Environmental toxicology: how pervasive organic environmental pollutants cause toxicity at the molecular, cellular and organism level

© 2024 The Author(s). FEBS Open Bio published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Biochemical Societies.This special issue in FEBS Open Bio was conceived to highlight some of the current research and future directions regarding research in the field of environmental toxicology of some organic pollutants, in relation to human health and disease. It has long been established that man has been exposed to many new (un‐natural) organic chemicals since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, many of which are found in a vast and diverse range of products, such as agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics and electronic components, which have been instrumental in driving man's exponential advances in technology over the last 150 years. However, an unforeseen consequence of these advances is that our ecosystem has been exposed to a vast number of these organic chemicals, many of which appear to be persistent within the environment, as well as bioaccumulating in living organisms, including man.Unfunde

The sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) is the likely molecular target for the acute toxicity of the brominated flame retardant hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD).

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is a widely utilised brominated flame retardant (BFR). It has been shown to bio-accumulate within organisms, including man, and possibly cause neurological disorders. The acute neurotoxicity of HBCD, and six other unrelated BFRs, were assessed in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells by 24h viability assays and HBCD proved to be the most lethal (LC50, 3μM). In addition, the effects of these BFRs were also assessed for their potency at inhibiting the sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase (SERCA) derived from the SH-SY5Y cells and again HBCD was the most potent (IC50, 2.7μM). The data for the other BFRs tested showed a direct correlation (coefficient 0.94) between the potencies of inducing cell death and inhibiting the Ca(2+) ATPase, indicating that SERCA is likely to be the molecular target for acute toxicity. Mechanistic studies of HBCD on the Ca(2+) ATPase suggest that it affects ATP binding, phosphorylation as well as the E2 to E1 transition step

Regulation and roles of Ca2+ stores in human sperm.

[Ca(2)(+)]i signalling is a key regulatory mechanism in sperm function. In mammalian sperm the Ca(2)(+)-permeable plasma membrane ion channel CatSper is central to [Ca(2)(+)]i signalling, but there is good evidence that Ca(2)(+) stored in intracellular organelles is also functionally important. Here we briefly review the current understanding of the diversity of Ca(2)(+) stores and the mechanisms for the regulation of their activity. We then consider the evidence for the involvement of these stores in [Ca(2)(+)]i signalling in mammalian (primarily human) sperm, the agonists that may activate these stores and their role in control of sperm function. Finally we consider the evidence that membrane Ca(2)(+) channels and stored Ca(2)(+) may play discrete roles in the regulation of sperm activities and propose a mechanism by which these different components of the sperm Ca(2)(+)-signalling apparatus may interact to generate complex and spatially diverse [Ca(2)(+)]i signals.Wellcome Trus

Enzymatic method for assaying calcium in serum with Ca++ -ATPase

A kinetic assay for total calcium in serum was developed which is based on the activation of Ca(++)-ATPase by free Ca(++) [Ca(++)](f) maintained by EGTA in the reaction mixture. The concentration of Ca(++)(f) was dependent on total reference calcium added or serum calcium. Ca(++)-ATPase activity was coupled to the reduction of NADH by pyruvate kinase (PK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and monitored by change in absorbance at 340 nm. The calcium in normal serum was 10.08 +/- 0.24 mg/dl (n = 35) by our method while with o-cresolphthalein complexone (CPC) method, the total calcium in the same 35 serum samples was 10.14 +/- 0.54 mg/dl. The range of within-run coefficient of variations (CVs) by this method was 0.9-2.87% at 8-12 mg/dl and day-to-day CVs were 0.72-3.17%. The presence of other ions and standard clinical interfering agents did not affect this assay system. The correlation between values obtained with our method (y) and CPC method (x) for normal serum was: y = 1.064x-0.580 mg/dl (r = 0.912, n = 59)

Exogenous heat shock proteins HSPA1A and HSPB1 regulate TNF ‐α, IL ‐1β and IL ‐10 secretion from monocytic cells

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Ogbodo, E., Michelangeli, F., & Williams, J. H. H. (2023). Exogenous heat shock proteins HSPA1A and HSPB1 regulate TNF‐α, IL‐1β and IL‐10 secretion from monocytic cells. FEBS Open Bio. 13(10), 1922-1940, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/2211-5463.13695. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.History: received 2023-04-17, accepted 2023-08-02, epub 2023-08-15, issued 2023-08-15, published 2023-08-15Endogenous molecules, such as heat shock proteins (HSP), can function as danger signals when released into the extracellular environment in response to cell stress, where they elicit an immune response such as cytokine secretion. There has also been some suggestion that contamination of exogenous HSPs with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) may be responsible for these effects. This study investigates the effects of exogenous HSPA1A and HSPB1 on the activation of immune cells and the resulting secretion of cytokines, which are involved in inflammatory responses. To address whether exogenous HSPs can directly activate cytokine secretion, naïve U937 cells, differentiated U937 cells, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were treated with either exogenously applied HSPA1A or HSPB1, and then secreted IL‐1β, TNF‐α, and IL‐10 were measured by ELISA. Both HSPs were able to induce a dose‐dependent increase in IL‐10 secretion from naïve U937 cells and dose‐dependent IL‐1β, TNF‐α and IL‐10 secretion were also observed in differentiated U937 cells and PBMCs. We also observed that CD14 affects the secretion levels of IL‐1β, TNF‐α, and IL‐10 from cells in response to exogenous HSP treatment. In addition, HSPA1A and HSPB1 were shown to interact with CD14, CD36, and CD11b extracellular receptor proteins. Several approaches used in this study indicate that HSP‐induced cytokine secretion is largely independent of any contaminating LPS in the samples

Regucalcin ameliorates doxorubicin-induced cytotoxicity in Cos-7 kidney cells and translocates from the nucleus to the mitochondria.

