Host–microbiome interactions: the aryl hydrocarbon receptor as a critical node in tryptophan metabolites to brain signaling

ABSTRACT

Tryptophan (Trp) is not only a nutrient enhancer but also has systemic effects. Trp metabolites signaling through the well-known aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) constitute the interface of microbiome-gut-brain axis. However, the pathway through which Trp metabolites affect central nervous system (CNS) function have not been fully elucidated. AhR participates in a broad variety of physiological and pathological processes that also highly relevant to intestinal homeostasis and CNS diseases. Via the AhR-dependent mechanism, Trp metabolites connect bidirectional signaling between the gut microbiome and the brain, mediated via immune, metabolic, and neural (vagal) signaling mechanisms, with downstream effects on behavior and CNS function. These findings shed light on the complex Trp regulation of microbiome-gut-brain axis and add another facet to our understanding that dietary Trp is expected to be a promising noninvasive approach for alleviating systemic diseases.     

13C-caffeine breath test identifies single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with caffeine metabolism

We performed a caffeine (N-3-methyl-¹³C) breath test (CafeBT) to determine whether it can be employed to identify caffeine metabolism-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms. The study included 130 healthy adults (mean age: 21.9 years). Saliva was collected using an Oragene®•DNA saliva collection kit. Breath samples were collected from the subjects. The subjects orally ingested 100 mg ¹³C-caffeine dissolved in distilled water. Subsequently, breath samples were collected in bags every 10 min for a total of 90 min. An analysis of ¹³CO₂ in the expired breath was performed by infrared spectroscopy, and the sum of Δ¹³CO₂ over 90 min (S^90m) was calculated. DNA from saliva samples was genotyped using TaqMan® SNP Genotyping for the following genes: cytochrome P4501A2: rs762551, rs2472297, aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (rs4410790), and adenosine A_2A receptor (rs5751876). All subjects had the genotype CC in rs2472297 alleles. No significant difference was observed in S^90m among the genotypes of rs762551 and rs5751876; however, a significant difference was found in S^90m among the genotypes of rs4410790 (C > T). Our findings suggest that the N-3 demethylation of caffeine is dependent on the rs4410790 allele and that CafeBT may be used to determine rs4410790 genotypes.     

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in cosmetic products by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) method is developed to determine 18 representative polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in cosmetics, including Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and others. The method offers high sensitivity and selectivity under selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode to satisfy the requirements of both quantitation and qualitation. The extraction solvent system used in this study is acetone/hexane 1:1 (v/v) and other purification procedure is unnecessary. The linearities of 18 PAHs are validated in different concentration in the range of 0.25–20 ng/mL individually with coefficient correlation (r) higher than 0.996. The recoveries for spiking 3 different concentrations are from 87.40% to 120.44% for 18 PAHs and the coefficient of variation (CV) are below 12.32%. Limit of quantification (LOQ) of 18 PAHs is in the range of 0.05–0.2 mg/kg. A matrix enhancement effect is observed and can be compensated with deuterated internal standard. The method has been successfully applied to 73 samples, over 40 of them are lipsticks. The results show none of the samples detect Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and Dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DBA), both are classified as the most carcinogenic. 8 PAHs are detected and the average value between 0.08 and 0.27 mg/kg. This study offers a sensitive and simple method to analyze 18 representative PAHs successfully and can be applied to cosmetic products and raw materials.     

