Exposure to four typical heavy metals induced telomere shortening of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in relevant with declined urinary aMT6s in rats

Xiong Chen; Qian Ren; Fan Wu; Kai Zhu; Junyan Tao; Aihua Zhang

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety (Sep 2024)

Exposure to four typical heavy metals induced telomere shortening of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in relevant with declined urinary aMT6s in rats

Xiong Chen,
Qian Ren,
Fan Wu,
Kai Zhu,
Junyan Tao,
Aihua Zhang

Affiliations

Xiong Chen: The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Department of Toxicology, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New Area, Guizhou 561113, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Endemic and Ethnic Regional Diseases Co-constructed by the Province and Ministry, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New Area, Guizhou 561113, China; Corresponding authors at: The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Department of Toxicology, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New Area, Guizhou 561113, China.
Qian Ren: The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Department of Toxicology, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New Area, Guizhou 561113, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Endemic and Ethnic Regional Diseases Co-constructed by the Province and Ministry, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New Area, Guizhou 561113, China
Fan Wu: The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Department of Toxicology, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New Area, Guizhou 561113, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Endemic and Ethnic Regional Diseases Co-constructed by the Province and Ministry, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New Area, Guizhou 561113, China
Kai Zhu: The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Department of Toxicology, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New Area, Guizhou 561113, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Endemic and Ethnic Regional Diseases Co-constructed by the Province and Ministry, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New Area, Guizhou 561113, China
Junyan Tao: The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Department of Toxicology, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New Area, Guizhou 561113, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Endemic and Ethnic Regional Diseases Co-constructed by the Province and Ministry, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New Area, Guizhou 561113, China
Aihua Zhang: The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Department of Toxicology, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New Area, Guizhou 561113, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Endemic and Ethnic Regional Diseases Co-constructed by the Province and Ministry, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New Area, Guizhou 561113, China; Corresponding authors at: The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Department of Toxicology, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New Area, Guizhou 561113, China.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 283
p. 116791

Abstract

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Environmental heavy metals pollution have seriously threatened the health of human beings. An increasing number of researches have demonstrated that environmental heavy metals can influence the telomere length of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs), which implicate biological aging as well as predicts diseases. Our previous study has shown that methylmercury (MeHg)-induced telomere shortening in rat brain tissue was associated with urinary melatonin metabolite 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s) levels. Here, we aimed to further elucidate the impact of 4 typical heavy metals (As, Hg, Cd and Pb) on telomere length of PBMCs and their association with urinary aMT6s in rats. In this study, eighty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized grouped into eleven groups. Among them, forty 3-month-old (young) and forty 12-month-old (middle-aged) rats were divided into young or middle-aged control groups as well as typical heavy metals exposed groups, respectively. Eight 24-month-old rats (old) was divided into aging control group. The results showed that MeHg exposure in young rats while sodium arsenite (iAs), MeHg, cadmium chloride (CdCl2), lead acetate (PbAc) exposure in middle-aged rats for 3 months significantly reduced the levels of and urinary aMT6s, as well as telomere length of PBMCs. In addition, they also induced abnormalities in serum oxidative stress (SOD, MDA and GPx) and inflammatory (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) indicators. Notably, there was a significant positive correlation between declined level of urinary aMT6s and the shortening of telomere length in PBMCs in rats exposed to 4 typical heavy metals. These results suggested that 4 typical heavy metals exposure could accelerate the reduction of telomere length of PBMCs partially by inducing oxidative stress and inflammatory in rats, while ageing may be an important synergistic factor. Urinary aMT6s detection may be a alternative method to reflect telomere toxic effects induced by heavy metal exposure.

Published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

ISSN: 0147-6513 (Print); 1090-2414 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Technology: Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering: Environmental pollution; Geography. Anthropology. Recreation: Environmental sciences
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/ecotoxicology-and-environmental-safety

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