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Coperchini F, Teliti M, Greco A, Croce L, Rotondi M. Per-polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as thyroid disruptors: is there evidence for multi-transgenerational effects? Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38764236 DOI: 10.1080/17446651.2024.2351885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The environmental spread of pollutants has led to a persistent exposure of living beings to multiple chemicals, by now become ubiquitous in the surrounding environment. Environmental exposure to these substances has been reported to cause multi- and/or transgenerational health effects. Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) raise great concern, given their known effects both as endocrine disruptors and potential carcinogens. The multi/trans-generational effects of different endocrine disruptors have been investigated by several studies, and harmful effects observed also for PFAS. AREAS COVERED This review examines the current data on the multi-trans-generational effects of PFAS, with a focus on their impact on the thyroid axis. The aim is to determine if there is evidence of potential multi-trans-generational effects of PFAS on the thyroid and/or if more research is needed. EXPERT OPINION PFAS exposure impacts thyroid homeostasis and can cross the placental barrier. In addition PFAS have shown multi-transgenerational effects in laboratory experiences and animal models, but thyroid disruptive effects of PFAS were also investigated only in a small number of these studies. Efforts are needed to study the adverse effects of PFAS, as not all PFAS are regulated and removal strategies are still being developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Coperchini
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Lombardia, Italy
| | - Marsida Teliti
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Lombardia, Italy
| | - Alessia Greco
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Lombardia, Italy
| | - Laura Croce
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Lombardia, Italy
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Unit of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Laboratory for Endocrine Disruptors, Pavia, Italy
| | - Mario Rotondi
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Lombardia, Italy
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Unit of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Laboratory for Endocrine Disruptors, Pavia, Italy
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Zhang Y, Li J, Shi W, Lu L, Zhou Q, Zhang H, Liu R, Pu Y, Yin L. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate induces reproductive toxicity and transgenerational reproductive aging in Caenorhabditis elegans. Environ Pollut 2023; 336:122259. [PMID: 37541378 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
With the large-scale production and use of plastic products, the global plastic pollution problem is becoming more and more serious. The plasticizer di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), which is widely used in the production of plastics, has caused great concern for the health of the population. Exposure of organisms to DEHP can cause a variety of health damage, of which reproductive system damage is an important part. At present, there are still few studies on DEHP in reproductive aging, and it is of great significance to explore the role of DEHP in promoting reproductive aging and its underlying mechanism. In this study, the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) was used to preliminarily explore the mechanism of DEHP-induced female reproductive senescence. The results showed that DEHP reduced the number of offspring and gonad area of C. elegans, resulting in shortened reproductive and life span, abnormal phenotypes in somatic gonad structure including the Emo phenotype, the BOW phenotype, a twisted gonad arm, and atrophied oocytes. Biochemical studies showed that DEHP promoted oxidative stress and autophagy in C. elegans. Further, we found the decreased number of offspring, malformed somatic gonad structure, oxidative damage and autophagy induced by DEHP in parental worms can be inheritance to the not directly exposed offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education of China, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Jingjing Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education of China, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Wei Shi
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education of China, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education of China, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Qian Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education of China, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Hu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education of China, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Ran Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education of China, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Yuepu Pu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education of China, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Lihong Yin
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education of China, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China.