利用Tox21通路数据库评估石家庄市大气细颗粒物中多环芳烃激活毒性通路的风险

目的： 采用Tox21毒性检测数据库中通路数据对2017年石家庄市供暖期大气细颗粒物（PM_2.5）中多环芳烃（PAHs）的检测数据进行分析计算，评估PM_2.5引起毒性通路激活的风险。方法： 在石家庄市河北医科大学远离工业污染源设置1个采样点收集大气PM_2.5，通过气相色谱-串联质谱法（GC-MS）检测美国环境保护署优先控制的16种PAHs的浓度。利用MPPD软件计算各PAHs单体在成人肺泡中的沉积量；检索Tox21毒性检测数据库中芳烃受体（AhR）、核因子E2相关因子（Nrf2）、p53和核因子κB（NF-κB）各通路的剂量反应关系数据，计算各PAHs单体激活各通路的单位强度；结合PAHs在肺泡的沉积量和PAHs激活通路的强度，评估PM_2.5激活各个通路的风险。结果： 石家庄市供暖期PM_2.5中PAHs检测结果显示，苯并[a]芘的日均浓度为9.13 ng/m³，日均浓度排名前3的苯并[b]荧蒽、荧蒽和芘的浓度分别为22.88、17.86及14.31 ng/m³。这16种PAHs以苯并[a]芘为参照的毒性当量浓度为17.74 ng/m³。毒性通路激活风险预测结果提示激活强度最大的是NF-κB通路，其次是AhR、Nrf2，p53被激活的可能性最弱，其中相对应的活性暴露比（AER）值分别为1.97、1.71、0.58和0.28。结论： 石家庄市大气细颗粒物中PAHs的暴露，可能通过激活NF-κB和AhR信号通路增加致癌风险。     

PAHs and PM2.5 emissions and female breast cancer incidence in metro Atlanta and rural Georgia

Environmental chemical exposure could be an important etiologic factor for geographic differences in breast cancer incidence. In this study, we examined emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and PM_2.5 in relation to breast cancer incidence in metro Atlanta and rural Georgia by analyzing data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program and the Environmental Protection Agency. The results showed that metro Atlanta had a significantly higher age-adjusted annual incidence rate of female breast cancer than rural Georgia (132.6 vs. 113.7 per 100,000) for 1992–2011. Emissions of both PAHs [adjusted β = 0.568 (95 % CI: 0.209, 0.927); p = 0.004] and PM_2.5 [adjusted β = 2.964 (95 % CI: 0.468, 5.459); p = 0.023] were significantly associated with breast cancer incidence in metro Atlanta area. This study suggests that ambient air pollution, especially PAHs and PM_2.5, could have a significant impact on the increased incidence of female breast cancer in urban areas.     

In Utero Exposure to Benzo[a]pyrene Induces Ovarian Mutations at Doses That Deplete Ovarian Follicles in Mice

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons like benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants formed during incomplete combustion of organic materials. Our prior work showed that transplacental exposure to BaP depletes ovarian follicles and increases prevalence of epithelial ovarian tumors later in life. We used the MutaMouse transgenic rodent model to address the hypothesis that ovarian mutations play a role in tumorigenesis caused by prenatal exposure to BaP. Pregnant MutaMouse females were treated with 0, 10, 20, or 40 mg/(kg day) BaP orally on gestational days 7–16, covering critical windows of ovarian development. Female offspring were euthanized at 10 weeks of age; some ovaries with oviducts were processed for follicle counting; other ovaries/oviducts and bone marrow were processed for determination of lacZ mutant frequency (MF). Mutant plaques were pooled within dose groups and sequenced to determine the mutation spectrum. BaP exposure caused highly significant dose-related decreases in ovarian follicles and increases in ovarian/oviductal and bone marrow mutant frequencies at all doses. Absence of follicles, cell packets, and epithelial tubular structures were observed with 20 and 40 mg/(kg day) BaP. Depletion of ovarian germ cells was inversely associated with ovarian MF. BaP induced primarily G > T and G > C transversions and deletions in ovaries/oviducts and bone marrow cells and produced a mutation signature highly consistent with that of tobacco smoking in human cancers. Overall, our results show that prenatal BaP exposure significantly depletes ovarian germ cells, causes histopathological abnormalities, and increases the burden of ovarian/oviductal mutations, which may be involved in pathogenesis of epithelial ovarian tumors. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 60:410–420, 2019. © 2018 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada     