From Europe PMC via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: ppub 2022-01-01Publication status: PublishedDoxorubicin (DOX) is a potent anticancer drug, which can have unwanted side-effects such as cardiac and kidney toxicity. A detailed investigation was undertaken of the acute cytotoxic mechanisms of DOX on kidney cells, using Cos-7 cells as kidney cell model. Cos-7 cells were exposed to DOX for a period of 24 h over a range of concentrations, and the LC50 was determined to be 7 µM. Further investigations showed that cell death was mainly via apoptosis involving Ca2+ and caspase 9, in addition to autophagy. Regucalcin (RGN), a cytoprotective protein found mainly in liver and kidney tissues, was overexpressed in Cos-7 cells and shown to protect against DOX-induced cell death. Subcellular localization studies in Cos-7 cells showed RGN to be strongly correlated with the nucleus. However, upon treatment with DOX for 4 h, which induced membrane blebbing in some cells, the localization appeared to be correlated more with the mitochondria in these cells. It is yet to be determined whether this translocation is part of the cytoprotective mechanism or a consequence of chemically induced cell stress

Some commonly used brominated flame retardants cause Ca2+-ATPase inhibition, beta-amyloid peptide release and apoptosis in SH-SY5Y neuronal cells.

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are chemicals commonly used to reduce the flammability of consumer products and are considered pollutants since they have become widely dispersed throughout the environment and have also been shown to bio-accumulate within animals and man. This study investigated the cytotoxicity of some of the most commonly used groups of BFRs on SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. The results showed that of the BFRs tested, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) and decabromodiphenyl ether (DBPE), all are cytotoxic at low micromolar concentrations (LC(50) being 2.7 ± 0.7 µM, 15 ± 4 µM and 28 ± 7 µM, respectively). They induced cell death, at least in part, by apoptosis through activation of caspases. They also increased intracellular [Ca(2+)] levels and reactive-oxygen-species within these neuronal cells. Furthermore, these BFRs also caused rapid depolarization of the mitochondria and cytochrome c release in these neuronal cells. Elevated intracellular [Ca(2+)] levels appear to occur through a mechanism involving microsomal Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibition and this maybe responsible for Ca(2+)-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, µM levels of these BFRs caused β-amyloid peptide (Aβ-42) processing and release from these cells with a few hours of exposure. These results therefore shows that these pollutants are both neurotoxic and amyloidogenic in-vitro

A Systems Biology Approach Reveals a Calcium-Dependent Mechanism for Basal Toxicity in Daphnia magna.

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Environmental Science & Technology, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher.The expanding diversity and ever increasing amounts of man-made chemicals discharged to the environment pose largely unknown hazards to ecosystem and human health. The concept of adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) emerged as a comprehensive framework for risk assessment. However, the limited mechanistic information available for most chemicals and a lack of biological pathway annotation in many species represent significant challenges to effective implementation of this approach. Here, a systems level, multistep modeling strategy demonstrates how to integrate information on chemical structure with mechanistic insight from genomic studies, and phenotypic effects to define a putative adverse outcome pathway. Results indicated that transcriptional changes indicative of intracellular calcium mobilization were significantly overrepresented in Daphnia magna (DM) exposed to sublethal doses of presumed narcotic chemicals with log Kow ≥ 1.8. Treatment of DM with a calcium ATPase pump inhibitor substantially recapitulated the common transcriptional changes. We hypothesize that calcium mobilization is a potential key molecular initiating event in DM basal (narcosis) toxicity. Heart beat rate analysis and metabolome analysis indicated sublethal effects consistent with perturbations of calcium preceding overt acute toxicity. Together, the results indicate that altered calcium homeostasis may be a key early event in basal toxicity or narcosis induced by lipophilic compounds

Exogenous heat shock proteins HSPA1A and HSPB1 regulate TNF ‐α, IL ‐1β and IL ‐10 secretion from monocytic cells

From Wiley via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2023-04-17, rev-recd 2023-07-31, accepted 2023-08-14, epub 2023-08-25Article version: VoRPublication status: PublishedEndogenous molecules, such as heat shock proteins (HSP), can function as danger signals when released into the extracellular environment in response to cell stress, where they elicit an immune response such as cytokine secretion. There has also been some suggestion that contamination of exogenous HSPs with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) may be responsible for these effects. This study investigates the effects of exogenous HSPA1A and HSPB1 on the activation of immune cells and the resulting secretion of cytokines, which are involved in inflammatory responses. To address whether exogenous HSPs can directly activate cytokine secretion, naïve U937 cells, differentiated U937 cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were treated with either exogenously applied HSPA1A or HSPB1 and then secreted IL‐1β, TNF‐α and IL‐10 were measured by ELISA. Both HSPs were able to induce a dose‐dependent increase in IL‐10 secretion from naïve U937 cells and dose‐dependent IL‐1β, TNF‐α and IL‐10 secretion were also observed in differentiated U937 cells and PBMCs. We also observed that CD14 affects the secretion levels of IL‐1β, TNF‐α and IL‐10 from cells in response to exogenous HSP treatment. In addition, HSPA1A and HSPB1 were shown to interact with CD14, CD36 and CD11b extracellular receptor proteins. Several approaches used in this study indicate that HSP‐induced cytokine secretion is largely independent of any contaminating LPS in the samples