Project description:PPARα-null and wild-type male mice treated with PFHxS or PFNA PPARα-null and wild-type male mice at 6-9 months of age were dosed by gavage for 7 consecutive days with either 0, 3, or 10 mg/kg PFHxS, or 1 or 3 mg/kg PFNA (#394459, Sigma-Aldrich, St, Louis, MO) in water. PFHxS was kindly provided by 3M Corp (St. Paul, MN). Four biological replicates consisting of individual animals were included in each dose group. Dose levels reflected exposures that produce hepatomegaly in adult mice without inducing overt toxicity.
Project description:The nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) regulates responses to chemical or physical stress in part by altering expression of genes involved in proteome maintenance. Many of these genes are also transcriptionally regulated by heat shock (HS) through activation by HS factor-1 (HSF1). We hypothesized that there are interactions on a genetic level between PPARα and the HS response mediated by HSF1. Wild-type and PPARα-null mice were exposed to HS, the PPARα agonist WY-14,643 (WY), or both; gene and protein expression was examined in the livers of the mice 4 or 24 hrs after HS. Gene expression profiling identified a number of Hsp family members that were altered similarly in both mouse strains. However, most of the targets of HS did not overlap between strains. A subset of genes was shown by microarray and RT-PCR to be regulated by HS in a PPARα-dependent manner. HS also down-regulated a large set of mitochondrial genes specifically in PPARα-null mice that are known targets of PPARg co-activator 1 (PGC-1) family members. Pretreatment of PPARα-null mice with WY increased expression of PGC-1b and target genes and prevented the down-regulation of the mitochondrial genes by HS. A comparison of HS genes regulated in our dataset with those identified in wild-type and HSF1-null mouse embryonic fibroblasts indicated that although many HS genes are regulated independently of both PPARα and HSF1, a number require both factors for HS responsiveness. These findings demonstrate that the PPARα genotype has a dramatic effect on the transcriptional targets of HS and support an expanded role for PPARα in the regulation of proteome maintenance genes after exposure to diverse forms of environmental stress including HS. Keywords: Gene Expresssion-Heat shock
Project description:Analysis of livers of male and female B6C3F1 mice exposed to prototype treatments from five classes of model hepatotoxicants. These hepatotoxicants include compounds that activate the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), induce the inflammatory response, activate the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), stimulate the hypoxia signal transduction pathway, and activate the aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). The results provide insights into the shared and unique pathways that are activated across these model hepatotoxicants.
Project description:Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) and a persistent environmental contaminant found in the tissues of humans and wildlife. Although blood levels of PFOS have begun to decline, health concerns remain because of the long half-life of PFOS in humans. Like other PFAAs, such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), PFOS is an activator of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARα) and exhibits hepatocarcinogenic potential in rodents. PFOS is also a developmental toxicant in rodents where, unlike PFOA, it’s mode of action is independent of PPARα. Wild-type (WT) and PPARα-null (Null) mice were dosed with 0, 3, or 10 mg/kg/day PFOS for 7 days. Animals were euthanized, livers weighed, and liver samples collected for histology and preparation of total RNA. Gene profiling was conducted using Affymetrix 430_2 microarrays. In WT mice, PFOS induced changes that were characteristic of PPARα transactivation including regulation of genes associated with lipid metabolism, peroxisome biogenesis, proteasome activation, and inflammation. PPARα-independent changes were indicated in both WT and Null mice by altered expression of genes related to lipid metabolism, inflammation, and xenobiotic metabolism. Such results are similar to prior studies done with PFOA and are consistent with modest activation of the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) and possibly PPARγ and/or PPARβ/δ. Unique treatment-related effects were also found in Null mice including altered expression of genes associated with ribosome biogenesis, oxidative phosphorylation and cholesterol biosynthesis. Of interest was up-regulation of Cyp7a1, a gene which is under the control of various transcription regulators. Hence, in addition to its ability to modestly activate PPARα, PFOS induces a variety of “off-target” effects as well. PPARalpha-null and wild-type male mice at 6-9 months of age were dosed by gavage for 7 consecutive days with either 0, 3, or 10 mg/kg PFOS (potassium salt) in 0.5% Tween 20. Five biological replicates consisting of individual animals were included in each dosage group. Data were compared to results previously published by our group for PFOA and Wy-14,643, a commonly used agonist of PPARalpha (Rosen et al., Toxicol Pathol. 36:592-607, 2008; GSE9796)
