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Liu Y, Zeng JM, Zhao H, Ao CY, Ao LH, Ban JQ, Li J. Mechanism of KAT2A regulation of H3K36ac in manganese-induced oxidative damage to mitochondria in the nervous system and intervention by curcumin. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 273:116155. [PMID: 38417317 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116155] [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: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Excessive exposure to manganese in the environment or workplace is strongly linked to neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment, but the precise pathogenic mechanism and preventive measures are still not fully understood. The study aimed to investigate manganese -induced oxidative damage in the nervous system from an epigenetic perspective, focusing on the H3K36ac-dependent antioxidant pathway. Additionally, it sought to examine the potential of curcumin in preventing manganese-induced oxidative damage. Histopathology and transmission electron microscopy revealed that apoptosis and necrosis of neurons and mitochondrial ultrastructure damage were observed in the striatum of manganese-exposed rats. manganese suppressed the expression of mitochondrial antioxidant genes, leading to oxidative damage in the rats' striatum and SH-SY5Y cells. With higher doses of manganese, levels of histone acetyltransferase lysine acetyltransferase 2 A (KAT2A) expression and H3K36ac level decreased. ChIP-qPCR confirmed that H3K36ac enrichment in the promoter regions of antioxidant genes SOD2, PRDX3, and TXN2 was reduced in SH-SY5Y cells after manganese exposure, leading to decreased expression of these genes. Overexpression of KAT2A confirms that it attenuates manganese-induced mitochondrial oxidative damage by regulating H3K36ac levels, which in turn controls the expression of antioxidant genes SOD2, PRDX3, and TXN2 in the manganese-exposed cell model. Furthermore, curcumin might control H3K36ac levels by influencing KAT2A expression, boosting antioxidant genes expression, and reducing manganese-induced mitochondrial oxidative damage. In conclusion, the regulation of mitochondrial oxidative stress by histone acetylation may be an important mechanism of manganese-induced neurotoxicity. This regulation could be achieved by reducing the level of H3K36ac near the promoter region of mitochondrial-associated antioxidant genes via KAT2A. Curcumin mitigates manganese-induced oxidative damage in mitochondria and plays a crucial protective role in manganese-induced oxidative injury in the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liu
- School of Public Heath, The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang ,Guizhou 561113, China
| | - Jia-Min Zeng
- School of Public Heath, The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang ,Guizhou 561113, China
| | - Hua Zhao
- School of Public Heath, The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang ,Guizhou 561113, China
| | - Chun-Yan Ao
- School of Public Heath, The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang ,Guizhou 561113, China
| | - Li-Hong Ao
- School of Public Heath, The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang ,Guizhou 561113, China
| | - Jia-Qi Ban
- School of Public Heath, The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang ,Guizhou 561113, China..
| | - Jun Li
- School of Public Heath, The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang ,Guizhou 561113, China..
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Yu G, Wu L, Su Q, Ji X, Zhou J, Wu S, Tang Y, Li H. Neurotoxic effects of heavy metal pollutants in the environment: Focusing on epigenetic mechanisms. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 345:123563. [PMID: 38355086 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123563] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
The pollution of heavy metals (HMs) in the environment is a significant global environmental issue, characterized by its extensive distribution, severe contamination, and profound ecological impacts. Excessive exposure to heavy metal pollutants can damage the nervous system. However, the mechanisms underlying the neurotoxicity of most heavy metals are not completely understood. Epigenetics is defined as a heritable change in gene function that can influence gene and subsequent protein expression levels without altering the DNA sequence. Growing evidence indicates that heavy metals can induce neurotoxic effects by triggering epigenetic changes and disrupting the epigenome. Compared with genetic changes, epigenetic alterations are more easily reversible. Epigenetic reprogramming techniques, drugs, and certain nutrients targeting specific epigenetic mechanisms involved in gene expression regulation are emerging as potential preventive or therapeutic tools for diseases. Therefore, this review provides a comprehensive overview of epigenetic modifications encompassing DNA/RNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs in the nervous system, elucidating their association with various heavy metal exposures. These primarily include manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cobalt (Co), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), sliver (Ag), toxic metalloids arsenic (As), and etc. The potential epigenetic mechanisms in the etiology, precision prevention, and target therapy of various neurodevelopmental disorders or different neurodegenerative diseases are emphasized. In addition, the current gaps in research and future areas of study are discussed. From a perspective on epigenetics, this review offers novel insights for prevention and treatment of neurotoxicity induced by heavy metal pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangxia Yu
- Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Lingyan Wu
- Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Qianqian Su
- Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Xianqi Ji
- Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Jinfu Zhou
- Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Fujian Maternity and Child Hospital College of Clinical Medicine for Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Siying Wu
- Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Ying Tang
- Fujian Center for Prevention and Control Occupational Diseases and Chemical Poisoning, Fuzhou 350125, China
| | - Huangyuan Li
- Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China.
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Li X, Kong L, Pan J, Liu H, Wang C, Xu S, Liu W, Sun J. N-acetylcysteine protects against neurodevelopmental injuries induced by methylmercury exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Brain Res 2024; 1827:148761. [PMID: 38211826 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148761] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
As an extremely dangerous environmental contaminant, methylmercury (MeHg) results in detrimental health effects in human brain nervous system, one of its main targets. However, as a developmental toxicant, the brain of offspring is vulnerable to MeHg during pregnancy and lactation exposure. Unfortunately, mechanisms of neurodevelopmental injuries induced by MeHg have not been fully elucidated. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been used for several decades as an antioxidant to antagonize oxidative stress. However, the molecular mechanisms of NAC alleviating MeHg-induced neurodevelopmental toxicity are not clear. Here, for evaluation of the dose-dependent effects of MeHg exposure on neurodevelopmental injuries of offspring, and the possible protective effects of NAC, the pregnant female mice were exposed to MeHg (4, 8, 12 mg/L, respectively) and NAC (50, 100, 150 mg/kg, respectively) from gestational day 1 (GD1) to postnatal day 21 (PND21). Our results indicated that administering MeHg caused behavioral impairment and neuronal injuries in the cerebral cortex of newborn mice. MeHg dose-dependently caused reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction and oxidative stress aggravation, together with expression of Nrf2, HO-1, Notch1, and p21 up-regulation, and CDK2 inhibition. NAC treatment dose-dependently antagonized MeHg-induced oxidative stress that may contribute to alleviating neurobehavioral and neurodevelopmental impairments. These results give insight into that NAC can protect against MeHg-induced neurodevelopmental toxicity by its antioxidation capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Li
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Lingxu Kong
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Jingjing Pan
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Haihui Liu
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Si Xu
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Jingyi Sun
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, PR China.
