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Thangaraj SV, Bellingham M, Lea R, Evans N, Sinclair K, Padmanabhan V. Developmental programming: Sex-specific effects of prenatal exposure to a real-life mixture of environmental chemicals on liver function and transcriptome in sheep. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2025; 367:125630. [PMID: 39756566 PMCID: PMC11813678 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2025.125630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2024] [Revised: 12/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/01/2025] [Indexed: 01/07/2025]
Abstract
Humans are chronically exposed to a mixture of environmental chemicals (ECs), many with metabolic and endocrine disrupting potential, contributing to non-communicable disease burden. Understanding the effects of chronic exposure to low-level mixtures of ECs requires an animal model that reflects real-world conditions, lags behind studies on single ECs. Biosolids, from wastewater treatment, offers a real-life model to investigate the developmental health risks from EC mixtures. Prenatal biosolids exposure studies have documented metabolic perturbations including heavier thyroid glands in male fetuses and reduced bodyweight in prepubertal male lambs followed by catchup growth. We hypothesized that maternal preconceptional and gestational exposure of sheep to biosolids programs sex-specific transcriptional and functional changes in the offspring liver. Ewes (F0) were grazed on either inorganic fertilizer (C) or biosolids-treated pastures (BTP) preconception till parturition. All lambs (n = 15/group with male n = 7/group and females n = 8/group) were raised on Control pastures until euthanasia at 9.5 weeks. Next generation sequencing of liver RNA and DESeq2 was used to identify exposure-specific differentially expressed genes (DEG) and sex-differentially expressed genes (SDG). Liver function was assessed with markers of oxidative stress, triglyceride and fibrosis markers. Control lambs exhibited 647 SDGs confirming the inherent sexual dimorphism in hepatic gene expression. A sex-stratified analysis identified 10 DEG, mostly affecting metabolism, in male and none in female lambs. Biosolids exposure diminished the sexual dimorphism in hepatic gene expression barring 41 genes, potentially due to the increase in androgenic steroids found in F0 maternal circulation. Additionally, BTP male lambs showed elevated plasma triglyceride and a trend towards increased liver triglyceride concentrations. The identified effects of prenatal exposure to low-dose mixture of ECs via biosolids, in a precocial species paralleling human developmental patterns holds translational importance for understanding the sexually dimorphic origin of non-communicable diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michelle Bellingham
- School of Biodiversity One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, UK
| | - Richard Lea
- Schools of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, UK
| | - Neil Evans
- School of Biodiversity One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, UK
| | - Kevin Sinclair
- Schools of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, UK
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Chen H, Yan W, Wu X, Li Y. Effects of trimester-specific urinary aluminum concentrations on ultrasound measures of fetal growth and size at birth: A longitudinal cohort study in Chinese women. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2025; 290:117509. [PMID: 39674018 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.117509] [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: 06/13/2024] [Revised: 09/12/2024] [Accepted: 12/08/2024] [Indexed: 12/16/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Aluminum (Al) has been proposed as a potential factor influencing fetal growth. However, the existing study findings are inconsistent and there is a lack of population-based epidemiological studies. Our study aimed to evaluate the trimester-specific correlations of Al exposure with fetal development characteristics. METHODS Between 2013 and 2016, 3599 women from Wuhan, China were enrolled in the prospective cohort study. The concentrations of Al were quantified in urine samples obtained from pregnant women during the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The study used linear regressions with generalized estimating equation to determine the connections between specific gravity-adjusted urinary Al concentrations in each trimester and fetal growth parameters and birth size indicators. RESULTS Trimester-specific Al exposure throughout pregnancy was found to have a negative impact on fetal growth and birth parameters. Besides, statistically significant interactions were detected between biparietal diameter (BPD) (Pinteraction = 0.007), head circumference (Pinteraction = 0.026) at 16 weeks' gestation in the first trimester, BPD (Pinteraction = 0.015) at 24 weeks' gestation in the second trimester, BPD (Pinteraction = 0.014) at 31 weeks' gestation in the second trimester and BPD (Pinteraction = 0.035) at 37 weeks' gestation in the third trimester and fetal sex, and the strength of the association between the level of Al exposure and BPD was significantly stronger in female fetuses than in male fetuses. Furthermore, we observed three distinct trajectories of trimester-specific Al concentrations during pregnancy. Compared to participants with low-stable group of Al concentrations trajectory, high-stable group was associated with more decrease level of fetal growth parameters and birth size indicators. CONCLUSION Our study results reveal that Al might have harmful effects on fetal growth and birth size indicators, especially in female fetuses. Further study is required to examine our findings in other populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiying Chen
- Department of Ultrasound, Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, PR China
| | - Wenjing Yan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, PR China
| | - Xueyan Wu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, PR China.