Project description:Autophagy is an evolutionally conserved catabolic process that recycles nutrients upon starvation and maintains cellular energy homeostasis1-3. Its acute regulation by nutrient sensing signaling pathways is well described, but its longer-term transcriptional regulation is not. The nuclear receptors PPARα and FXR are activated in the fasted or fed liver, respectively4,5. Here we show that both regulate hepatic autophagy. Pharmacologic activation of PPARα reverses the normal suppression of autophagy in the fed state, inducing autophagic lipid degradation, or lipophagy. This response is lost in PPARα knockout (PPARα-/-) mice, which are partially defective in the induction of autophagy by fasting. Pharmacologic activation of the bile acid receptor FXR strongly suppresses the induction of autophagy in the fasting state, and this response is absent in FXR knockout (FXR-/-) mice, which show a partial defect in suppression of hepatic autophagy in the fed state. PPARα and FXR compete for binding to shared sites in autophagic gene promoters, with opposite transcriptional outputs. These results reveal complementary, interlocking mechanisms for regulation of autophagy by nutrient status. Mouse liver PPARα cistromes in fed 8-week-old male WT or PPARα KO mice treated with or without its synthetic agonist ligand GW7647twice a day were generated by deep sequencing in quadruplicate using illumina
Project description:Fatty acid transport protein 2 (FATP2) is highly expressed in liver, small intestine, and kidney where it functions in both the uptake of exogenous long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) and in the activation to CoA thioesters of very long chain fatty acids (VLCFAs). Here we address the phenotypic impacts of deleting FATP2 followed by an unbiased RNA-seq analysis of the liver transcriptome. Wild type (C57BL/6J) and fatp2 null (fatp2-/-) mice (5 weeks old) were maintained on a standard chow diet for 6 weeks (11 weeks old). The male fatp2-/- mice had 258 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the female mice had a total of 91. Of significance was the finding that most of the genes with increased expression in the fatp2-/- liver are regulated by the transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα). Taken together, FATP2 has a broad impact on the expression of key lipid metabolic genes in the liver regulated by PPARα.
Project description:Humans can be exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) via many exposure routes, including diet, which may lead to several adverse health effects. So far, little is known about PFAS transport across the human intestinal barrier. In the current study, we aimed to assess the transport of 5 PFASs (PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS and HFPO-DA) in a human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) model. This model was extensively characterized and compared with the widely applied human colonic adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2 and a human primary IEC-based model, described to most closely resemble in vivo tissue. The hiPSC-derived IEC layers demonstrated polarized monolayers with tight junctions and a mucus layer. The monolayers consisted of enterocytes, stem cells, goblet cells, enteroendocrine cells, and Paneth cells that are also present in native tissue. Transcriptomics analysis revealed distinct differences in gene expression profiles where the hiPSC-derived IECs showed highest expression of intestinal tissue-specific genes relative to the primary IEC-based model, whereas the Caco-2 cells clustered closer to the primary IEC-based model than the hiPSC-derived IECs. The order of PFAS transport was largely similar between the models and the apparent permeability (Papp) values of PFAS in apical to basolateral direction in the hiPSC-derived IEC model were in the following order: PFHxS>PFOA>HFPO-DA>PFNA>PFOS. In conclusion, the hiPSC-derived IEC model highly resembles human intestinal physiology and is therefore a promising novel in vitro model to study transport of chemicals across the intestinal barrier for risk assessment of chemicals.
