How embryonic exposure to certain common pollutants may put people at risk for diabetes and other metabolic health conditions later in life is examined by researchers at the University of Massachusetts.
They looked at the impact on the developing pancreas of early life-stage exposures to two common per and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) chemicals, found in waterproof and non-stick household products, and the PFAS-containing aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), used to fight flammable-liquid fires. These so-called “forever chemicals” take decades to break down in the environment and have contaminated drinking water worldwide.
Understanding Long-Term Health Implications of Forever Chemicals
Researchers used transgenic zebrafish to study the effects of these toxic chemicals on embryonic development. This will be based on one of their key previous findings showing that oxidative stress created from the chemical exposures results in malformations of the developing pancreatic islet, which contains beta cells (β-cells) responsible for synthesizing, storing, and releasing insulin.
‘The commonly used forever chemicals affect glucose metabolism by changing the cells present in the pancreas, which are responsible for synthesizing, storing, and releasing insulin.’
To better understand these mechanisms and the functional implications of these malformations, they used imaging techniques including confocal microscopy at the Institute of Applied Life Sciences’ Light Microscopy Facility.
Pancreatic malformations, which occur in an estimated 10% of the population, are associated with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as well as obesity and pancreatitis. In zebrafish exposed to PFAS chemicals, preliminary data have shown elevated levels of fructosamine, a clinical biomarker of diabetes in humans.
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These findings suggest that researchers will be able to predict the effects of other exposures once they understand the mechanisms occurring in the cells. They also hope to add to the evidence base on the health effects of PFAS chemicals.
This work will also have a sustained and powerful impact on the fields of developmental toxicology, redox biology, and the developmental origins of health and disease, and provides critical advances toward developing science-based PFAS guidelines, targets for clinical interventions, and public health policies.
Source: Medindia
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