本维莫德对HaCaT细胞增殖、炎症因子分泌及皮肤屏障因子产生的影响

【摘要】 目的 研究本维莫德对人角质形成细胞增殖、炎症细胞因子分泌、皮肤屏障蛋白合成以及信号转导与转录激活蛋白1（STAT1）磷酸化的影响。方法 体外培养HaCaT细胞，采用0.1 ~ 1 000 μmol/L本维莫德处理24 h，用CCK8法检测细胞增殖。部分HaCaT细胞分为6组，对照组仅加入DMEM培养基，刺激剂组加入10 μg/L肿瘤坏死因子α（TNF-α）和干扰素γ（IFN-γ），本维莫德组加入10 μg/L TNF-α和IFN-γ以及终浓度为1 ~ 10或1 ~ 100 μmol/L本维莫德，AhR拮抗剂组加入10 μg/L TNF-α和IFN-γ、10或100 μmol/L本维莫德以及10 nmol/L StemRegenin1（SR1），处理24 h后，酶联免疫吸附实验检测细胞培养上清液中白细胞介素（IL）-4、IL-10、IL-22和胸腺活化调节趋化因子（TARC）的水平，RT-PCR检测HaCaT细胞芳香烃受体（AhR）、细胞色素P450 1A（CYP1A1）、聚丝蛋白、内披蛋白、胸腺基质淋巴细胞生成素（TSLP）和TARC mRNA的表达水平，Western印迹法检测聚丝蛋白、内披蛋白、TSLP和STAT1及磷酸化STAT1（p-STAT1）的蛋白表达水平，免疫荧光检测本维莫德对HaCaT细胞中AhR核转位的影响。计量资料采用非配对Student t检验和单因素方差分析进行比较，Spearman检验分析各指标间的关系。结果 0.1、1、10、100、1 000 μmol/L本维莫德干预HaCaT细胞24 h后，细胞存活率分别为（90.2 ± 2.4）%、（85.4 ± 11.9）%、（52.8 ± 14.0）%、（39.4 ± 7.9）%、（27.5 ± 3.4）%，各组间差异有统计学意义（F = 162.5，P < 0.001），50%抑制浓度为48.54 μmol/L。与刺激剂组相比，10和100 μmol/L本维莫德组HaCaT细胞分泌的IL-10水平上升（F = 16.110，P < 0.001），但100 μmol/L组IL-22（F = 6.884，P < 0.001）和10、100 μmol/L组 TARC水平（F = 7.052，P < 0.001）显著下降。与刺激剂组相比，1 和10 μmol/L本维莫德组CYP1A1 mRNA表达（P = 0.004）和10 μmol/L本维莫德组FLG mRNA表达（P = 0.040）水平显著增高，而10 μmol/L组 TARC mRNA和10 μmol/L组TSLP mRNA表达显著降低（均P < 0.01），而刺激剂组和本维莫德组间AhR mRNA的表达差异无统计学意义（P = 0.193）。与刺激剂组相比，10 μmol/L本维莫德组聚丝蛋白（P = 0.020）和1、10 μmol/L本维莫德组内披蛋白表达水平（P < 0.001）显著上升，而10 μmol/L TSLP蛋白表达水平显著下降（P < 0.001），1和10 μmol/L本维莫德组p-STAT1蛋白表达水平显著下降（P < 0.001）。与100 μmol/L 本维莫德组相比，AhR拮抗剂组IL-10分泌水平显著下降（t = 4.794，P = 0.003），TSLP mRNA的表达显著上升（t = 3.769，P = 0.005）；与10 μmol/L 本维莫德组相比，AhR拮抗剂组 IVL蛋白表达显著下降（t = 5.117，P = 0.002），TSLP蛋白表达显著上升（t = 3.117，P = 0.043）， p-STAT1蛋白表达无明显变化（t = 1.400，P = 0.719）。免疫荧光染色显示对照组和1 μmol/L本维莫德组中AhR绿色荧光主要表达于HaCaT细胞胞质中，细胞核中基本无荧光表达；而在10 μmol/L和20 μmol/L本维莫德组HaCaT细胞的细胞质和细胞核均可见高密度绿色荧光。结论 本维莫德可通过活化AhR信号通路抑制HaCaT细胞增殖，调节炎症因子分泌，上调皮肤屏障相关因子的产生和抑制STAT1磷酸化。