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Kao CS, Fan YT, Wang YL, Chen YH, Chao HJ, Lo YC, Jiang CB, Chien LC. Associations between parental and postnatal metal mixture exposure and developmental delays in a Taiwanese longitudinal birth cohort of preschool children. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:117360-117372. [PMID: 37867168 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30435-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Studies have evaluated the impact of environmental exposure to neurotoxic metals on developmental delays (DDs). However, comprehensive understanding regarding the associations between parental and postnatal exposure to metal mixtures and the occurrence of DDs in offspring is limited. In this study, we assessed the relationships between parental and postnatal exposure to three metals (arsenic [As], cadmium [Cd], and lead [Pb], levels of which were measured in toenails) and suspected DDs (SDDs) in preschool children within a Taiwanese longitudinal birth cohort. In total between 2017 and 2021, 154 pairs of parents and their children under the age of 6 years were recruited, and 462 toenail samples and 154 completed questionnaires were collected. Metal concentrations in toenails were quantified using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry after acid digestion of the toenails. We applied multivariable logistic regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression to evaluate the overall effect and to identify key components of the metal mixture that were associated with the SDD risk. Higher concentrations of As, Cd, and Pb were found in the toenails of the parents of children with SDDs compared with the toenails of the parents of children without SDDs. Our examination of the combined effects of exposure to the metal mixture revealed that As concentration in the father's toenail and Cd concentration in the mother's toenail were positively correlated with the risk of SDDs in their offspring. Notably, the effect of exposure to the metal mixture on the risk of SDDs was stronger in boys than in girls. Our findings suggest that parents taking measures to minimize their exposure to metals might enhance their children's developmental outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Sian Kao
- School of Public Health, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Tzu Fan
- School of Public Health, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Lin Wang
- School of Public Health, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hua Chen
- School of Public Health, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Neuroscience Research Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Jasmine Chao
- School of Public Health, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Neuroscience Research Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chun Lo
- Neuroscience Research Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Program in Medical Neuroscience, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chuen-Bin Jiang
- Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, MacKay Children's Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Ling-Chu Chien
- School of Public Health, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Neuroscience Research Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Nutrition Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Xia Z, Idowu I, Halldorson T, Lucas AM, Stein C, Kaur M, Tomy T, Marvin C, Thomas PJ, Hebert CE, Smith RA, Dwyer-Samuel F, Provencher JF, Tomy GT. Microbead beating extraction of avian eggs for polycyclic aromatic compounds. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 335:139059. [PMID: 37268236 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Due to their relatively high trophic position and importance as a food source for many communities in the circumpolar north, seabird eggs are an important matrix for monitoring contaminant levels. In fact, many countries, including Canada, have established long-term seabird egg contaminant monitoring programs, with oil related compounds a contaminant of emerging concern for seabirds in several regions. Current approaches to measuring many contaminant burdens in seabird eggs are time-consuming and often require large volumes of solvent. Here we propose an alternative approach, based on the principle of microbead beating tissue extraction using custom designed stainless-steel extraction tubes and lids, to measure a suite of 75 polycyclic aromatic compounds (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkyl-PAHs, halogenated-PAHs and some heterocyclic compounds) comprising a wide-range of chemical properties. Our method was conducted in strict accordance with ISO/IEC 17025 guidelines for method validation. Accuracies for our analytes generally ranged from 70 to 120%, and intra and inter-day repeatability for most analytes were <30%. Limits of detection/quantitation for the 75 target analytes were <0.2/0.6 ng g-1. The level of contamination in our method blanks was significantly smaller in our stainless-steel tubes/lids relative to commercially available high-density plastic alternatives. Overall, our method meets our data quality objectives and results in a notable reduction in sample processing times relative to current approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Xia
- University of Manitoba, Department of Chemistry, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2N2.
| | - Ifeoluwa Idowu
- University of Manitoba, Department of Chemistry, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2N2
| | - Thor Halldorson
- University of Manitoba, Department of Chemistry, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2N2
| | - Amica-Mariae Lucas
- University of Manitoba, Department of Chemistry, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2N2
| | - Claire Stein
- University of Manitoba, Department of Chemistry, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2N2
| | - Manpreet Kaur
- University of Manitoba, Department of Chemistry, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2N2
| | - Thane Tomy
- University of Manitoba, Department of Chemistry, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2N2
| | - Chris Marvin
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada, L7S 1A1
| | - Philippe J Thomas
- Wildlife Landscape Science Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1A 0H3
| | - Craig E Hebert
- Wildlife Landscape Science Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1A 0H3
| | - Reyd A Smith
- Carleton University, Department of Biology, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
| | | | - Jennifer F Provencher
- Wildlife Landscape Science Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1A 0H3
| | - Gregg T Tomy
- University of Manitoba, Department of Chemistry, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2N2.
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Zobdeh F, Eremenko II, Akan MA, Tarasov VV, Chubarev VN, Schiöth HB, Mwinyi J. The Epigenetics of Migraine. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119127. [PMID: 37298078 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Migraine is a complex neurological disorder and a major cause of disability. A wide range of different drug classes such as triptans, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, analgesics, and beta-blockers are used in acute and preventive migraine therapy. Despite a considerable progress in the development of novel and targeted therapeutic interventions during recent years, e.g., drugs that inhibit the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) pathway, therapy success rates are still unsatisfactory. The diversity of drug classes used in migraine therapy partly reflects the limited perception of migraine pathophysiology. Genetics seems to explain only to a minor extent the susceptibility and pathophysiological aspects of migraine. While the role of genetics in migraine has been extensively studied in the past, the interest in studying the role of gene regulatory mechanisms in migraine pathophysiology is recently evolving. A better understanding of the causes and consequences of migraine-associated epigenetic changes could help to better understand migraine risk, pathogenesis, development, course, diagnosis, and prognosis. Additionally, it could be a promising avenue to discover new therapeutic targets for migraine treatment and monitoring. In this review, we summarize the state of the art regarding epigenetic findings in relation to migraine pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets, with a focus on DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and microRNA-dependent regulation. Several genes and their methylation patterns such as CALCA (migraine symptoms and age of migraine onset), RAMP1, NPTX2, and SH2D5 (migraine chronification) and microRNA molecules such as miR-34a-5p and miR-382-5p (treatment response) seem especially worthy of further study regarding their role in migraine pathogenesis, course, and therapy. Additionally, changes in genes including COMT, GIT2, ZNF234, and SOCS1 have been linked to migraine progression to medication overuse headache (MOH), and several microRNA molecules such as let-7a-5p, let-7b-5p, let-7f-5p, miR-155, miR-126, let-7g, hsa-miR-34a-5p, hsa-miR-375, miR-181a, let-7b, miR-22, and miR-155-5p have been implicated with migraine pathophysiology. Epigenetic changes could be a potential tool for a better understanding of migraine pathophysiology and the identification of new therapeutic possibilities. However, further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to verify these early findings and to be able to establish epigenetic targets as disease predictors or therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzin Zobdeh
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, P.O. Box 593, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ivan I Eremenko
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, P.O. Box 593, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
- Advanced Molecular Technology, LLC, 354340 Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikail A Akan
