Project description:In this study we characterize the gill transcriptome changes that coincide with the arrival of contaminating oil in field-collected Gulf killifish Fundulus grandis. Gill transcription was contrasted before and after the arrival of oil, and between oil impacted and reference sites. Animals were sampled from field sites at four times. The oil impacted site is Grand Terre Island Louisiana (GT) and the two reference sites are Bay St. Louis Mississippi (BSL) and Bayou La Batre Alabama (BLB). The first timepoint (05/01/2010 to 05/09/2010) was before the arrival of contaminating oil, the second and third timepoints (06/28/2010 to 06/29/2010, and 08/30/2010 to 09/01/2010) were after the arrival of contaminating oil, and the fourth timepoint 08/28/2011) was over a year after the arrival of contaminating oil.
Project description:Genome-wide expression assay of S. alterniflora individuals from populations (4 from Louisiana, 2 from Mississippi) either exposed or unexposed to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Project description:To reveal the potential effects of oil and oil dispersants on the respiratory system at the molecular level, we evaluated the transcriptomic profile of human airway epithelial cells grown under treatment of crude oil, the dispersants Corexit 9500 and Corexit 9527 and oil-dispersant mixtures. We identified a very strong effect of Corexit 9500 treatment, with 84 genes (response genes) differentially expressed in treatment vs. control samples. We discovered an interactive effect of oil + dispersant mixtures; while no response gene was found for Corexit 9527 treatment alone, cells treated with Corexit 9527 + oil mixture showed an increased number of response genes (46 response genes), suggesting a synergic effect of 9527 with oil on the transcriptomic perturbation of airway epithelial cells. Through GO (gene ontology) functional term and pathway-based analysis, we identified upregulation of genes involved in angiogenesis and immune responses and downregulation of genes involved in cell junctions and steroid synthesis as the prevailing transcriptomic signatures in the cells treated with Corexit 9500, oil or Corexit 9500 + oil mixture. Interestingly, these key molecular features coincide with those observed in common lung diseases, such as asthma, cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Our study provides mechanistic insights into the detrimental effects of oil and oil dispersants to the respiratory system and suggested significant health impacts of the recent BP oil spill to those people involved in the cleaning operation.
Project description:Fish oil, olive oil, and coconut oil dietary supplementation have several cardioprotective benefits, but it is not established if they can protect against air pollution-induced adverse effects. We hypothesized that these dietary supplements would attenuate ozone-induced systemic and pulmonary effects. Male Wistar Kyoto rats were fed either a normal diet, or a diet enriched with fish, olive, or coconut oil starting at 4 weeks of age for 8 weeks. Animals were then exposed to air or ozone (0.8 ppm), 4h/day for 2 consecutive days. The fish oil diet completely abolished phenylephrine-induced vasoconstriction that was increased following ozone exposure in the animals fed all other diets. Only the fish oil diet increased baseline levels of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) markers of lung injury and inflammation. Ozone-induced pulmonary injury/inflammation were comparable in rats on normal, coconut oil, and olive oil diets with altered expression of markers in animals fed the fish oil diet. Fish oil, regardless of exposure, led to enlarged, foamy macrophages in the BALF that coincided with decreased mRNA expression of cholesterol transporters, cholesterol receptors, and nuclear receptors in the lung. Serum miRNA profile was assessed using small RNA-sequencing in normal and fish oil groups and demonstrated marked depletion of a variety of miRNAs, several of which were of splenic origin. No ozone-specific changes were noted. Collectively, these data indicate that while fish oil offered protection from ozone-induced aortic vasoconstriction, it increased pulmonary injury/inflammation and impaired lipid transport mechanisms resulting in foamy macrophage accumulation, demonstrating the need to be cognizant of potential off-target pulmonary effects that might offset the overall benefit of this vasoprotective dietary supplement.
Project description:In this study we characterize the gill transcriptome changes in Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) that coincide with controlled laboratory-based exposure to various concentrations of experimentally-weathered south Louisiana crude oil. Gill transcription was contrasted between doses and across timepoints following dosing.
Project description:In this study we characterize the liver transcriptome changes in Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) that coincide with controlled laboratory-based exposure to various concentrations of experimentally-weathered south Louisiana crude oil. Liver transcription was contrasted between doses and across timepoints following dosing.