Magnesium lithospermate B supplementation improved prenatal Bisphenol A exposure-induced metabolic abnormalities in male offspring

Pollution, stress response, and obesity: A systematic review

Limited literature addresses the association between pollution, stress, and obesity, and knowledge synthesis on the associations between these three topics has yet to be made. Two reviewers independently conducted a systematic review of MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science Core Collection databases to identify studies dealing with the effects of semi-volatile organic compounds, pesticides, conservatives, and heavy metals on the psychosocial stress response and adiposity in humans, animals, and cells. The quality of papers and risk assessment were evaluated with ToxRTool, BEES-C instrument score, SYRCLE's risk of bias tool, and CAMARADES checklist. A protocol for the systematic review was registered on PROSPERO. Of 1869 identified references, 63 were eligible after title and abstract screening, 42 after full-text reading, and risk of bias and quality assessment. An important body of evidence shows a positive association between pollution, stress response, and obesity. Pollution stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis by activating the glucocorticoid receptor signaling and transcriptional factors responsible for adipocyte differentiation, hyperphagia, and obesity. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals also alter the Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor gamma pathway to promote adipocyte hyperplasia and hypertrophy. However, these associations depend on sex, age, and pollutant type. Our findings evidence that pollution promotes stress, leading to obesity.

Impact of Maternal BPA Exposure during Pregnancy on Obesity in Male Offspring: A Mechanistic Mouse Study of Adipose-Derived Exosomal miRNA

BACKGROUND

The widespread use of bisphenol A (BPA) has led to universal exposure among the population, raising concerns about its health effects. Epidemiological studies have linked environmentally relevant levels of BPA exposure to obesity.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to uncover the complex mechanisms by which oral exposure during pregnancy with BPA affects the offspring.

METHODS

We conducted a two-stage mouse study. In stage 1, we gavaged dams with BPA at 0.05, 0.5, and 5 mg / kg  per day during pregnancy, and we tracked the offspring's weight and diet to 12 wk of age. In stage 2, exosomes from BPA-exposed dams and offspring were injected into pregnant mice and 3-wk-old males, respectively, and the mice were observed up to 12 wk. We then sequenced exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) in male offspring whose dams had been exposed to BPA during pregnancy and checked their expression in adipose, liver, and serum samples at weeks 3, 6, 9, and 12. Finally, we explored the functions of exosomes and exosomal miRNAs secreted by adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells, and we investigated whether the exosomes and miRNAs they secreted could affect glucose uptake, triglyceride synthesis, and the expression of genes related to glucose and lipid metabolism in alpha mouse liver 12 cells.

RESULTS

Gavage of 0.05 mg / kg  per day of BPA during pregnancy in dams led to obesity in male offspring mice, and injection of exosomes from male offspring with BPA exposure during pregnancy also induced similar outcomes in the next generation of male pups. Exosomal miRNA sequencing identified differentially expressed miRNAs associated with BPA-induced obesity in male offspring, revealing sustained high expression of miRNAs in adipose tissue and a gradual increase in the liver and serum over time. Further mechanistic studies showed that exosomes derived from BPA-treated adipose-derived stem cells reduced the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma and fibroblast growth factor 21, leading to impaired insulin signaling and lipid metabolism in hepatocytes. Overexpression of miR-124-3p in hepatocytes mimicked these effects; in contrast, knockdown of miR-124-3p or inhibition of exosome secretion reversed them.

DISCUSSION

The present study corroborates the regulatory function of adipose-derived exosomal miRNAs in obesity in male offspring mice resulting from BPA exposure during pregnancy. Exosomal miRNA may be a key and novel molecular biomarker in the adverse effects of chemical exposure during pregnancy. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14888.