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, P.O. Box 593, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
- Advanced Molecular Technology, LLC, 354340 Moscow, Russia
| | | | | | - Helgi B Schiöth
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, P.O. Box 593, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jessica Mwinyi
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, P.O. Box 593, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
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Cediel-Ulloa A, Lindner S, Rüegg J, Broberg K. Epigenetics of methylmercury. Neurotoxicology 2023; 97:34-46. [PMID: 37164037 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2023.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Methylmercury (MeHg) is neurotoxic at high levels and particularly affects the developing brain. One proposed mechanism of MeHg neurotoxicity is alteration of the epigenetic programming. In this review, we summarise the experimental and epidemiological literature on MeHg-associated epigenetic changes. RECENT FINDINGS Experimental and epidemiological studies have identified changes in DNA methylation following in utero exposure to MeHg, and some of the changes appear to be persistent. A few studies have evaluated associations between MeHg-related changes in DNA methylation and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Experimental studies reveal changes in histone modifications after MeHg exposure, but we lack epidemiological studies supporting such changes in humans. Experimental and epidemiological studies have identified microRNA-related changes associated with MeHg; however, more research is needed to conclude if these changes lead to persistent and toxic effects. SUMMARY MeHg appears to interfere with epigenetic processes, potentially leading to persistent changes. However, observed associations of mercury with epigenetic changes are as of yet of unknown relevance to neurodevelopmental outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Cediel-Ulloa
- Department of Organism Biology, Uppsala University, Kåbovägen 4, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sabrina Lindner
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Joëlle Rüegg
- Department of Organism Biology, Uppsala University, Kåbovägen 4, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Karin Broberg
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Kefayati F, Karimi Babaahmadi A, Mousavi T, Hodjat M, Abdollahi M. Epigenotoxicity: a danger to the future life. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART A, TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2023; 58:382-411. [PMID: 36942370 DOI: 10.1080/10934529.2023.2190713] [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: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Environmental toxicants can regulate gene expression in the absence of DNA mutations via epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs' (ncRNAs). Here, all three epigenetic modifications for seven important categories of diseases and the impact of eleven main environmental factors on epigenetic modifications were discussed. Epigenetic-related mechanisms are among the factors that could explain the root cause of a wide range of common diseases. Its overall impression on the development of diseases can help us diagnose and treat diseases, and besides, predict transgenerational and intergenerational effects. This comprehensive article attempted to address the relationship between environmental factors and epigenetic modifications that cause diseases in different categories. The studies main gap is that the precise role of environmentally-induced epigenetic alterations in the etiology of the disorders is unknown; thus, still more well-designed researches need to be accomplished to fill this gap. The present review aimed to first summarize the adverse effect of certain chemicals on the epigenome that may involve in the onset of particular disease based on in vitro and in vivo models. Subsequently, the possible adverse epigenetic changes that can lead to many human diseases were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzaneh Kefayati
- Toxicology and Diseases Group (TDG), Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center (PSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atoosa Karimi Babaahmadi
- Toxicology and Diseases Group (TDG), Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center (PSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Taraneh Mousavi
- Toxicology and Diseases Group (TDG), Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center (PSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahshid Hodjat
- Toxicology and Diseases Group (TDG), Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center (PSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Dental Research Center, Dentistry Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Abdollahi
- Toxicology and Diseases Group (TDG), Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center (PSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Ke T, Santamaria A, Barbosa F, Rocha JBT, Skalny AV, Tinkov AA, Bowman AB, Aschner M. Developmental Methylmercury Exposure Induced and Age-Dependent Glutamatergic Neurotoxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Neurochem Res 2023; 48:920-928. [PMID: 36385214 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-022-03816-5] [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: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Developmental methylmercury (MeHg) exposures cause latent neurotoxic effects in adults; however, the mechanisms underlying the latent neurotoxicity are not fully understood. In the current study, we used C. elegans as an animal model to investigate the latent neurotoxic effects of developmental MeHg exposures on glutamatergic neurons. The young larvae stage 1 worms were exposed to MeHg (0.05 ~ 5 µM) for 48 h. The morphological and behavioral endpoints of glutamatergic neurons were compared when worms reached to adult stages including the young adult stage (day 1 adult) and the old adult stage (day 10 adult). Here, we showed that C. elegans glutamatergic neurons were morphologically intact following low or medium MeHg exposures (0.05 ~ 0.5 µM). The morphological damage of glutamatergic neurons appeared to be pronounced in day 10 adults developmentally exposed to 5 µM MeHg. Behavioral assays also showed an age-dependent latent effect of MeHg. In the nose touch response assay, only day 10 adult worms exhibited a functional decline following prior 5 µM MeHg exposure. Moreover, the disruption of NaCl memory appeared only in day 1 adults following MeHg exposures but not in day 10 adults. The expression of C. elegans homologs of mammalian vesicular glutamate transporter (eat-4) was repressed in day 1 adults, while the glutamate receptor homolog (glr-1) was upregulated in day 10 adults with 5 µM MeHg. In the comparison of age-dependent changes in the insulin-like pathway (daf-2/age-1/daf-16) following MeHg exposures, we showed that the daf-2/age-1/daf-16 pathway was mobilized in day 1 adults but repressed in day 10 adults. Collectively, our data supports a conclusion that MeHg-induced glutamatergic neurotoxicity exhibits an age-dependent pattern, possibly related to the prominent changes in age-dependent modulation in the glutamatergic neurotransmission and metabolic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Ke
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Abel Santamaria
- Laboratorio de Aminoácidos Excitadores/Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Molecular y Nanotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, 14269, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Fernando Barbosa
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-900, Brazil
| | - João B T Rocha
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, 97105900, Brazil
| | - Anatoly V Skalny
- IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey A Tinkov
- IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
- Yaroslavl State University, Yaroslavl, Russia
| | - Aaron B Bowman
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2051, USA
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- , Forchheimer Building, Room 209, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
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Bose R, Spulber S, Ceccatelli S. The Threat Posed by Environmental Contaminants on Neurodevelopment: What Can We Learn from Neural Stem Cells? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054338. [PMID: 36901772 PMCID: PMC10002364 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054338] [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: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to chemicals may pose a greater risk to vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, fetuses, and children, that may lead to diseases linked to the toxicants' target organs. Among chemical contaminants, methylmercury (MeHg), present in aquatic food, is one of the most harmful to the developing nervous system depending on time and level of exposure. Moreover, certain man-made PFAS, such as PFOS and PFOA, used in commercial and industrial products including liquid repellants for paper, packaging, textile, leather, and carpets, are developmental neurotoxicants. There is vast knowledge about the detrimental neurotoxic effects induced by high levels of exposure to these chemicals. Less is known about the consequences that low-level exposures may have on neurodevelopment, although an increasing number of studies link neurotoxic chemical exposures to neurodevelopmental disorders. Still, the mechanisms of toxicity are not identified. Here we review in vitro mechanistic studies using neural stem cells (NSCs) from rodents and humans to dissect the cellular and molecular processes changed by exposure to environmentally relevant levels of MeHg or PFOS/PFOA. All studies show that even low concentrations dysregulate critical neurodevelopmental steps supporting the idea that neurotoxic chemicals may play a role in the onset of neurodevelopmental disorders.
