Early life exposure to mercury and relationships with telomere length and mitochondrial DNA content in European children
Background: Telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial function expressed as mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) are biomarkers of aging and oxidative stress and inflammation, respectively. Methylmercury (MeHg), a common pollutant in fish, induces oxidative stress. We hypothesized that elevated oxid...
| Authors: | ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; |
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| Format: | Article |
| Status: | Published version |
| Publication date: | 2024 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya) |
| Repository: | Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:recercat.cat:10230/60718 |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10230/60718 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173014 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Fish consumption Mercury Mitochondrial DNA content Oxidative stress Telomere length |
| _version_ | 1878731490594914304 |
|---|---|
| author | Lozano, Manuel |
| author2 | McEachan, Rosemary R.C. Wright, John Yang, Tiffany C. Dow, Courtney Kadawathagedara, Manik Lepeule, Johanna Bustamante Pineda, Mariona Maitre, Léa Vrijheid, Martine Brantsaeter, Anne Lise Meltzer, Helle Margrete Bempi, Vasiliki Roumeliotaki, Theano Thomsen, Cathrine Nawrot, Tim S. Broberg, Karin Llop, Sabrina |
| author2_role | author author author author author author author author author author author author author author author author author |
| author_browse | Bempi, Vasiliki Brantsaeter, Anne Lise Broberg, Karin Bustamante Pineda, Mariona Dow, Courtney Kadawathagedara, Manik Lepeule, Johanna Llop, Sabrina Lozano, Manuel Maitre, Léa McEachan, Rosemary R.C. Meltzer, Helle Margrete Nawrot, Tim S. Roumeliotaki, Theano Thomsen, Cathrine Vrijheid, Martine Wright, John Yang, Tiffany C. |
| author_facet | Lozano, Manuel McEachan, Rosemary R.C. Wright, John Yang, Tiffany C. Dow, Courtney Kadawathagedara, Manik Lepeule, Johanna Bustamante Pineda, Mariona Maitre, Léa Vrijheid, Martine Brantsaeter, Anne Lise Meltzer, Helle Margrete Bempi, Vasiliki Roumeliotaki, Theano Thomsen, Cathrine Nawrot, Tim S. Broberg, Karin Llop, Sabrina |
| author_role | author |
| collection | Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya |
| description | Background: Telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial function expressed as mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) are biomarkers of aging and oxidative stress and inflammation, respectively. Methylmercury (MeHg), a common pollutant in fish, induces oxidative stress. We hypothesized that elevated oxidative stress from exposure to MeHg decreases mtDNAcn and shortens TL. Methods: Study participants are 6-11-year-old children from the HELIX multi-center birth cohort study, comprising six European countries. Prenatal and postnatal total mercury (THg) concentrations were measured in blood samples, TL and mtDNAcn were determined in child DNA. Covariates and confounders were obtained by questionnaires. Robust regression models were run, considering sociodemographic and lifestyle covariates, as well as fish consumption. Sex, ethnicity, and fish consumption interaction models were also run. Results: We found longer TL with higher pre- and postnatal THg blood concentrations, even at low-level THg exposure according to the RfD proposed by the US EPA. The prenatal association showed a significant linear relationship with a 3.46 % increase in TL for each unit increased THg. The postnatal association followed an inverted U-shaped marginal non-linear relationship with 1.38 % an increase in TL for each unit increased THg until reaching a cut-point at 0.96 μg/L blood THg, from which TL attrition was observed. Higher pre- and postnatal blood THg concentrations were consistently related to longer TL among cohorts and no modification effect of fish consumption nor children's sex was observed. No association between THg exposure and mtDNAcn was found. Discussion: We found evidence that THg is associated with TL but the associations seem to be time- and concentration-dependent. Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanism behind the telomere changes of THg and related health effects. |
| eu_rights_str_mv | openAccess |
| format | article |
| id | ES_30aedb1ca7c2a3d3ad2f3f5d9fefb580 |
| institution | Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya) |
| instname_str | Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya) |
| network_acronym_str | ES |
| network_name_str | España |
| oai_identifier_str | oai:recercat.cat:10230/60718 |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| publisherStr | Elsevier |
| reponame_str | Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya |
