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Jing L, Chen T, Yang Z, Dong W. Association of the blood levels of specific volatile organic compounds with nonfatal cardio-cerebrovascular events in US adults. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:616. [PMID: 38408965 PMCID: PMC10898104 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18115-7] [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: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cardio-cerebrovascular diseases constitute a major global public health burden. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure has become progressively severe, endangering human health and becoming one of the main concerns in environmental pollution. The associations of VOCs exposure with nonfatal cardio-cerebrovascular events have not been identified in observational study with a large sample size, so we aim to examine the association in US adult population. METHODS Adults aged > 18 years with complete data regarding selected blood levels of VOCs (including benzene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, and m-/p-xylene) and nonfatal cardio-cerebrovascular events were included in the analysis (n = 3,968, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, NHANES, 2013-2018 survey cycle). Participants were classified into low- and high-exposure based on whether above selected VOCs low limit detect concentration or median value. Weighted multivariate logistic analyses and subgroup analyses were used to detect the association between selected VOCs exposure and nonfatal cardio-cerebrovascular events in US adults. RESULTS Weighted multivariate logistic analyses showed that the high-VOCs exposure group had an increased risk of nonfatal cardio-cerebrovascular events compared with the low-VOCs exposure group; the adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of nonfatal cardio-cerebrovascular events for the high-VOCs exposure group were 1.41 (0.91, 2.19), 1.37 (0.96, 1.95), 1.32 (0.96, 1.82), and 1.17 (0.82, 1.67) for benzene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, and m-/p-xylene, respectively, which was not significant assuming statistical significance at a 0.05 significance level (95% CI) for a two-tailed test. Lastly, we found high-VOCs exposure was associated with increased incidence of nonfatal cardio-cerebrovascular events in both daily smokers an non-daily smokers (p-interaction > 0.01), but the association was not statistically significant in non-daily smokers. CONCLUSIONS This study found that VOCs (benzene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, and m-/p-xylene) exposure was associated with increased incidence of nonfatal cardio-cerebrovascular events in US adults, and the results need to be confirmed by larger cohort studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Jing
- Department of Nursing, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Tiancong Chen
- Department of Nursing, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhiyong Yang
- Department of Cardiology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Weiwei Dong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
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Han L, Wang J, Zhang L, Jing J, Zhang W, Liu Z, Gao A. The role of N 6-methyladenosine modification in benzene-induced testicular damage and the protective effect of melatonin. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 319:138035. [PMID: 36736484 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138035] [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: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Benzene is a universal ambient pollutant. Population-based studies have shown that benzene exposure affects male fertility. However, the mechanism of benzene-induced reproductive toxicity is unknown. Here, we established a dynamic inhalation model and exposed C57BL/6J mice to 0, 10, and 50 ppm benzene (6 h/day, 6 days/week, 7 weeks). Our study revealed that benzene exposure caused testicular injury, including structural damage to spermatogenic tubules, reduced semen quality, and decreased testosterone levels. In addition, the decrease in the global level of N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) and the change of m6A important regulatory enzymes in mice testes suggested that m6A was involved in the benzene-induced testicular injury. Further genome-wide m6A methylation analysis showed that 1469 differential m6A peaks were present in the testes of control and benzene groups, indicating that benzene exposure modulated m6A methylation in testes. Furthermore, the comprehensive analysis of m6A-sequencing and transcriptome revealed that hypermethylated Rara and its consequent reduced expression impaired the sperm production process. In particular, melatonin alleviated benzene-induced testicular injury by modulating m6A-related genes. Overall, our research provides a new idea and fundamental knowledge into the possible mechanisms of m6A modifications in benzene-induced testicular impairment, as well as a new experimental basis for benzene-induced male fertility therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Han
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China
| | - Jingyu Wang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China
| | - Jiaru Jing
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China
| | - Ziyan Liu
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China
| | - Ai Gao
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China.