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11
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Go S, Masuda H, Tsuru M, Inden M, Hozumi I, Kurita H. Exposure to a low concentration of methylmercury in neural differentiation downregulates NR4A1 expression with altered epigenetic modifications and inhibits neuronal spike activity in vitro. Toxicol Lett 2023; 374:68-76. [PMID: 36565944 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2022.12.010] [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: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a well-known developmental neurotoxin. Our previous research showed that the inhibition of neurite extension by exposure to a low level of MeHg (1 nM) was attributed to the decrease of acetylation of histone H3 and the increase of DNA methylation. However, the target molecules responsible for the neurological dysfunctions caused by MeHg exposure have not been identified. This study focused on a nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 1 (NR4A1), which is reported to be related to synaptic plasticity and neurite extension. LUHMES cells, which are derived from human fetal brain, were treated with 0.1 and 1 nM MeHg beginning at two days of differentiation and continued for 6 consecutive days. The present study showed that exposure to a 1 nM MeHg during neural differentiation inhibited neuronal spike activity and neurite extension. Furthermore, MeHg exposure increased DNA methylation, and altered histone modifications for transcriptional repression in the NR4A1 promoter region to decrease the levels of NR4A1 expression. In addition, MeHg exposure inhibited the mobilization of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and CREB binding protein (CBP) in the NR4A1 promoter region. These results suggest that MeHg inhibits the recruitment of the CREB-CBP complex to the NR4A1 promoter region and impairs neuronal functions associated with NR4A1 repression via a decrease in acetylation of histone H3 lysine 14 levels. Conclusively, this study demonstrated that MeHg exposure during neuronal differentiation could induce neurological dysfunctions even at a low concentration in vitro. These dysfunctions could be associated with the transcriptional repression of NR4A1 by the dissociation of CREB and CBP from the NR4A1 promoter region due to the alterations of epigenetic modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzuna Go
- Laboratory of Medical Therapeutics and Molecular Therapeutics, Department Biomedical Pharmaceutics, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, 1-25-4 Daigaku-nishi, Gifu city, Gifu, 501-1196, Japan
| | - Haruka Masuda
- Laboratory of Medical Therapeutics and Molecular Therapeutics, Department Biomedical Pharmaceutics, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, 1-25-4 Daigaku-nishi, Gifu city, Gifu, 501-1196, Japan
| | - Mizuki Tsuru
- Laboratory of Medical Therapeutics and Molecular Therapeutics, Department Biomedical Pharmaceutics, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, 1-25-4 Daigaku-nishi, Gifu city, Gifu, 501-1196, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Inden
- Laboratory of Medical Therapeutics and Molecular Therapeutics, Department Biomedical Pharmaceutics, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, 1-25-4 Daigaku-nishi, Gifu city, Gifu, 501-1196, Japan
| | - Isao Hozumi
- Laboratory of Medical Therapeutics and Molecular Therapeutics, Department Biomedical Pharmaceutics, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, 1-25-4 Daigaku-nishi, Gifu city, Gifu, 501-1196, Japan.
| | - Hisaka Kurita
- Laboratory of Medical Therapeutics and Molecular Therapeutics, Department Biomedical Pharmaceutics, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, 1-25-4 Daigaku-nishi, Gifu city, Gifu, 501-1196, Japan.
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12
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Ke T, Tinkov AA, Skalny AV, Santamaria A, Rocha JBT, Bowman AB, Chen W, Aschner M. Epigenetics and Methylmercury-Induced Neurotoxicity, Evidence from Experimental Studies. TOXICS 2023; 11:toxics11010072. [PMID: 36668798 PMCID: PMC9860901 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11010072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
MeHg is an environmental neurotoxin that can adversely affect the development of the nervous system. The molecular integrity of chromatin in the nucleus is an important target of MeHg. Low levels of MeHg trigger epigenetic mechanisms that may be involved in long-lasting and transgenerational neurotoxicity after exposure. Emerging evidence has shown that these mechanisms include histone modification, siRNA, and DNA methylation. The MeHg-induced inhibition of neurodifferentiation and neurogenesis are mechanistically associated with epigenetic alterations in critical genes, such as neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Further, MeHg exposure has been shown to alter the activity and/or expression of the upstream regulators of chromatin structure, including histone deacetylases (HDACs) and DNA methyltransferase (DNMTs), which may trigger permanent alterations in histone modifications and DNA methylation. MeHg-exposure also alters several species of miRNA that are associated with neurodevelopment. Genetic studies in the C. elegans model of MeHg-induced toxicity proposes a potential interplay between exogenous RNAi and antioxidant defense. In this review, we discuss the molecular basis for MeHg exposure-induced alterations in chromatin structure and the roles of histone modifications, siRNA, and DNA methylation in MeHg-induced neurotoxic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Ke
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Correspondence: (T.K.); (M.A.)
| | - Alexey A. Tinkov
- World-Class Research Center “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare”, IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 119435 Moscow, Russia
- Laboratory of Ecobiomonitoring and Quality Control, Yaroslavl State University, 150003 Yaroslavl, Russia
- Department of Medical Elementology, RUDN University, 117198 Moscow, Russia
| | - Anatoly V. Skalny
- World-Class Research Center “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare”, IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 119435 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Medical Elementology, RUDN University, 117198 Moscow, Russia
| | - Abel Santamaria
- Laboratorio de Aminoácidos Excitadores/Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Molecular y Nanotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Mexico City 14269, Mexico
| | - Joao B. T. Rocha
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria 97105-900, RS, Brazil
| | - Aaron B. Bowman
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Wen Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Correspondence: (T.K.); (M.A.)
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13
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Selenium Status: Its Interactions with Dietary Mercury Exposure and Implications in Human Health. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14245308. [PMID: 36558469 PMCID: PMC9785339 DOI: 10.3390/nu14245308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Selenium is an essential trace element in humans and animals and its role in selenoprotein and enzyme antioxidant activity is well documented. Food is the principal source of selenium, and it is important that selenium status in the body is adequately maintained for physiological functions. There has been increasing attention on the role of selenium in mitigating the toxic effects of mercury exposure from dietary intake in humans. In contrast, mercury is a neurotoxin, and its continuous exposure can cause adverse health effects in humans. The interactions of selenium and mercury are multi-factorial and involve complex binding mechanisms between these elements at a molecular level. Further insights and understanding in this area may help to evaluate the health implications of dietary mercury exposure and selenium status. This review aims to summarise current information on the interplay of the interactions between selenium and mercury in the body and the protective effect of selenium on at-risk groups in a population who may experience long-term mercury exposure.