| spelling | Early life exposure to mercury and relationships with telomere length and mitochondrial DNA content in European children Lozano, Manuel McEachan, Rosemary R.C. Wright, John Yang, Tiffany C. Dow, Courtney Kadawathagedara, Manik Lepeule, Johanna Bustamante Pineda, Mariona Maitre, Léa Vrijheid, Martine Brantsaeter, Anne Lise Meltzer, Helle Margrete Bempi, Vasiliki Roumeliotaki, Theano Thomsen, Cathrine Nawrot, Tim S. Broberg, Karin Llop, Sabrina Fish consumption Mercury Mitochondrial DNA content Oxidative stress Telomere length Background: Telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial function expressed as mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) are biomarkers of aging and oxidative stress and inflammation, respectively. Methylmercury (MeHg), a common pollutant in fish, induces oxidative stress. We hypothesized that elevated oxidative stress from exposure to MeHg decreases mtDNAcn and shortens TL. Methods: Study participants are 6-11-year-old children from the HELIX multi-center birth cohort study, comprising six European countries. Prenatal and postnatal total mercury (THg) concentrations were measured in blood samples, TL and mtDNAcn were determined in child DNA. Covariates and confounders were obtained by questionnaires. Robust regression models were run, considering sociodemographic and lifestyle covariates, as well as fish consumption. Sex, ethnicity, and fish consumption interaction models were also run. Results: We found longer TL with higher pre- and postnatal THg blood concentrations, even at low-level THg exposure according to the RfD proposed by the US EPA. The prenatal association showed a significant linear relationship with a 3.46 % increase in TL for each unit increased THg. The postnatal association followed an inverted U-shaped marginal non-linear relationship with 1.38 % an increase in TL for each unit increased THg until reaching a cut-point at 0.96 μg/L blood THg, from which TL attrition was observed. Higher pre- and postnatal blood THg concentrations were consistently related to longer TL among cohorts and no modification effect of fish consumption nor children's sex was observed. No association between THg exposure and mtDNAcn was found. Discussion: We found evidence that THg is associated with TL but the associations seem to be time- and concentration-dependent. Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanism behind the telomere changes of THg and related health effects. This study was supported by grants from Spanish government through the Ministry of Universities under the grant CAS21/00008 and grant for the requalification of the Spanish University, financed by the European Union, NextGeneration EU. The HELIX Project has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no 308333 and no 874583 ATHLETE project. The telomere and mtDNA protocol were developed with grants from FWO (FWO G073315N) and European Research Council (ERC-2012-StG 310898). INMA Study is funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III [FIS-FEDER: 13/1944, 16/1288, 17/00663, 19/1338, 23/1578; FIS-FSE: 17/00260; Miguel Servet-FSE: MSII20/0006, FIS-PI06/0867, FIS-PI09/00090, CPII18/00018], CIBERESP, Department of Health of the Basque Government (2005111093, 2009111069, 2013111089, 2015111065), Generalitat Valenciana [BEST/2020/059, AICO/2020/285 and CIAICO/2021/132] and the Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa (DFG06/002, DFG08/001 and DFG15/221 and DFG 89/17). Telomere measurements in the INMA cohort were funded by a grant from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (FIS-PI15/00118). INMA Study also acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the State Research Agency through the “Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa 2019-2023” Program (CEX2018-000806-S), and support from the Generalitat de Catalunya through the CERCA Program. The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services and the Ministry of Education and Research. Born in Bradford receives funding from by a joint grant from the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and UK Economic and Social Science Research Council (ESRC) [MR/N024391/1]; the British Heart Foundation [CS/16/4/32482]; a Wellcome Infrastructure Grant [WT101597MA]; The National Institute for Health Research under its Applied Research Collaboration for Yorkshire and Humber [NIHR200166]. Elsevier http://hdl.handle.net/10230/60718 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173014 |
| spellingShingle | Early life exposure to mercury and relationships with telomere length and mitochondrial DNA content in European children Lozano, Manuel Fish consumption Mercury Mitochondrial DNA content Oxidative stress Telomere length |
| status_str | publishedVersion |
| title | Early life exposure to mercury and relationships with telomere length and mitochondrial DNA content in European children |
| title_full | Early life exposure to mercury and relationships with telomere length and mitochondrial DNA content in European children |
| title_fullStr | Early life exposure to mercury and relationships with telomere length and mitochondrial DNA content in European children |
| title_full_unstemmed | Early life exposure to mercury and relationships with telomere length and mitochondrial DNA content in European children |
| title_short | Early life exposure to mercury and relationships with telomere length and mitochondrial DNA content in European children |
| title_sort | Early life exposure to mercury and relationships with telomere length and mitochondrial DNA content in European children |
| topic | Fish consumption Mercury Mitochondrial DNA content Oxidative stress Telomere length |
| topic_facet | Fish consumption Mercury Mitochondrial DNA content Oxidative stress Telomere length |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10230/60718 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173014 |