Toxics

Editorial

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2 pages, 149 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Gut Microbiota Manipulation to Mitigate the Detrimental Effects of Environmental Pollutants

by Lianguo Chen

Toxics 2021, 9(6), 127; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics9060127 - 01 Jun 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2281

Abstract

The ecotoxicology and human health risks of environmental pollutants are creating global concern, especially in the context of the prevalent and severe contamination of environmental abiotic and biotic compartments [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dysbiosis of Gut Microbiota by Environmental Pollutants: Implications for Host Health)

Research

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16 pages, 3937 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transcriptomic Interaction between Young Fecal Transplantation and Perfluorobutanesulfonate in Aged Zebrafish Gonads

by Lizhu Tang, Jing Li, Baili Sun, Yachen Bai, Xiangzhen Zhou and Lianguo Chen

Toxics 2022, 10(11), 631; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10110631 - 22 Oct 2022

Viewed by 1694

Abstract

The transfer of young fecal microbiota has been found to significantly refresh the reproductive endocrine system and effectively ameliorate the toxicity of perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS) in aged zebrafish recipients. However, the mechanisms underlying the antagonistic action of young fecal microbiota against the reproductive endocrine [...] Read more.

The transfer of young fecal microbiota has been found to significantly refresh the reproductive endocrine system and effectively ameliorate the toxicity of perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS) in aged zebrafish recipients. However, the mechanisms underlying the antagonistic action of young fecal microbiota against the reproductive endocrine toxicity of PFBS remain largely unknown. In this study, the aged zebrafish were transplanted with feces from young donors and then exposed to PFBS for 14 days. After exposure, the shift in the transcriptomic fingerprint of the gonads was profiled by using high-throughput sequencing, aiming to provide mechanistic clues into the interactive mode of action between young fecal transplantation and PFBS’s innate toxicity. The results showed that the gene transcription pattern associated with protein and lipid synthesis in the gonads of the aged individuals was quite different from the young counterparts. It was intriguing that the transplantation of young feces established a youth-like transcriptomic phenotype in the elderly recipients, thus attenuating the functional decline and maintaining a healthy aging state of the gonads. A sex specificity response was clearly observed. Compared to the aged females, more metabolic pathways (e.g., glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism; glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism; pyrimidine metabolism) were significantly enriched in aged males receiving young feces transplants. PFBS dramatically altered the transcriptome of aged testes, while a much milder effect was observable in aged ovaries. Accordingly, a suite of biological processes related to germ cell proliferation were disrupted by PFBS in aged males, including the ECM–receptor interaction, retinol metabolism, and folate biosynthesis. In aged ovaries exposed to PFBS, mainly the fatty acid and arginine biosynthesis pathway was significantly affected. However, these transcriptomic disorders caused by PFBS were largely mitigated in aged gonads by transferring young feces. Overall, the present findings highlighted the potential of young fecal transplantation to prevent the functional compromise of gonads resulting from aging and PFBS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dysbiosis of Gut Microbiota by Environmental Pollutants: Implications for Host Health)

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11 pages, 2294 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Sub-Chronic Difenoconazole Exposure Induced Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis in Mice

by Zhiwei Bao, Weitao Wang, Xiaofang Wang, Mingrong Qian and Yuanxiang Jin

Toxics 2022, 10(1), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10010034 - 12 Jan 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2543

Abstract

Difenoconazole (DIF) is a widely separated triazole fungicide in many countries. The excessive usage of DIF increases the high volume of residues in agriculture production and water bodies. Some previous studies demonstrated the toxic effects of DIF on non-target animals, however, there were [...] Read more.

Difenoconazole (DIF) is a widely separated triazole fungicide in many countries. The excessive usage of DIF increases the high volume of residues in agriculture production and water bodies. Some previous studies demonstrated the toxic effects of DIF on non-target animals, however, there were still some gaps in the knowledge of the potential hazards of DIF to mammals and human health. Herein, 7-week-old male mice were exposed to 30 and 100 mg/kg/day DIF for 14 and 56 days. We observed that 56 days of DIF exposure decreased the colonic mucus expression of alcin blue-periodic acid-schiff (AB-PAS) stain and the immunochemical stain of muc2 protein. The transcript levels of mucin protein (muc1, muc2 and muc3) decreased significantly in the gut of mice followed 56 days of 100 mg/kg/day DIF exposure. In addition, the gut microbiota composition was also affected after 14 or 56 days of DIF exposure. Although the mucus expression after 14 days of DIF exposure only decreased slightly, the gut microbiota composition compared with the control group was changed significantly. Moreover, the DIF-30 and DIF-100 caused respectively different changes on the gut microbiota. The relative abundance of Bacteroidetes decreased significantly after 14 days and 56 days of DIF exposure. After 14 days of DIF exposure, there were 35 and 18 differential genera in the DIF-30 and DIF-100 group, respectively. There were 25 and 32 differential genera in the DIF-30 and DIF-100 group after 56 days of exposure, respectively. Meanwhile, the alpha diversity indexes, including observed species, Shannon, Simpson, Chao1 and ACE, in gut microbiota decreased significantly after 56 days of DIF exposure. Interestingly, the relative abundance of Akkermansia increased significantly after 56 days of 100 mg/kg/d DIF exposure. Although Akkermansia was considered as one probiotic, the phenomenon of dramatic Akkermansia increase with the decrease in gut microbiota diversity needed further discussion. These results provided some new insights on how DIF exposure impacts the mucus barrier and induces gut microbiota dysbiosis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dysbiosis of Gut Microbiota by Environmental Pollutants: Implications for Host Health)

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