Project description:Developmental exposure to environmental toxicants is a cause of skeletal abnormalities. Yet the molecular mechanisms linking early exposure to impaired bone formation remain undefined. Skeletal tissues arise from both neural crest- and mesoderm-derived lineages that rely on shared osteogenic differentiation programs, suggesting that disruption of common regulatory processes may contribute to diverse skeletal outcomes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key post-transcriptional regulators of gene networks and have appeared as indicators of toxicant-induced perturbation. In this study, we examined whether developmentally relevant toxicants are associated with miRNA regulatory networks during osteogenic differentiation. Using a human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-based osteogenic differentiation model, we assessed the effects of nine toxicants spanning distinct primary mechanisms. Toxicant exposure impaired osteogenic differentiation at their IC50, as reflected by altered expression of osteogenic markers and transcriptional remodeling. Global miRNA profiling revealed dysregulation of miRNAs enriched for bone-related biological processes, including regulators of osteogenic commitment and differentiation timing. Integrated miRNA–mRNA network analysis identified a subset of miRNAs linked to core osteogenic and lineage-associated pathways, including RUNX2-dependent transcription and BMP and Wnt signaling. Modulation of representative miRNAs produced osteogenic outcomes consistent with those observed following toxicant exposure and, in some cases, was associated with partial restoration of differentiation in exposed cultures. Collectively, these findings indicate that chemically diverse developmental toxicants are associated with miRNA-mediated regulatory patterns during osteogenic differentiation. Identification of conserved miRNA signatures provides mechanistic insight into developmental bone toxicity and supports the use of miRNA network analysis as a human-relevant endpoint for skeletal hazard identification.

Project description:Background: Diesel exhaust (DE) is the primary source of urban fine particulate matter, which has been associated with cardiovascular disease in epidemiological studies. These effects may be related to oxidative stress and systemic inflammation with resulting perturbation of vascular homeostasis. Peripheral leukocytes are involved in both inflammation and control of vascular homeostasis. Objectives: We conducted an exploratory study using microarray techniques to analyze whether global gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) can inform on potential mechanisms of effect of DE inhalation. Methods: In a double-blind, crossover, controlled exposure study, healthy adult volunteers were exposed in randomized order to filtered air (FA) and diluted DE in two-hour sessions. We isolated RNA (Trizol/Qiagen method) form PBMCs before, and two times after each exposure. RNA samples were arrayed using the AffymetrixÂ® platform (GeneChipÂ® Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 Array). Results: Microarray analyses were conducted on five subjects with available RNA sample form exposures to FA and to the highest DE inhalation (200 Âµg/mÂ³ of fine particulate matter). Following data normalization and statistical analysis, a total of 1290 out of 54,675 probe sets with significant evidence for differential expression (more than 1.5-fold up or down regulated with p < 0.05) were identified. These include genes involved in inflammatory response (e.g., IL8RA, TNFAIP6, FOS), oxidative stress (e.g., HMOX1, BAX, PRDX1,), and in biochemical pathways like mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and tight junction pathways. Conclusions: These data suggest that DE may exert time-dependent changes in gene expression in PBMCs in healthy individuals. Genes that may be affected by DE inhalation are involved in inflammatory and oxidative stress processes. Experiment Overall Design: We conducted a crossover, double-blind experiment, randomized to order of DE and filtered-air (FA) exposure with each participant exposed on four different days to each of four conditions: FA and DE calibrated to 50Âµg/m3 (DE50), 100Âµg/m3 (DE100), and 200Âµg/m3 (DE200) of fine particulate matter (PM2.5- particles with aerodynamic diameter 2.5Âµm or less). Exposure sessions were conducted at least 2 weeks apart.

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Exposure to airborne fine particulate matter disrupts human embryonic stem cell osteogenic differentiation

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