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubation), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
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Li Z, Zhang M, Hong X, Wang G, Choi G, Nadeau KC, Buckley JP, Wang X. Cord plasma metabolomic signatures of prenatal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposures in the Boston Birth Cohort. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 194:109144. [PMID: 39615256 PMCID: PMC11721280 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.109144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2024] [Revised: 10/16/2024] [Accepted: 11/11/2024] [Indexed: 12/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposures are associated with adverse offspring health outcomes, yet the underlying pathological mechanisms are unclear. Cord blood metabolomics can identify potentially important pathways associated with prenatal PFAS exposures, providing mechanistic insights that may help explain PFAS' long-term health effects. METHODS The study included 590 mother-infant dyads from the Boston Birth Cohort. We measured PFAS in maternal plasma samples collected 24-72 h after delivery and metabolites in cord plasma samples. We used metabolome-wide association studies and pathway enrichment analyses to identify metabolites and pathways associated with individual PFAS, and quantile-based g-computation models to examine associations of metabolites with the PFAS mixture. We used False Discovery Rate to account for multiple comparisons. RESULTS We found that 331 metabolites and 18 pathways were associated with ≥ 1 PFAS, and 38 metabolites were associated with the PFAS mixture, predominantly amino acids and lipids. Amino acids such as alanine and lysine and their pathways, crucial to energy generation, biosynthesis, and bone health, were associated with PFAS and may explain PFAS' effects on fetal growth restriction. Carnitines and carnitine shuttle pathway, associated with 7 PFAS and the PFAS mixture, are involved in mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation, which may predispose higher risks of fetal and child growth restriction and cardiovascular diseases. Lipids, such as glycerophospholipids and their related pathway, can contribute to insulin resistance and diabetes by modulating transporters on cell membranes, participating in β-cell signaling pathways, and inducing oxidative damage. Neurotransmission-related metabolites and pathways associated with PFAS, including cofactors, precursors, and neurotransmitters, may explain the PFAS' effects on child neurodevelopment. We observed stronger associations between prenatal PFAS exposures and metabolites in males. CONCLUSIONS This prospective birth cohort study contributes to the limited literature on potential metabolomic perturbations for prenatal PFAS exposures. Future studies are needed to replicate our findings and link prenatal PFAS associated metabolomic perturbations to long-term child health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeyu Li
- Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease, Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mingyu Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xiumei Hong
- Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease, Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Guoying Wang
- Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease, Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Giehae Choi
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kari C Nadeau
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jessie P Buckley
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Xiaobin Wang
- Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease, Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Liang HW, Koistinen H, Barrett ES, Xun X, Yin Q, Kannan K, Moog NK, Ng C, O’Connor TG, Miller R, Adibi JJ. Associations of Serum Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Placental Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Early Pregnancy, Measured in the UPSIDE Study in Rochester, New York. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:47008. [PMID: 38625811 PMCID: PMC11020022 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely detected in pregnant women and associated with adverse outcomes related to impaired placental function. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a dimeric glycoprotein hormone that can indicate placental toxicity. OBJECTIVES Our aim was to quantify the association of serum PFAS with placental hCG, measured as an intact molecule (hCG), as free alpha-(hCG α ) and beta-subunits (hCG β ), and as a hyperglycosylated form (h-hCG), and evaluate effect measure modification by social determinants and by fetal sex. METHODS Data were collected from 326 pregnant women enrolled from 2015 to 2019 in the UPSIDE study in Rochester, New York. hCG forms were normalized for gestational age at the time of blood draw in the first trimester [multiple of the median (MoM)]. Seven PFAS were measured in second-trimester maternal serum. Multivariate imputation by chained equations and inverse probability weighting were used to evaluate robustness of linear associations. PFAS mixture effects were estimated by Bayesian kernel machine regression. RESULTS Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) [hCG β : 0.29 log MoM units per log PFHxS; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.08, 0.51] and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) (hCG: - 0.09 ; 95% CI: - 0.16 , - 0.02 ) were associated with hCG in the single chemical and mixture analyses. The PFAS mixture was negatively associated with hCG α and positively with hCG β . Subgroup analyses revealed that PFAS associations with hCG differed by maternal race/ethnicity and education. Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA) was associated with hCG β only in Black participants (- 0.23 ; 95% CI: - 0.37 , - 0.09 ) and in participants with high school education or less (- 0.14 ; 95% CI: - 0.26 , - 0.02 ); conversely, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) was negatively associated with hCG α only in White participants (- 0.15 ; 95% CI: - 0.27 , - 0.03 ) and with hCG β only in participants with a college education or greater (- 0.19 ; 95% CI: - 0.36 , - 0.01 ). These findings were robust to testing for selection bias, confounding bias, and left truncation bias where PFAS detection frequency was < 100 % . Two associations were negative in male (and null in female) pregnancies: Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) with hCG α , and PFNA with h-hCG. CONCLUSIONS Evidence was strongest for the association between PFHxS and PFDA with hCG in all participants and for PFPeA and PFNA within subgroups defined by social determinants and fetal sex. PFAS mixture associations with hCG α and hCG β differed, suggesting subunit-specific types of toxicity and/or regulation. Future studies will evaluate the biological, clinical and public health significance of these findings. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12950.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Wei Liang
