The associations of nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposures with plasma glucose and amino acids. (15th November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: He, Linchen; Hu, Xinyan; Day, Drew B.; Yan, Meilin; Teng, Yanbo; Liu, Xing (Lucy); Yan, Erik; Xiang, Jianbang; Qiu, Xinghua; Mo, Jinhan; Zhang, Yinping; Zhang, Junfeng (Jim); Gong, Jicheng
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 289(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-11-15
• Subjects: Nitro-PAH -- Amino-PAH -- Glucose homeostasis -- Amino acids -- Carbohydrate metabolism; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117945
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: Nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAHs) have been widely studied for their mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. This study aims to investigate whether exposure to nitro-PAHs is associated with biomarkers of carbohydrate metabolism, an underlying risk factor for metabolic disorder. Early morning urine and blood samples were longitudinally collected two times with a four-week interval from 43 healthy adults. Five urinary amino-PAHs (1-aminonaphthalene, 2-aminonaphthalene, 9-aminophenanthrene, 2-aminofluorene, and 1-aminopyrene) were measured as biomarkers of nitro-PAH exposures. We measured plasma concentrations of glucose and six amino acids that can regulate insulin secretion, including aspartate (Asp), glutamate (Glu), glutamine (Gln), alanine (Ala), Arginine (Arg), and ornithine (Orn). We found that increasing concentrations of 9-aminophenanthrene were significantly associated with increasing glucose levels and with decreasing Asp, Glu, Ala, and Orn levels. We estimated that 26.4 %–43.8 % of the 9-aminophenanthrene-associated increase in glucose level was mediated by Asp, Glu, and Orn. These results suggest that exposure to certain nitro-PAHs affects glucose homeostasis, partly resulting from the depletion of insulin-stimulating amino acids (Asp, Glu, and Orn). Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Increasing urinary 9-APhe is associated with increased plasma glucose. Increasing urinary 9-APhe is associated with decreased plasma amino acids. The nitro-PAH-glucose relationships are mediated by amino acid levels.