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14
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Schrott R, Song A, Ladd-Acosta C. Epigenetics as a Biomarker for Early-Life Environmental Exposure. Curr Environ Health Rep 2022; 9:604-624. [PMID: 35907133 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00373-5] [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] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW There is interest in evaluating the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) which emphasizes the role of prenatal and early-life environments on non-communicable health outcomes throughout the life course. The ability to rigorously assess and identify early-life risk factors for later health outcomes, including those with childhood onset, in large population samples is often limited due to measurement challenges such as impractical costs associated with prospective studies with a long follow-up duration, short half-lives for some environmental toxicants, and lack of biomarkers that capture inter-individual differences in biologic response to external environments. RECENT FINDINGS Epigenomic patterns, and DNA methylation in particular, have emerged as a potential objective biomarker to address some of these study design and exposure measurement challenges. In this article, we summarize the literature to date on epigenetic changes associated with specific prenatal and early-life exposure domains as well as exposure mixtures in human observational studies and their biomarker potential. Additionally, we highlight evidence for other types of epigenetic patterns to serve as exposure biomarkers. Evidence strongly supports epigenomic biomarkers of exposure that are detectable across the lifespan and across a range of exposure domains. Current and future areas of research in this field seek to expand these lines of evidence to other environmental exposures, to determine their specificity, and to develop predictive algorithms and methylation scores that can be used to evaluate early-life risk factors for health outcomes across the life span.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Schrott
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ashley Song
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christine Ladd-Acosta
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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15
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Pan J, Li X, Liu H, Wang C, Xu S, Xu B, Deng Y, Yang T, Liu W. Exploring the molecular mechanisms underlie the endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated methylmercury-induced neuronal developmental damage. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 245:114099. [PMID: 36152427 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, which can cross the placenta and blood brain barrier, thus affecting fetal growth and development. Although previous studies have demonstrated that MeHg induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in rat cerebral cortex and primary neurons, the role of ER stress in MeHg-induced neurodevelopmental toxicity remains unclear. Here, we used ICR pregnant mice and hippocampal neurons cells (HT22 cells) to investigate the molecular mechanism by which MeHg exposure during pregnancy affects neurodevelopment. We found that prenatal MeHg exposure caused developmental delay in offspring, accompanied with ER stress, cell apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and abnormal DNA methylation. Then, we used ER stress specific inhibitor 4-PBA and CHOP siRNA to investigate the role of ER stress on HT22 cells damage caused by MeHg. The results showed that 4-PBA pretreatment restored MeHg-induced axonal shortening and alleviated apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and DNA methylation. At the same time, the activation of CHOP/c-Jun/GADD45A signaling pathway was inhibited, and the interaction between CHOP and c-Jun was weakened. In addition, CHOP siRNA reduced the expression of c-Jun and GADD45A, and relieved DNA methylation levels to some extent. In summary, our study suggested that ER stress induced by MeHg mediated cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, and may affect DNA methylation through activation of CHOP/c-Jun/GADD45A signaling pathway, thus leading to neuronal damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Pan
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, China
| | - Xiaoyang Li
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, China
| | - Haihui Liu
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, China
| | - Si Xu
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, China
| | - Bin Xu
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, China
| | - Yu Deng
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, China
| | - Tianyao Yang
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, China.
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16
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Mishra PK, Kumari R, Bhargava A, Bunkar N, Chauhan P, Tiwari R, Shandilya R, Srivastava RK, Singh RD. Prenatal exposure to environmental pro-oxidants induces mitochondria-mediated epigenetic changes: a cross-sectional pilot study. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:74133-74149. [PMID: 35633452 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21059-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondria play a central role in maintaining cellular and metabolic homeostasis during vital development cycles of foetal growth. Optimal mitochondrial functions are important not only to sustain adequate energy production but also for regulated epigenetic programming. However, these organelles are subtle targets of environmental exposures, and any perturbance in the defined mitochondrial machinery during the developmental stage can lead to the re-programming of the foetal epigenetic landscape. As these modifications can be transferred to subsequent generations, we herein performed a cross-sectional study to have an in-depth understanding of this intricate phenomenon. The study was conducted with two arms: whereas the first group consisted of in utero pro-oxidant exposed individuals and the second group included controls. Our results showed higher levels of oxidative mtDNA damage and associated integrated stress response among the exposed individuals. These disturbances were found to be closely related to the observed discrepancies in mitochondrial biogenesis. The exposed group showed mtDNA hypermethylation and changes in allied mitochondrial functioning. Altered expression of mitomiRs and their respective target genes in the exposed group indicated the possibilities of a disturbed mitochondrial-nuclear cross talk. This was further confirmed by the modified activity of the mitochondrial stress regulators and pro-inflammatory mediators among the exposed group. Importantly, the disturbed DNMT functioning, hypermethylation of nuclear DNA, and higher degree of post-translational histone modifications established the existence of aberrant epigenetic modifications in the exposed individuals. Overall, our results demonstrate the first molecular insights of in utero pro-oxidant exposure associated changes in the mitochondrial-epigenetic axis. Although, our study might not cement an exposure-response relationship for any particular environmental pro-oxidant, but suffice to establish a dogma of mito-epigenetic reprogramming at intrauterine milieu with chronic illness, a hitherto unreported interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradyumna Kumar Mishra
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, 462030, India.
| | - Roshani Kumari
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, 462030, India
| | - Arpit Bhargava
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, 462030, India
| | - Neha Bunkar
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, 462030, India
| | - Prachi Chauhan
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, 462030, India
| | - Rajnarayan Tiwari
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, 462030, India
| | - Ruchita Shandilya
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, 462030, India
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Radha Dutt Singh
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, 462030, India
- Libin Cardiovascular Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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17
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Sheng Z, Liu Q, Cheng C, Li M, Barash J, Kofke WA, Shen Y, Xie Z. Fentanyl induces autism-like behaviours in mice by hypermethylation of the glutamate receptor gene Grin2b. Br J Anaesth 2022; 129:544-554. [PMID: 35697546 DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2022.04.027] [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: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental factors contribute to autism spectrum disorder. Fentanyl, one of the most widely used opioid analgesics in anaesthesia, can induce neurotoxicity, but its role in autism remains unknown. We determined whether fentanyl induced autism-like behaviours in young mice and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS Young male and female mice received fentanyl at postnatal days 6, 8, and 10, and performed behavioural tests, including three-chamber social preference, elevated plus maze, grooming behaviour, and open-field test, from postnatal days 30-32. Expression of Grin2b, the gene encoding the GluN2B subunit of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor, was assessed in the anterior cingulate cortex of male mice using fluorescence in situ hybridisation histochemistry. We used bisulfite target sequencing to determine Grin2b hypermethylation sites after fentanyl treatment. In the specific activation and rescue experiments, we injected the mu opioid receptor agonist [D-Ala,2 N-MePhe,4 Gly-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO) or Grin2b overexpression lentivirus into the anterior cingulate cortex of male mice. RESULTS Fentanyl induced autism-like behaviours in both young male and female mice, and downregulated Grin2b expression (0.49-fold [0.08] vs 1.00-fold [0.09]; P<0.01) and GluN2B protein amounts (0.38-fold [0.07] vs 1.00-fold [0.12]; P<0.01) in the anterior cingulate cortex through hypermethylation of Grin2b. The mu-opioid receptor antagonist naloxone and overexpression of Grin2b in anterior cingulate cortex attenuated the fentanyl-induced effects, whereas DAMGO injection into the anterior cingulate cortex induced autism-like behaviours. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that fentanyl induces autism-like behaviours in young mice via an epigenetic mechanism. Further research is required to determine possible clinical relevance to autism risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Sheng
- Anesthesia and Brain Research Institute, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qidong Liu
- Anesthesia and Brain Research Institute, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chun Cheng
- Anesthesia and Brain Research Institute, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengzhu Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jed Barash
- Department of Medicine, Soldiers' Home, Chelsea, MA, USA
| | - W Andrew Kofke
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yuan Shen
- Anesthesia and Brain Research Institute, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Zhongcong Xie
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA.