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Ma T, Pan X, Wang T, Li X, Luo Y. Toxicity of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances to Nematodes. Toxics 2023; 11:593. [PMID: 37505559 PMCID: PMC10385831 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11070593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of compounds that persist in the environment globally. Besides being transported to the soil and sediments, which act as their sinks, PFASs can be transferred to several species of higher organisms directly or via bacteria, eliciting a wide range of adverse effects. Caenorhabditis elegans has been widely used in toxicological studies and life science research owing to its numerous advantages over traditional vertebrate models; notably, C. elegans has 65% conserved human-disease-associated genes and does not require ethical approvals for experimental use. This review covers a range of topics, from reported accumulation characteristics and lethal concentrations of PFAS in C. elegans to the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of PFAS at different levels, including reproductive, developmental, cellular, neurologic, oxidative, metabolic, immune, and endocrine toxicities. Additionally, the toxicity levels of some PFAS substitutes are summarized. Lastly, we discuss the toxicological mechanisms of these PFAS substitutes and the importance and promising potential of nematodes as in vivo models for life science research, epidemiological studies (obesity, aging, and Alzheimer's disease research), and toxicological investigations of PFASs and other emerging pollutants compared with other soil animals or model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Ma
- Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Prevention and Control, Zhejiang Industry and Trade Vocation College, Wenzhou 325002, China
- College of Resource Environment and Tourism, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang 441053, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Xia Pan
- Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Prevention and Control, Zhejiang Industry and Trade Vocation College, Wenzhou 325002, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Tiantian Wang
- College of Resource Environment and Tourism, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang 441053, China
| | - Xiuhua Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Yongming Luo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
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Long NP, Kang JS, Kim HM. Caenorhabditis elegans: a model organism in the toxicity assessment of environmental pollutants. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:39273-39287. [PMID: 36745349 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25675-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The unfavorable effects of environmental pollutants are becoming increasingly evident. In recent years, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has been used as a powerful terrestrial model organism for environmental toxicity studies owing to its various advantages, including ease of culture, short lifespan, small size, transparent body, and well-characterized genome. In vivo bioassays and field studies can analyze and evaluate various toxic effects of the toxicants on the model organism, while emerging technologies allow profound insights into molecular disturbances underlying the observed phenotypes. In this review, we discuss the applications of C. elegans as a model organism in environmental toxicity studies and delineate apical assays such as lifespan, growth rate, reproduction, and locomotion, which are widely used in toxicity evaluation. In addition to phenotype assays, a comprehensive understanding of the toxic mode of action and mechanism can be achieved through a highly sensitive multi-omics approach, including the expression levels of genes and endogenous metabolites. Recent studies on environmental toxicity using these approaches have been summarized. This review highlights the practicality and advantages of C. elegans in evaluating the toxicity of environmental pollutants and presents the findings of recent toxicity studies performed using this model organism. Finally, we propose crucial technical considerations to escalate the appropriate use of C. elegans in examining the toxic effects of environmental pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nguyen Phuoc Long
- Department of Pharmacology and PharmacoGenomics Research Center, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, 614-735, Korea
| | - Jong Seong Kang
- College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Korea
| | - Hyung Min Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Korea.
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Medeiros FS, Mota C, Chaudhuri P. Perfluoropropionic Acid-Driven Nucleation of Atmospheric Molecules under Ambient Conditions. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:8449-8458. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c05068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Flávio Soares Medeiros
- Department of Physics, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus69080-900, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Cicero Mota
- Department of Mathematics, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus69080-900, Amazonas, Brazil
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Qu M, Chen H, Lai H, Liu X, Wang D, Zhang X. Exposure to nanopolystyrene and its 4 chemically modified derivatives at predicted environmental concentrations causes differently regulatory mechanisms in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Chemosphere 2022; 305:135498. [PMID: 35777546 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Nanoplastics represented by nanopolystyrene (NPS) and its chemically modified derivatives are environmentally ecotoxicological hotpots in recent years, but their toxicity and underlying mechanisms have not been fully identified. Here we employed Caenorhabditis elegans as an animal model to systematically compare the toxicity between nanopolystyrene and its 4 chemically modified derivatives (PS-PEG, PS-COOH, PS-SOOOH and PS-NH2) at predicted environmental concentrations. Our study demonstrated that compared with PS exposed group, PS-NH2 exposure (15 μg/L) caused a significant decline in lifespan by suppressed DAF-16/insulin signaling and shortened body length by inhibiting DBL-1/TGF β signaling. Different from PS-NH2 exposed group, PS-SOOOH exposure (15 μg/L) could not cause changes in lifespan, but shortened body length by inhibiting DBL-1/TGF β signaling. In addition, PS-COOH, PS-SOOOH or PS-NH2 exposure (1 μg/L or 15 μg/L) caused more serious toxicity in reducing locomotion behavior and causing gut barrier deficit. Hence the rank order in toxicity of PS-NH2>PS-SOOOH>PS-COOH>PS>PS-PEG was identified. Furthermore, we also presented evidence to support the contention that the observed toxic effects on nematodes were linked to oxide stress and activation of anti-oxidative molecules for reversing the adverse effects induced by nanopolystyrene and its 4 chemically modified derivatives. Our data highlighted nanoplastics may be charge-dependently toxic to environmental organisms, and the screened low toxic modification may support polystyrene nanoparticles continued application for daily consumer goods and biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Qu
- School of Nursing & School of Public Health, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225000, China.