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hannu Koistinen
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Haematology, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Emily S. Barrett
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Xiaoshuang Xun
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Qing Yin
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Department of Pediatrics, New York University, New York, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University, New York, USA
| | - Nora K. Moog
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Psychology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carla Ng
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Thomas G. O’Connor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Rich Miller
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Jennifer J. Adibi
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Marchese MJ, Zhu T, Hawkey AB, Wang K, Yuan E, Wen J, Be SE, Levin ED, Feng L. Prenatal and perinatal exposure to Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-contaminated drinking water impacts offspring neurobehavior and development. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 917:170459. [PMID: 38290673 PMCID: PMC10923173 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent organic pollutants ubiquitous in the environment and humans. In-utero PFAS exposure is associated with numerous adverse health impacts. However, little is known about how prenatal PFAS mixture exposure affects offspring's neurobehavioral function. This study aims to determine the causal relationship between in-utero PFAS mixture exposure and neurobehavioral changes in Sprague-Dawley rat offspring. Dams were exposed via drinking water to the vehicle (control), an environmentally relevant PFAS mixture, or a high-dose PFAS mixture. The environmentally relevant mixture was formulated to resemble measured tap water levels in Pittsboro, NC, USA (10 PFAS compounds; sum PFAS =758.6 ng/L). The high-dose PFAS load was 3.8 mg/L (5000×), within the range of exposures in the experimental literature. Exposure occurred seven days before mating until birth. Following exposure to PFAS-laden water or the vehicle during fetal development, neurobehavioral toxicity was assessed in male and female offspring with a battery of motor, cognitive, and affective function tests as juveniles, adolescents, and adults. Just before weaning, the environmentally relevant exposure group had smaller anogenital distances compared to the vehicle and high-dose groups on day 17, and males in the environmentally relevant exposure group demonstrated lower weights than the high-dose group on day 21 (p < 0.05). Reflex development delays were seen in negative geotaxis acquisition for both exposure groups compared to vehicle-exposed controls (p = 0.009). Our post-weaning behavioral measures of anxiety, depression, and memory were not found to be affected by maternal PFAS exposure. In adolescence (week five) and adulthood (week eight), the high PFAS dose significantly attenuated typical sex differences in locomotor activity. Maternal exposure to an environmentally relevant PFAS mixture produced developmental delays in the domains of pup weight, anogenital distance, and reflex acquisition for rat offspring. The high-dose PFAS exposure significantly decreased typical sex differences in locomotor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tianyi Zhu
- Duke University Global Health Institute, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Andrew B Hawkey
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, USA
| | | | - Emi Yuan
- Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Edward D Levin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Liping Feng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
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Vinnars MT, Bixo M, Damdimopoulou P. Pregnancy-related maternal physiological adaptations and fetal chemical exposure. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2023; 578:112064. [PMID: 37683908 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2023.112064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal life represents a susceptible window of development during which chemical exposures can permanently alter fetal development, leading to an increased likelihood of disease later in life. Therefore, it is essential to assess exposure in the fetus. However, direct assessment in human fetuses is challenging, so most research measures maternal exposure. Pregnancy induces a range of significant physiological changes in women that may affect chemical metabolism and responses. Moreover, placental function, fetal sex, and pregnancy complications may further modify these exposures. The purpose of this narrative review is to give an overview of major pregnancy-related physiological changes, including placental function and impacts of pregnancy complications, to summarize existing studies assessing chemical exposure in human fetal organs, and to discuss possible interactions between physiological changes and exposures. Our review reveals major knowledge gaps in factors affecting fetal chemical exposure, highlighting the need to develop more sophisticated tools for chemical health risk assessment in fetuses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Therese Vinnars
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Marie Bixo