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18
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Cediel-Ulloa A, Yu X, Hinojosa M, Johansson Y, Forsby A, Broberg K, Rüegg J. Methylmercury-induced DNA methylation—From epidemiological observations to experimental evidence. Front Genet 2022; 13:993387. [PMID: 36176303 PMCID: PMC9513252 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.993387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a developmental neurotoxicant, and one potential mechanism of MeHg toxicity is epigenetic dysregulation. In a recent meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS), associations between prenatal MeHg exposure and DNA methylation at several genomic sites were identified in blood from newborns and children. While EWASs reveal human-relevant associations, experimental studies are required to validate the relationship between exposure and DNA methylation changes, and to assess if such changes have implications for gene expression. Herein, we studied DNA methylation and gene expression of five of the top genes identified in the EWAS meta-analysis, MED31, MRPL19, GGH, GRK1, and LYSMD3, upon MeHg exposure in human SH-SY5Y cells exposed to 8 or 40 nM of MeHg during differentiation, using bisulfite-pyrosequencing and qPCR, respectively. The concentrations were selected to cover the range of MeHg concentrations in cord blood (2–8.5 μg/L) observed in the cohorts included in the EWAS. Exposure to MeHg increased DNA methylation at MED31, a transcriptional regulator essential for fetal development. The results were in concordance with the epidemiological findings where more MED31 methylation was associated with higher concentrations of MeHg. Additionally, we found a non-significant decrease in DNA methylation at GGH, which corresponds to the direction of change observed in the EWAS, and a significant correlation of GGH methylation with its expression. In conclusion, this study corroborates some of the EWAS findings and puts forward candidate genes involved in MeHg’s effects on the developing brain, thus highlighting the value of experimental validation of epidemiological association studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ximiao Yu
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maria Hinojosa
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ylva Johansson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Forsby
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin Broberg
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Joëlle Rüegg
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Joëlle Rüegg,
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19
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Ortega MA, Fraile-Martínez Ó, García-Montero C, Alvarez-Mon MA, Lahera G, Monserrat J, Llavero-Valero M, Gutiérrez-Rojas L, Molina R, Rodríguez-Jimenez R, Quintero J, De Mon MA. Biological Role of Nutrients, Food and Dietary Patterns in the Prevention and Clinical Management of Major Depressive Disorder. Nutrients 2022; 14:3099. [PMID: 35956276 PMCID: PMC9370795 DOI: 10.3390/nu14153099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a growing disabling condition affecting around 280 million people worldwide. This complex entity is the result of the interplay between biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors, and compelling evidence suggests that MDD can be considered a disease that occurs as a consequence of an evolutionary mismatch and unhealthy lifestyle habits. In this context, diet is one of the core pillars of health, influencing multiple biological processes in the brain and the entire body. It seems that there is a bidirectional relationship between MDD and malnutrition, and depressed individuals often lack certain critical nutrients along with an aberrant dietary pattern. Thus, dietary interventions are one of the most promising tools to explore in the field of MDD, as there are a specific group of nutrients (i.e., omega 3, vitamins, polyphenols, and caffeine), foods (fish, nuts, seeds fruits, vegetables, coffee/tea, and fermented products) or dietary supplements (such as S-adenosylmethionine, acetyl carnitine, creatine, amino acids, etc.), which are being currently studied. Likewise, the entire nutritional context and the dietary pattern seem to be another potential area of study, and some strategies such as the Mediterranean diet have demonstrated some relevant benefits in patients with MDD; although, further efforts are still needed. In the present work, we will explore the state-of-the-art diet in the prevention and clinical support of MDD, focusing on the biological properties of its main nutrients, foods, and dietary patterns and their possible implications for these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A. Ortega
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Alcala, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Spain; (Ó.F.-M.); (C.G.-M.); (M.A.A.-M.); (G.L.); (J.M.); (M.A.D.M.)
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
- Cancer Registry and Pathology Department, Hospital Universitario Principe de Asturias, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Óscar Fraile-Martínez
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Alcala, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Spain; (Ó.F.-M.); (C.G.-M.); (M.A.A.-M.); (G.L.); (J.M.); (M.A.D.M.)
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Cielo García-Montero
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Alcala, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Spain; (Ó.F.-M.); (C.G.-M.); (M.A.A.-M.); (G.L.); (J.M.); (M.A.D.M.)
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Angel Alvarez-Mon
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Alcala, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Spain; (Ó.F.-M.); (C.G.-M.); (M.A.A.-M.); (G.L.); (J.M.); (M.A.D.M.)
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor, 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.L.-V.); (J.Q.)
| | - Guillermo Lahera
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Alcala, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Spain; (Ó.F.-M.); (C.G.-M.); (M.A.A.-M.); (G.L.); (J.M.); (M.A.D.M.)
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor, 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.L.-V.); (J.Q.)
- Psychiatry Service, Center for Biomedical Research in the Mental Health Network, University Hospital Príncipe de Asturias, 28806 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Jorge Monserrat
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Alcala, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Spain; (Ó.F.-M.); (C.G.-M.); (M.A.A.-M.); (G.L.); (J.M.); (M.A.D.M.)
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Llavero-Valero
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor, 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.L.-V.); (J.Q.)
| | - Luis Gutiérrez-Rojas
- Department of Psychiatry and CTS-549 Research Group, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain;
- Psychiatry Service, San Cecilio University Hospital, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Rosa Molina
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental, Health San Carlos University Hospital (HCSC), 28034 Madrid, Spain;
- Research Biomedical Fundation of HCSC Hospital, 28034 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychology, Comillas University, Cantoblanco, 28015 Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Rodríguez-Jimenez
- Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry, and Pathology, Complutense University (UCM), 28040 Madrid, Spain;
- Institute for Health Research 12 de Octubre Hospital, (imas12)/CIBERSAM-ISCIII (Biomedical Research Networking Centre in Mental Health), 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Quintero
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor, 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.L.-V.); (J.Q.)
- Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry, and Pathology, Complutense University (UCM), 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Melchor Alvarez De Mon
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Alcala, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Spain; (Ó.F.-M.); (C.G.-M.); (M.A.A.-M.); (G.L.); (J.M.); (M.A.D.M.)
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
- Immune System Diseases-Rheumatology, Oncology Service an Internal Medicine, University Hospital Príncipe de Asturias, (CIBEREHD), 28806 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
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20
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Global DNA Methylation in Cord Blood as a Biomarker for Prenatal Lead and Antimony Exposures. TOXICS 2022; 10:toxics10040157. [PMID: 35448418 PMCID: PMC9027623 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10040157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism for gene expression modulation and can be used as a predictor of future disease risks. A prospective birth cohort study was performed to clarify the effects of neurotoxicants on child development, namely, the Tohoku Study of Child Development, in Japan. This study aimed to evaluate the association of prenatal exposure to five toxic metals—arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, N = 166)—with global DNA methylation in umbilical cord blood DNA. DNA methylation markers, 5-methyl-2′-deoxycytidine (mC) and 5-hydroxymethyl-2′-deoxycytidine (hmC), were determined using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The mC content in cord blood DNA was positively correlated with Pb and Sb levels (r = 0.435 and 0.288, respectively) but not with cord blood PCBs. We also observed significant positive correlations among Pb levels, maternal age, and hmC content (r = 0.155 and 0.243, respectively). The multiple regression analysis among the potential predictors demonstrated consistent positive associations between Pb and Sb levels and mC and hmC content. Our results suggest that global DNA methylation is a promising biomarker for prenatal exposure to Pb and Sb.