Project description:2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), a nitroaromatic used in industrial and explosive manufacturing processes, is known to contaminate artillery ranges, demilitarization areas and munitions manufacturing facilities. Previous transcriptomic and lipidomic studies identified energy metabolism as a principle biochemical process affected by 2,4-DNT where up-stream effects on PPARα signaling were hypothesized as themolecular initiating event for these effects. Here, the validity of this hypothetical adverse outcome pathway (AOP) was assessed by testing the hypothesis that 2,4-DNT-induced perturbations in PPARα signaling and resultant downstream deficits in energy metabolism, especially from lipids, would result in organism-level impacts on exercise endurance. PPARα knock-out (-/-) and wild-type (WT) mice were exposed for 14 days to vehicle or 2,4-DNT at a dose (134 mg/kg/day) that did not exhibit overt systemic toxicity. Mice performed an exercise challenge (forced swim) 1 day after the last dose. 2,4-DNT decreased swim times in WT and PPARα (-/-) mice, but the effect was significantly less in PPARα (-/-) mice indicating the critical of PPARα in mediating 2,4-DNT-induced energy metabolism deficits. 2,4-DNT caused down-regulation of transcripts involved in fatty acid metabolism, gluconeogenesis, triacylglycerol catabolism, and the pentose phosphate pathway, and 2,4-DNT treated wild-type mice had decreased serum trigylcerides and increased serum glucose versus 2,4-DNT treated PPARα (-/-) mice. Our results support the hypothesis that 2,4-DNT perturbs PPARα signaling as a molecular initiating event therefore impacting energy metabolism, especially lipid metabolism, producing reduced exercise endurance in mice. RNA was isolated from liver tissue of vehicle or 2,4-DNT treated wild-type or PPARα (-/-) mice (n=6) and RT-PCR performed to analyze genes involved in fatty acid metabolism
Project description:2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), a nitroaromatic used in industrial and explosive manufacturing processes, is known to contaminate artillery ranges, demilitarization areas and munitions manufacturing facilities. Previous transcriptomic and lipidomic studies identified energy metabolism as a principle biochemical process affected by 2,4-DNT where up-stream effects on PPARα signaling were hypothesized as themolecular initiating event for these effects. Here, the validity of this hypothetical adverse outcome pathway (AOP) was assessed by testing the hypothesis that 2,4-DNT-induced perturbations in PPARα signaling and resultant downstream deficits in energy metabolism, especially from lipids, would result in organism-level impacts on exercise endurance. PPARα knock-out (-/-) and wild-type (WT) mice were exposed for 14 days to vehicle or 2,4-DNT at a dose (134 mg/kg/day) that did not exhibit overt systemic toxicity. Mice performed an exercise challenge (forced swim) 1 day after the last dose. 2,4-DNT decreased swim times in WT and PPARα (-/-) mice, but the effect was significantly less in PPARα (-/-) mice indicating the critical of PPARα in mediating 2,4-DNT-induced energy metabolism deficits. 2,4-DNT caused down-regulation of transcripts involved in fatty acid metabolism, gluconeogenesis, triacylglycerol catabolism, and the pentose phosphate pathway, and 2,4-DNT treated wild-type mice had decreased serum trigylcerides and increased serum glucose versus 2,4-DNT treated PPARα (-/-) mice. Our results support the hypothesis that 2,4-DNT perturbs PPARα signaling as a molecular initiating event therefore impacting energy metabolism, especially lipid metabolism, producing reduced exercise endurance in mice. RNA was isolated from liver tissue of vehicle or 2,4-DNT treated wild-type or PPARα (-/-) mice (n=6) and RT-PCR performed to analyze genes involved in fatty acid metabolism
Project description:Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a family of toxicants universally detected in human serum and known to cause dyslipidemia in animals and humans. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is most prevalent form of liver disease in the United States and has been rising in global prevalence over recent years. This study explored diet-PFAS interactions and their potential role in the increasing global incidence of NAFLD. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed with either a low-fat diet (10% kcal from fat) or a moderately high fat diet (45% kcal from fat) with or without perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) or perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) at a low dose of 0.0003% w/w in feed for 12 weeks. Livers were excised for histology and quantification of PFASs and lipids. Proteomics and transcriptomics were utilized to conduct mechanistic pathway exploration. In a high fat diet, PFOS and PFNA protected against the onset of hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammatory progression. Genes and proteins related to lipid metabolism, synthesis, transport, and storage were modulated by PFAS exposure and further impacted by the presence of dietary fat. When combined with a high fat diet, low dose PFOS and PFNA are protective against the onset of NAFLD suggesting that dietary fat impacts the behavior of PFASs in vivo. Furthermore, both dietary fat content and the chemical functional head group exerted significant influence on tissue partitioning and the resulting hepatic biochemical signature.