| | - He Chen
- Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei, 230000, China
| | - Hanpeng Lai
- School of Nursing & School of Public Health, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225000, China
| | - Xing Liu
- School of Nursing & School of Public Health, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225000, China
| | - Dayong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering in Ministry of Education, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Xing Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine and Innovative Drug Development, Jiangsu Simcere Diagnostics Co., Ltd., Nanjing, 210009, China
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Feng Z, McLamb F, Vu JP, Gong S, Gersberg RM, Bozinovic G. Physiological and transcriptomic effects of hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid in Caenorhabditis elegans during development. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2022; 244:114047. [PMID: 36075119 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemicals resistant to degradation. While such a feature is desirable in consumer and industrial products, some PFAS, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are toxic and bioaccumulate. Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), an emerging PFAS developed to replace PFOA, has not been extensively studied. To evaluate the potential toxicity of HFPO-DA with a cost- and time-efficient approach, we exposed C. elegans larvae for 48 h to 4 × 10-9-4 g/L HFPO-DA in liquid media and measured developmental, behavioral, locomotor, and transcriptional effects at various exposure levels. Worms exposed to 1.5-4 g/L HFPO-DA were developmentally delayed, and progeny production was significantly delayed (p < 0.05) in worms exposed to 2-4 g/L HFPO-DA. Statistically significant differential gene expression was identified in all fourteen HFPO-DA exposure groups ranging from 1.25 × 10-5 to 4 g/L, except for 6.25 × 10-5 g/L. Among 10298 analyzed genes, 2624 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the developmentally delayed 4 g/L group only, and 78 genes were differentially expressed in at least one of the thirteen groups testing 1.25 × 10-5-2 g/L HFPO-DA exposures. Genes encoding for detoxification enzymes including cytochrome P450 and UDP glucuronosyltransferases were upregulated in 0.25-4 g/L acute exposure groups. DEGs were also identified in lower exposure level groups, though they did not share biological functions except for six ribosomal protein-coding genes. While our transcriptional data is inconclusive to infer mechanisms of toxicity, the significant gene expression differences at 1.25 × 10-5 g/L, the lowest concentration tested for transcriptional changes, calls for further targeted analyses of low-dose HFPO-DA exposure effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuying Feng
- Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute, 3030 Bunker Hill Street, San Diego, CA, USA; School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, USA.
| | - Flannery McLamb
- Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute, 3030 Bunker Hill Street, San Diego, CA, USA; Division of Extended Studies, University of California San Diego, 9600N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Jeanne P Vu
- Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute, 3030 Bunker Hill Street, San Diego, CA, USA; School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, USA; Division of Extended Studies, University of California San Diego, 9600N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Sylvia Gong
- Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute, 3030 Bunker Hill Street, San Diego, CA, USA; School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, USA; Division of Extended Studies, University of California San Diego, 9600N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Richard M Gersberg
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, USA.
| | - Goran Bozinovic
- Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute, 3030 Bunker Hill Street, San Diego, CA, USA; School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, USA; Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA, USA.
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