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Carberry CK, Rager JE. The impact of environmental contaminants on extracellular vesicles and their key molecular regulators: A literature and database-driven review. ENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS 2023; 64:50-66. [PMID: 36502378 PMCID: PMC10798145 DOI: 10.1002/em.22522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental chemicals is now well recognized as a significant factor contributing to the global burden of disease; however, there remain critical gaps in understanding the types of biological mechanisms that link environmental chemicals to adverse health outcomes. One type of mechanism that remains understudied involves extracellular vesicles (EVs), representing small cell-derived particles capable of carrying molecular signals such as RNAs, miRNAs, proteins, lipids, and chemicals through biological fluids and imparting beneficial, neutral, or negative effects on target cells. In fact, evidence is just now starting to grow that supports the role of EVs in various disease etiologies. This review aims to (1) Provide a landscape of the current understanding of the functional relationship between EVs and environmental chemicals; (2) Summarize current knowledge of EV regulatory processes including production, packaging, and release; and (3) Conduct a database-driven analysis of known chemical-gene interactions to predict and prioritize environmentally relevant chemicals that may impact EV regulatory genes and thus EV regulatory processes. This approach to predicting environmentally relevant chemicals that may alter EVs provides a novel method for evidence-based hypothesis generation for future studies evaluating the link between environmental exposures and EVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celeste K. Carberry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- The Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Julia E. Rager
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- The Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Cordiano R, Papa V, Cicero N, Spatari G, Allegra A, Gangemi S. Effects of Benzene: Hematological and Hypersensitivity Manifestations in Resident Living in Oil Refinery Areas. TOXICS 2022; 10:678. [PMID: 36355969 PMCID: PMC9697938 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10110678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Literature is teeming with publications on industrial pollution. Over the decades, the main industrial pollutants and their effects on human health have been widely framed. Among the various compounds involved, benzene plays a leading role in the onset of specific diseases. Two systems are mainly affected by the adverse health effects of benzene exposure, both acute and chronic: the respiratory and hematopoietic systems. The most suitable population targets for a proper damage assessment on these systems are oil refinery workers and residents near refining plants. Our work fits into this area of interest with the aim of reviewing the most relevant cases published in the literature related to the impairment of the aforementioned systems following benzene exposure. We perform an initial debate between the two clinical branches that see a high epidemiological expression in this slice of the population examined: residents near petroleum refinery areas worldwide. In addition, the discussion expands on highlighting the main immunological implications of benzene exposure, finding a common pathophysiological denominator in inflammation, oxidative stress, and DNA damage, thus helping to set the basis for an increasingly detailed characterization aimed at identifying common molecular patterns between the two clinical fields discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Cordiano
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, School and Operative Unit of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Papa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, School and Operative Unit of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Nicola Cicero
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Giovanna Spatari
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Alessandro Allegra
- Division of Hematology, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Gangemi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, School and Operative Unit of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
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Benowitz NL, Goniewicz ML, Halpern-Felsher B, Krishnan-Sarin S, Ling PM, O'Connor RJ, Pentz MA, Robertson RM, Bhatnagar A. Tobacco product use and the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19: current understanding and recommendations for future research. THE LANCET. RESPIRATORY MEDICINE 2022; 10:900-915. [PMID: 35985357 PMCID: PMC9381032 DOI: 10.1016/s2213-2600(22)00182-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Heterogeneity in the clinical presentation of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 progression underscores the urgent need to identify individual-level susceptibility factors that affect infection vulnerability and disease severity. Tobacco product use is a potential susceptibility factor. In this Personal View, we provide an overview of the findings of peer-reviewed, published studies relating tobacco product use to SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 outcomes, with most studies focusing on cigarette smoking in adults. Findings pertaining to the effects of tobacco product use on the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection are inconsistent. However, evidence supports a role for cigarette smoking in increasing the risk of poor COVID-19 outcomes, including hospital admission, progression in disease severity, and COVID-19-related mortality. We discuss the potential effects of tobacco use behaviour on SARS-CoV-2 transmission and infection, and highlight the pathophysiological changes associated with cigarette smoking that could promote SARS-CoV-2 infection and increased disease severity. We consider the biological mechanisms by which nicotine and other tobacco product constituents might affect immune and inflammatory responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Finally, we identify current knowledge gaps and suggest priorities for research to address acute and post-acute health outcomes of COVID-19 during and after the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neal L Benowitz
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Maciej L Goniewicz
- Department of Health Behavior, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Pamela M Ling
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Richard J O'Connor
- Department of Health Behavior, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Mary Ann Pentz
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rose Marie Robertson
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Aruni Bhatnagar
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
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Eckhardt CM, Baccarelli AA, Wu H. Environmental Exposures and Extracellular Vesicles: Indicators of Systemic Effects and Human Disease. Curr Environ Health Rep 2022; 9:465-476. [PMID: 35449498 PMCID: PMC9395256 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00357-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Environmental pollutants contribute to the pathogenesis of numerous diseases including chronic cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurodegenerative diseases, among others. Emerging evidence suggests that extracellular vesicles (EVs) may mediate the association of environmental exposures with chronic diseases. The purpose of this review is to describe the impact of common environmental exposures on EVs and their role in linking environmental pollutants to the pathogenesis of chronic systemic diseases. RECENT FINDINGS Common environmental pollutants including particulate matter, tobacco smoke, and chemical pollutants trigger the release of EVs from multiple systems in the body. Existing research has focused primarily on air pollutants, which alter EV production and release in the lungs and systemic circulation. Air pollutants also impact the selective loading of EV cargo including microRNA and proteins, which modify the cellular function in recipient cells. As a result, pollutant-induced EVs often contribute to a pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic milieu, which increases the risk of pollutant-related diseases including obstructive lung diseases, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and lung cancer. Common environmental exposures are associated with multifaceted changes in EVs that lead to functional alterations in recipient cells and contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic systemic diseases. EVs may represent emerging targets for the prevention and treatment of diseases that stem from environmental exposures. However, novel research is required to expand our knowledge of the biological action of EV cargo, elucidate determinants of EV release, and fully understand the impact of environmental pollutants on human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Eckhardt
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical, Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 West 168th Street, Floor 8, Suite 101, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Andrea A Baccarelli
- Environmental Health Sciences Department, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 630 West 168th Street, Room 16-416, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Haotian Wu
- Environmental Health Sciences Department, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 630 West 168th Street, Room 16-416, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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