Hepatoprotective effect of Artemisia Argyi essential oil on bisphenol A-induced hepatotoxicity via inhibition of ferroptosis in mice

The environmental pollutant bisphenol A (BPA), used in the manufacture of plastic packaging materials for various diets, is widely distributed in the environment and causes severe hepatotoxicity by inducing oxidative stress. Artemisia argyi essential oil (AAEO), a volatile oil component isolated from Artemisia argyi H.Lév. & Vaniot, has pharmacological effects, especially for hepatoprotective actions. However, the potential effect of AAEO in BPA induced hepatotoxicity has not been characterized. First, we analyzed the chemical composition in AAEO by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Herein, we investigated the effect of AAEO on hepatic metabolic changes in mice exposed to BPA. Results showed that compared with the BPA group, AAEO could reduce the level of liver function enzymes in BPA mice serum, and ameliorate hepatic lesions and fibrosis. Additionally, 20 differential metabolites screened by metabolomics were mainly involved in the reprogramming of glutathione metabolism, purine metabolism, and polyunsaturated fatty acid synthesis. Moreover, AAEO could reduce hepatic ferroptosis induced by BPA, as demonstrated by reducing xanthine oxidase activity, up-regulating the activities of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), superoxide dismutase, and catalase and the expression of SLC7A11 to promote the glutathione synthetic, while inhibiting transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1) expression to reduce the accumulation of Fe2+ in cells. Therefore, our study identified AAEO as a hepatic protectant against BPA-induced hepatotoxicity by reversing the occurrence of ferroptosis.

Carnosic acid and rosemary extract reversed the lipid accumulation induced by bisphenol A in the 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and C57BL/6J mice via SIRT1/FoxO1 pathway

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine-disrupting chemical, widely used to produce polycarbonate plastic. Carnosic acid (CA) is a rosemary diterpene with an anti-obesity effect. In this study, we investigated the anti-adipogenic effect of CA in BPA-treated 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and C57BL/6 J mice. In vitro experiments showed that CA inhibited lipid accumulation by BPA in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. CA displayed anti-adipogenic effects through the downregulation of differentiation and adipogenesis-related proteins, along with the upregulation of lipolytic protein and SIRT1/FoxO1 pathway. In vivo experiments, mice treated with BPA exhibited an increase in body weight gain and epididymal adipose tissue mass when compared to the control group. CA treatment improved the epididymal adipose tissue mass induced by BPA. CA and rosemary extract (RE) treatment ameliorated dyslipidemia in BPA-treated mice. We further showed that CA and RE exerted anti-adipogenesis effects in liver tissues of BPA-treated mice via increasing SIRT1, FoxO1, and ATGL proteins and decreasing FAS and aP2 proteins. Moreover, SIRT1 inhibitor sirtinol blocked CA to increase SIRT1, FoxO1, FAS, and aP2 proteins, decrease Ac-FoxO1 protein, and reduce lipid accumulation in BPA-treated cells. These findings indicated that CA and RE could reverse BPA-induced lipid accumulation by regulating adipocyte differentiation, adipogenesis, and lipolysis through SIRT1/FoxO1 pathway.

An Ethnopharmaceutical Study on the Hypolipidemic Formulae in Taiwan Issued by Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmacies

Globally, approximately one-third of ischemic heart diseases are due to hyperlipidemia, which has been shown to cause various metabolic disorders. This study was aimed to disassemble and analyze hypolipidemic formulae sold by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pharmacies. Using commonly used statistical parameters in ethnopharmacology, we identified the core drug combination of the hypolipidemic formulae, thereby exploring the strategy by which the Taiwanese people select hypolipidemic drugs. Most important of all, we preserved the inherited knowledge of TCM. We visited 116 TCM pharmacies in Taiwan and collected 91 TCM formulae. The formulae were mainly disassembled by macroscopical identification, and the medicinal materials with a relative frequency of citation (RFC) >0.2 were defined as commonly used medicinal materials. Subsequently, we sorted the information of medicinal materials recorded in the Pharmacopeia, searched for modern pharmacological research on commonly used medicinal materials using PubMed database, and visualized data based on the statistical results. Finally, the core hypolipidemic medicinal materials used in folk medicine were obtained. Of the 91 TCM formulae collected in this study, 80 traditional Chinese medicinal materials were used, belonging to 43 families, predominantly Lamiaceae. Roots were the most commonly used part as a medicinal material. There were 17 commonly used medicinal materials. Based on medicinal records in Pharmacopeia, most flavors and properties were warm and pungent, the majority traditional effects were “tonifying and replenishing” and “blood-regulating.” Besides, the targeted diseases searching from modern pharmacological studies were diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia. The core medicinal materials consisted of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge and Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge, and the core formulae were Bu-Yang-Huan-Wu-Tang and Xie-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang. In addition, 7 groups of folk misused medicinal materials were found. Although these TCMs have been used for a long period of time, their hypolipidemic mechanisms remain unclear, and further studies are needed to validate their safety and efficacy.