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21
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Lozano M, Yousefi P, Broberg K, Soler-Blasco R, Miyashita C, Pesce G, Kim WJ, Rahman M, Bakulski KM, Haug LS, Ikeda-Araki A, Huel G, Park J, Relton C, Vrijheid M, Rifas-Shiman S, Oken E, Dou JF, Kishi R, Gutzkow KB, Annesi-Maesano I, Won S, Hivert MF, Fallin MD, Vafeiadi M, Ballester F, Bustamante M, Llop S. DNA methylation changes associated with prenatal mercury exposure: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies from PACE consortium. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 204:112093. [PMID: 34562483 PMCID: PMC10879652 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a ubiquitous heavy metal that originates from both natural and anthropogenic sources and is transformed in the environment to its most toxicant form, methylmercury (MeHg). Recent studies suggest that MeHg exposure can alter epigenetic modifications during embryogenesis. In this study, we examined associations between prenatal MeHg exposure and levels of cord blood DNA methylation (DNAm) by meta-analysis in up to seven independent studies (n = 1462) as well as persistence of those relationships in blood from 7 to 8 year-old children (n = 794). In cord blood, we found limited evidence of differential DNAm at cg24184221 in MED31 (β = 2.28 × 10-4, p-value = 5.87 × 10-5) in relation to prenatal MeHg exposure. In child blood, we identified differential DNAm at cg15288800 (β = 0.004, p-value = 4.97 × 10-5), also located in MED31. This repeated link to MED31, a gene involved in lipid metabolism and RNA Polymerase II transcription function, may suggest a DNAm perturbation related to MeHg exposure that persists into early childhood. Further, we found evidence for association between prenatal MeHg exposure and child blood DNAm levels at two additional CpGs: cg12204245 (β = 0.002, p-value = 4.81 × 10-7) in GRK1 and cg02212000 (β = -0.001, p-value = 8.13 × 10-7) in GGH. Prenatal MeHg exposure was associated with DNAm modifications that may influence health outcomes, such as cognitive or anthropometric development, in different populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Lozano
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Food Sciences, Toxicology and Forensic Medicine Department, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Paul Yousefi
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom; Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Karin Broberg
- Unit of Metals and Health, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Raquel Soler-Blasco
- Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Chihiro Miyashita
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Giancarlo Pesce
- INSERM UMR1018, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Centre for Epidemiology and Public Health (CESP), Villejuif, France
| | - Woo Jin Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine and Environmental Health Center, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Mohammad Rahman
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kelly M Bakulski
- School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Line S Haug
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Climate and Environment, Oslo, Norway
| | - Atsuko Ikeda-Araki
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan; Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Guy Huel
- INSERM UMR1018, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Centre for Epidemiology and Public Health (CESP), Villejuif, France
| | - Jaehyun Park
- Interdisciplinary Program of Bioinformatics, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Caroline Relton
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom; Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Martine Vrijheid
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sheryl Rifas-Shiman
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Emily Oken
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - John F Dou
- School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Reiko Kishi
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Kristine B Gutzkow
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Climate and Environment, Oslo, Norway
| | - Isabella Annesi-Maesano
- INSERM UMR1302, Montpellier University, Insitut Desbrest d'Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IDESP), Montpellier, France
| | - Sungho Won
- Interdisciplinary Program of Bioinformatics, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Public Health Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Marie-France Hivert
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, United States; Diabetes Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - M Daniele Fallin
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marina Vafeiadi
- Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Ferran Ballester
- Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; School of Nursing, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mariona Bustamante
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sabrina Llop
- Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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22
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Pan J, Li X, Wei Y, Ni L, Xu B, Deng Y, Yang T, Liu W. Advances on the Influence of Methylmercury Exposure during Neurodevelopment. Chem Res Toxicol 2022; 35:43-58. [PMID: 34989572 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.1c00255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a toxic heavy-metal element, which can be enriched in fauna and flora and transformed into methylmercury (MeHg). MeHg is a widely distributed environmental pollutant that may be harmful to fish-eating populations through enrichment of aquatic food chains. The central nervous system is a primary target of MeHg. Embryos and infants are more sensitive to MeHg, and exposure to MeHg during gestational feeding can significantly impair the homeostasis of offspring, leading to long-term neurodevelopmental defects. At present, MeHg-induced neurodevelopmental toxicity has become a hotspot in the field of neurotoxicology, but its mechanisms are not fully understood. Some evidence point to oxidative damage, excitotoxicity, calcium ion imbalance, mitochondrial dysfunction, epigenetic changes, and other molecular mechanisms that play important roles in MeHg-induced neurodevelopmental toxicity. In this review, advances in the study of neurodevelopmental toxicity of MeHg exposure during pregnancy and the molecular mechanisms of related pathways are summarized, in order to provide more scientific basis for the study of neurodevelopmental toxicity of MeHg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Pan
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning China
| | - Xiaoyang Li
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning China
| | - Yanfeng Wei
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning China
| | - Linlin Ni
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning China
| | - Bin Xu
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning China
| | - Yu Deng
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning China
| | - Tianyao Yang
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning China
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23
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Mustieles V, Rodríguez-Carrillo A, Vela-Soria F, D'Cruz SC, David A, Smagulova F, Mundo-López A, Olivas-Martínez A, Reina-Pérez I, Olea N, Freire C, Arrebola JP, Fernández MF. BDNF as a potential mediator between childhood BPA exposure and behavioral function in adolescent boys from the INMA-Granada cohort. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 803:150014. [PMID: 34788942 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure has been linked to altered behavior in children. Within the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU), an adverse outcome pathway (AOP) network was constructed supporting the mechanistic link between BPA exposure and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). OBJECTIVE To test this toxicologically-based hypothesis in the prospective INMA-Granada birth cohort (Spain). METHODS BPA concentrations were quantified by LC-MS/MS in spot urine samples from boys aged 9-11 years, normalized by creatinine and log-2 transformed. At adolescence (15-17 years), blood and urine specimens were collected, and serum and urinary BDNF protein levels were measured using immunoassays. DNA methylation levels at 6 CpGs in Exon IV of the BDNF gene were also assessed in peripheral blood using bisulfite-pyrosequencing. Adolescent's behavior was parent-rated using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/6-18) in 148 boys. Adjusted linear regression and mediation models were fit. RESULTS Childhood urinary BPA concentrations were longitudinally and positively associated with thought problems (β = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.02, 1.49) and somatic complaints (β = 0.80; 95% CI: -0.16, 1.75) at adolescence. BPA concentrations were positively associated with BDNF DNA methylation at CpG6 (β = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.36) and mean CpG methylation (β = 0.10; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.18), but not with total serum or urinary BDNF protein levels. When independent variables were categorized in tertiles, positive dose-response associations were observed between BPA-thought problems (p-trend = 0.08), BPA-CpG6 (p-trend ≤ 0.01), and CpG6-thought problems (p-trend ≤ 0.01). A significant mediated effect by CpG6 DNA methylation was observed (β = 0.23; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.57), accounting for up to 34% of the BPA-thought problems association. CONCLUSIONS In line with toxicological studies, BPA exposure was longitudinally associated with increased BDNF DNA methylation, supporting the biological plausibility of BPA-behavior relationships previously described in the epidemiological literature. Given its novelty and preliminary nature, this effect biomarker approach should be replicated in larger birth cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicente Mustieles
- University of Granada, Biomedical Research Center (CIBM), Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs. GRANADA), Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain.
| | | | | | - Shereen Cynthia D'Cruz
- Univ Rennes, EHESP, Inserm, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Arthur David
- Univ Rennes, EHESP, Inserm, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Fatima Smagulova
- Univ Rennes, EHESP, Inserm, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | | | | | | | - Nicolás Olea
- University of Granada, Biomedical Research Center (CIBM), Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs. GRANADA), Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Carmen Freire
- University of Granada, Biomedical Research Center (CIBM), Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs. GRANADA), Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Juan P Arrebola
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs. GRANADA), Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain; Universidad de Granada, Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Granada, Spain
| | - Mariana F Fernández
- University of Granada, Biomedical Research Center (CIBM), Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs. GRANADA), Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain.