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Pauliina Damdimopoulou
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Caba-Flores MD, Martínez-Valenzuela C, Cárdenas-Tueme M, Camacho-Morales A. Micro problems with macro consequences: accumulation of persistent organic pollutants and microplastics in human breast milk and in human milk substitutes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:95139-95154. [PMID: 37597149 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29182-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Industrial activities provide a modern human lifestyle with advances and comforts in every field. However, such scenario has brought several negative issues. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and a growing plastic usage together with the degradation byproducts, namely microplastics (MPs), are current environmental problems present in every ecosystem, disturbing all forms of life. POPs and MPs are also found in human consumption products including animal and vegetal derivatives, human milk substitutes, and in human breast milk. To date, it is currently unknown what are the effects of MPs and POPs when ingested during the first and most important stage for health programming of the offspring, the first 1000 days of life. Here, we add epidemiological and clinical evidence supporting major sources of POPs and MPs in the ecosystem; and we will precisely describe the effect of POP and MP accumulation in animal- or plant-based infant formulas and human breast milk, modulating health outcomes in the newborn. This review provides a rational to incentive the POP and MP identification in human breast milk and human milk substitutes for avoiding susceptibility to negative health outcomes for the newborn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Daniel Caba-Flores
- College of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, NL, Mexico
- Center for Research and Development in Health Sciences, Neurometabolism Unit, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Leon, San Nicolas de los Garza, NL, Mexico
| | | | - Marcela Cárdenas-Tueme
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The Institute for Obesity Research, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, NL, Mexico
- Centro de Investigación en Nutrición Y Salud Pública, Facultad de Salud Pública Y Nutrición, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, NL, Mexico
| | - Alberto Camacho-Morales
- College of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
- Center for Research and Development in Health Sciences, Neurometabolism Unit, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Leon, San Nicolas de los Garza, NL, Mexico.
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Di Criscio M, Lodahl JE, Stamatakis A, Kitraki E, Bakoyiannis I, Repouskou A, Bornehag CG, Gennings C, Lupu D, Rüegg J. A human-relevant mixture of endocrine disrupting chemicals induces changes in hippocampal DNA methylation correlating with hyperactive behavior in male mice. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 313:137633. [PMID: 36565761 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137633] [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: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Humans are ubiquitously exposed to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), substances that interfere with endogenous hormonal signaling. Exposure during early development is of particular concern due to the programming role of hormones during this period. A previous epidemiological study has shown association between prenatal co-exposure to 8 EDCs (Mixture N1) and language delay in children, suggesting an effect of this mixture on neurodevelopment. Furthermore, in utero exposure to Mixture N1 altered gene expression and behavior in adult mice. In this study, we investigated whether epigenetic mechanisms could underlie the long term effects of Mixture N1 on gene expression and behavior. To this end, we analyzed DNA methylation at regulatory regions of genes whose expression was affected by Mixture N1 in the hippocampus of in utero exposed mice using bisulfite-pyrosequencing. We show that Mixture N1 decreases DNA methylation in males at three genes that are part of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis: Nr3c1, Nr3c2, and Crhr1, coding for the glucocorticoid receptor, the mineralocorticoid receptor, and the corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 1, respectively. Furthermore, we show that the decrease in Nr3c1 methylation correlates with increased gene expression, and that Nr3c1, Nr3c2, and Crhr1 methylation correlates with hyperactivity and reduction in social behavior. These findings indicate that an EDC mixture corresponding to a human exposure scenario induces epigenetic changes, and thus programming effects, on the HPA axis that are reflected in the behavioral phenotypes of the adult male offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Di Criscio
- Department of Organismal Biology, Environmental Toxicology, Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jennifer Ekholm Lodahl
- Department of Organismal Biology, Environmental Toxicology, Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Antonios Stamatakis
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, Faculty of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Efthymia Kitraki
- Basic Sciences Lab, Faculty of Dentistry, School of Health Sciences, NKUA, Athens 15272, Greece
| | - Ioannis Bakoyiannis
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, Faculty of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Anastasia Repouskou
- Basic Sciences Lab, Faculty of Dentistry, School of Health Sciences, NKUA, Athens 15272, Greece
| | - Carl-Gustaf Bornehag
- Faculty of Health, Science and Technology, Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, SE- 651 88 Karlstad, Sweden
| | - Chris Gennings
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Diana Lupu
- Department of Organismal Biology, Environmental Toxicology, Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Joëlle Rüegg
- Department of Organismal Biology, Environmental Toxicology, Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden.
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