PLoS ONE (Jan 2021)

Maternal methylmercury exposure changes the proteomic profile of the offspring's salivary glands: Prospects on translational toxicology.

  • Priscila Cunha Nascimento,
  • Walessa Alana Bragança Aragão,
  • Leonardo Oliveira Bittencourt,
  • Aline Dionizio,
  • Marilia A R Buzalaf,
  • Maria Elena Crespo-Lopez,
  • Rafael Rodrigues Lima

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258969
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 11
p. e0258969

Abstract

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BackgroundMethylmercury (MeHg) remains a public health issue since developing organisms are particularly vulnerable to this environmental contaminant. This study investigated the effect of maternal MeHg exposure on the modulation of proteomic profile of parotid (PA), submandibular (SM), and sublingual (SL) glands of offspring rats.Materials and methodsPregnant Wistar rats were daily exposed to 40 μg/kg MeHg during both gestational and lactation periods. The proteomic profiles of the major salivary glands of the offspring rats were analyzed through mass spectrometry.ResultsThe offspring rats exposed to MeHg showed significant alterations in the proteomic profiles of the PA, SM, and SL glands. Altered proteins were associated with cytoskeleton components, tissue morphogenesis, and response to stimulus and stress.ConclusionThis original study showed that maternal MeHg exposure significantly modulates the expression of proteins and induces alterations in the proteomic profiles of developing salivary glands.