Massieu S/n y Cerrada Manuel Stampa, Col. Industrial Vallejo, Ciudad de México, CP, 07700, Mexico
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Colín-García K, Elizalde-Velázquez GA, Gómez-Oliván LM, Islas-Flores H, García-Medina S, Galar-Martínez M. Acute exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of sucralose disrupts embryonic development and leads to an oxidative stress response in Danio rerio. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 829:154689. [PMID: 35314215 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Sucralose (SUC) is the most consumed artificial sweetener worldwide, not metabolized by the human body, and barely eliminated from water in wastewater treatment plants. Although different studies have reported high concentrations of this sweetener in aquatic environments, limited to no information is known about the toxic effects this drug may produce over water organisms. Moreover, most of the current studies have used non-environmentally relevant concentrations of SUC for these effects. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the harmful effects that environmentally relevant concentrations of SUC may induce in the early life stages of Danio rerio. According to our results, SUC altered the embryonic development of D. rerio, producing several malformations that led to their death. The major malformations were scoliosis, pericardial edema, yolk deformation, and tail malformation. However, embryos also got craniofacial malformations, eye absence, fin absence, dwarfism, delay of the hatching process, and hypopigmentation. SUC also generated an oxidative stress response in the embryos characterized by an increase in the levels of lipid peroxidation, hydroperoxides, and carbonyl proteins. To overcome this oxidative stress response, we observed a significant increase in the levels of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase. Moreover, a significant boost in the expression of antioxidant defense-related genes, Nuclear respiratory factor 1a (Nrf1a) and Nuclear respiratory factor 2a (Nrf2a), was also observed at all concentrations. Concerning apoptosis-related genes, we observed the expression of Caspase 3 (CASP3) and Caspase 9 (CASP9) was increased in a concentration-dependent manner. Overall, we conclude environmentally relevant concentrations of SUC are harmful to the early life stages of fish as they produce malformations, oxidative stress, and increased gene expression of apoptosis-related genes on embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla Colín-García
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, CP 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Gustavo Axel Elizalde-Velázquez
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, CP 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Leobardo Manuel Gómez-Oliván
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, CP 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico.
| | - Hariz Islas-Flores
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, CP 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Sandra García-Medina
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Acuática, Departamento de Farmacia, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Av. Wilfrido Massieu s/n y cerrada Manuel Stampa, Col. Industrial Vallejo, Ciudad de México CP 07700, Mexico
| | - Marcela Galar-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Acuática, Departamento de Farmacia, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Av. Wilfrido Massieu s/n y cerrada Manuel Stampa, Col. Industrial Vallejo, Ciudad de México CP 07700, Mexico
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