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24
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Musanabaganwa C, Wani AH, Donglasan J, Fatumo S, Jansen S, Mutabaruka J, Rutembesa E, Uwineza A, Hermans EJ, Roozendaal B, Wildman DE, Mutesa L, Uddin M. Leukocyte methylomic imprints of exposure to the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda: a pilot epigenome-wide analysis. Epigenomics 2022; 14:11-25. [PMID: 34875875 PMCID: PMC8672329 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2021-0310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim & methods: We conducted a pilot epigenome-wide association study of women from Tutsi ethnicity exposed to the genocide while pregnant and their resulting offspring, and a comparison group of women who were pregnant at the time of the genocide but living outside of Rwanda.Results: Fifty-nine leukocyte-derived DNA samples survived quality control: 33 mothers (20 exposed, 13 unexposed) and 26 offspring (16 exposed, 10 unexposed). Twenty-four significant differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified in mothers and 16 in children. Conclusions:In utero genocide exposure was associated with CpGs in three of the 24 DMRs: BCOR, PRDM8 and VWDE, with higher DNA methylation in exposed versus unexposed offspring. Of note, BCOR and VWDE show significant correlation between brain and blood DNA methylation within individuals, suggesting these peripherally derived signals of genocide exposure may have relevance to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarisse Musanabaganwa
- Centre for Human Genetics, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda,Department of Clinical Psychology, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Huye, Rwanda,Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA,Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center – Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Agaz H Wani
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Janelle Donglasan
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Segun Fatumo
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK,Uganda Medical Informatics Centre-MRC/UVRI, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Stefan Jansen
- Directorate of Research & Innovation, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Jean Mutabaruka
- Department of Clinical Psychology, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Huye, Rwanda
| | - Eugene Rutembesa
- Department of Clinical Psychology, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Huye, Rwanda
| | - Annette Uwineza
- Centre for Human Genetics, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Erno J Hermans
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center – Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Benno Roozendaal
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center – Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Derek E Wildman
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Leon Mutesa
- Centre for Human Genetics, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Monica Uddin
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA,Author for correspondence:
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25
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW At elevated levels, the essential element manganese (Mn) is neurotoxic and increasing evidence indicates that environmental Mn exposure early in life negatively affects neurodevelopment. In this review, we describe how underlying genetics may confer susceptibility to elevated Mn concentrations and how the epigenetic effects of Mn may explain the association between Mn exposure early in life and its toxic effects later in life. RECENT FINDINGS Common polymorphisms in the Mn transporter genes SLC30A10 and SLC39A8 seem to have a large impact on intracellular Mn levels and, in turn, neurotoxicity. Genetic variation in iron regulatory genes may to lesser extent also influence Mn levels and toxicity. Recent studies on Mn and epigenetic mechanisms indicate that Mn-related changes in DNA methylation occur early in life. One human and two animal studies found persistent changes from in utero exposure to Mn but whether these changes have functional effects remains unknown. Genetics seems to play a major role in susceptibility to Mn toxicity and should therefore be considered in risk assessment. Mn appears to interfere with epigenetic processes, potentially leading to persistent changes in developmental programming, which warrants further study.
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26
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Methylmercury and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Mediterranean Seafood: A Molecular Anthropological Perspective. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/app112311179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Eating seafood has numerous health benefits; however, it constitutes one of the main sources of exposure to several harmful environmental pollutants, both of anthropogenic and natural origin. Among these, methylmercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons give rise to concerns related to their possible effects on human biology. In the present review, we summarize the results of epidemiological investigations on the genetic component of individual susceptibility to methylmercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure in humans, and on the effects that these two pollutants have on human epigenetic profiles (DNA methylation). Then, we provide evidence that Mediterranean coastal communities represent an informative case study to investigate the potential impact of methylmercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the human genome and epigenome, since they are characterized by a traditionally high local seafood consumption, and given the characteristics that render the Mediterranean Sea particularly polluted. Finally, we discuss the challenges of a molecular anthropological approach to this topic.
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27
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Ke T, Tinkov AA, Skalny AV, Bowman AB, Rocha JBT, Santamaria A, Aschner M. Developmental exposure to methylmercury and ADHD, a literature review of epigenetic studies. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2021; 7:dvab014. [PMID: 34881051 PMCID: PMC8648069 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvab014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the competence of academic performance and social wellness in children and adults. The causes of ADHD are unclear. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of ADHD. The behavioral impairments in ADHD are associated with epigenetic changes in genes that are important for neurodevelopment. Among environmental causes of ADHD, the neurotoxin methylmercury (MeHg) is associated with an increased risk for ADHD. Developing children are susceptible to neurotoxic effects of prenatal MeHg exposure. Human epidemiology studies have shown that prenatal MeHg exposure could invoke epigenetic changes in genes that are involved in ADHD. In addition, the pathogenesis of ADHD involves dopaminergic system, which is a target of developmental MeHg exposure. MeHg-induced alterations in the dopaminergic system have a profound impact on behavioral functions in adults. As a trace level of MeHg (around nM) can induce long-lasting behavioral alterations, potential mechanisms of MeHg-induced functional changes in the dopaminergic system may involve epigenetic mechanisms. Here, we review the relevant evidence on developmental MeHg exposures and the risk for ADHD. We also point out research gaps in understanding environmental causes of ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Ke
- **Correspondence address. Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Forchheimer Building, Room 209, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. Tel: +1 718 430 4047; Fax: +1 718 430 8922; E-mail:
| | - Alexey A Tinkov
- World-Class Research Center “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare”, IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow 119435, Russia
- Laboratory of Ecobiomonitoring and Quality Control, Yaroslavl State University, Yaroslavl 150003, Russia
| | - Antoly V Skalny
- World-Class Research Center “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare”, IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow 119435, Russia
- Laboratory of Medical Elementology, K.G. Razumovsky Moscow State University of Technologies and Management, Moscow 109004, Russia
| | - Aaron B Bowman
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2051, USA
| | - Joao B T Rocha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Abel Santamaria
- Laboratorio de Aminoácidos Excitadores, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Mexico City 14269, Mexico
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Forchheimer Building, Room 209, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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