Obesity II: Establishing causal links between chemical exposures and obesity

Obesity is a multifactorial disease with both genetic and environmental components. The prevailing view is that obesity results from an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure caused by overeating and insufficient exercise. We describe another environmental element that can alter the balance between energy intake and energy expenditure: obesogens. Obesogens are a subset of environmental chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors affecting metabolic endpoints. The obesogen hypothesis posits that exposure to endocrine disruptors and other chemicals can alter the development and function of the adipose tissue, liver, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, and brain, thus changing the set point for control of metabolism. Obesogens can determine how much food is needed to maintain homeostasis and thereby increase the susceptibility to obesity. The most sensitive time for obesogen action is in utero and early childhood, in part via epigenetic programming that can be transmitted to future generations. This review explores the evidence supporting the obesogen hypothesis and highlights knowledge gaps that have prevented widespread acceptance as a contributor to the obesity pandemic. Critically, the obesogen hypothesis changes the narrative from curing obesity to preventing obesity.

Perinatal Combinational Exposure to Bisphenol A and a High-Fat Diet Contributes to Transgenerational Dysregulation of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Systems in Mice

Both bisphenol A (BPA) and high-fat diet (HFD) exert unfavorable effects on animals and humans; moreover, they could affect the health of their offspring. BPA and HFD often coexist in modern lifestyles; however, the long-term effects of simultaneous exposure of mothers to BPA and HFD during the perinatal period on the cardiovascular and metabolic systems of the offspring remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the effect of simultaneous exposure of mothers to BPA and HFD on the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular abnormalities in offspring. Institute of Cancer Research female mice (F0) were exposed to BPA and fed with HFD before and during gestation until the end of lactation. F0 mice were mated with untreated males to produce the first generation (F1); subsequently, adult F1 males/females were mated with normal females/males to produce the second generation (F2). Combined maternal exposure to BPA and HFD caused myocardial hypertrophy and aortic tunica media thickening as well as increased the cross-sectional area of cardiomyocytes and blood pressure in the matrilineal F2 generation. These cardiovascular changes might be associated with reduced endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) levels. The patrilineal female F2 was more likely to be obese than the patrilineal male F2. Re-feeding with a HFD showed a more significant weight gain and reduced energy expenditure. However, the aforementioned effects were not observed with exposure to HFD or BPA alone during the perinatal period. Our findings suggest that perinatal combinational exposure to BPA and HFD could cause metabolic and cardiovascular disorders in the offspring, Further, our findings demonstrate that the synergistic effects of HFD and BPA could be transmitted to future generations in a sex-dependent manner.

Gestational bisphenol A exposure impairs hepatic lipid metabolism by altering mTOR/CRTC2/SREBP1 in male rat offspring

Lipid metabolism is an important biochemical process in the body. Recent studies have found that environmental endocrine disruptors play an important role in the regulation of lipid metabolism. Bisphenol A (BPA), a common environmental endocrine disruptor, has adverse effects on lipid metabolism, but the mechanism is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of gestational BPA exposure on hepatic lipid metabolism and its possible mechanism in male offspring. The pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to BPA (0, 0.05, 0.5, 5 mg/kg/day) from day 5 to day 19 of gestation to investigate the levels of triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC), and the expression of liver lipid metabolism-related genes in male offspring rats. The results showed that compared with the control group, the TG and TC levels in serum and liver in BPA-exposed groups was increased. And the expressions of liver fatty acid oxidation related genes, such as peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor α (PPARα) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1α (CPT1α), were down-regulated. However, the expressions of fatty acid synthesis related genes, such as sterol regulatory element binding proteins 1 (SREBP-1), acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1), fatty acid synthase (FAS) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD-1), were up-regulated. The increased protein levels of mTOR and p-CRTC2 suggested that CREB-regulated transcription coactivator 2 (CRTC2) might be an important mediator in the mTOR/SREBP-1 pathway. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that mTOR/CRTC2/SREBP-1 could be affected by gestational BPA exposure, which may involve in the lipid metabolic disorders in later life.