Phenotypes and concentration of PON1 in cardiovascular disease: The role of nutrient intake.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is considered to play a crucial role as an anti-atherosclerotic factor. The PON1 activity is affected by genetic polymorphisms, environmental factors, age, sex, lifestyle, pharmaceutical drugs, and dietary factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between macro- and micronutrients as well as PON1 concentration and activities in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), cardiovascular risk factors but no CVD (CRF), and in healthy controls (control group). METHODS AND RESULTS: A case-control study was carried out with 356 volunteers from the Mexican Institute of Social Security, Mexico. Clinical parameters, lipid profile, PON1 activities (AREase, LACase, CMPAase and PONase), and PON1 concentration were evaluated. There was a differential intake of macro- and micronutrients among the study groups. The intake of proteins and carbohydrates was higher in the CVD group than in the CFR and control groups (p < 0.05). AREase, LACase, and CMPAase activities and PON1 concentration were lowest in the CVD group. CONCLUSION: LACase and CMPAase activities, as well as PON1 concentration, could be included in the battery of CVD predictive biomarkers in the Mexican population.

Pesticide Exposure Modifies DNA Methylation of Coding Region of WRAP53α, an Antisense Sequence of p53, in a Mexican Population.

The influence of pesticide exposure in alteration of DNA methylation patterns of specific genes is still limited, specifically in natural antisense transcripts (NAT), such as the WRAP53α gene. The aim of this study was to determine the methylation of the WRAP53α gene in mestizo and indigenous populations as well as its relationship with internal (age, sex, and body mass index) and external factors (pesticide exposure and micronutrient intake). A cross-sectional study was conducted including 91 mestizo individuals without occupational exposure to pesticides, 164 mestizo urban sprayers and 189 indigenous persons without occupational exposure to pesticides. Acute pesticide exposure was evaluated by measurement of urinary dialkylphosphate (DAP) concentration by gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer. Anthropometric characteristics, unhealthy habits, and chronic pesticide exposure were assessed using a structured questionnaire. The frequency of macro- and micronutrient intake was determined using SNUT software. DNA methylation of the WRAP53α gene was determined by pyrosequencing of bisulfite-modified DNA. The mestizo sprayers group had the higher values of %5mC. In addition, this group had the most DAP urinary concentration with respect to the indigenous and reference groups. Bivariate analysis showed an association between %5mC of the WRAP53α gene with micronutrient intake and pesticide exposure in mestizo sprayers, whereas changes in %5mC of the WRAP53α gene was associated with body mass index in the indigenous group. These data suggest that the %5mC of the WRAP53α gene can be influenced by pesticide exposure and ethnicity in the study population, and changes in the WRAP53α gene might cause an important cell process disturbance.

Downregulation of human paraoxonase 1 (PON1) by organophosphate pesticides in HepG2 cells.

Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is a calcium-dependent esterase synthesized primarily in the liver and secreted into the plasma where it is associated with high-density lipoproteins (HDL). PON1 hydrolyzes and detoxifies some toxic metabolites of organophosphorus compounds (OPs) such as methyl parathion and chlorpyrifos. Thus, PON1 activity and expression levels are important for determining susceptibility against OPs poisoning. Some studies have demonstrated that OPs can modulate gene expression through interactions with nuclear receptors. In this study, we evaluated the effects of methyl parathion and chlorpyrifos on the modulation of PON1 in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HepG2) cells by real-time PCR, PON1 activity assay, and western blot. The results showed that the treatments with methyl parathion and chlorpyrifos decreased PON1 mRNA and immunoreactive protein and increased inflammatory cytokines in HepG2 cells. The effects of methyl parathion and chlorpyrifos on the downregulation of PON1 gene expression in HepG2 cells may provide evidence of OPs cytotoxicity related to oxidative stress and an inflammatory response. A decrease in the expression of the PON1 gene may increase the susceptibility to OPs intoxication and the risk of diseases related to inflammation and oxidative stress. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 490-500, 2017.

Oxidative stress and genetic damage among workers exposed primarily to organophosphate and pyrethroid pesticides.

The indiscriminate use of pesticides in agriculture and public health campaigns has been associated with an increase of oxidative stress and DNA damage, resulting in health outcomes. Some defense mechanisms against free radical-induced oxidative damage include the antioxidant enzyme systems. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and the relationship of antioxidant enzyme levels with DNA damage among sprayers (workers) occupationally exposed to pesticides. The determinations of MDA and antioxidant enzymes were performed spectrophotometrically. The genotoxic effects were evaluated using the comet assay. The results showed a marginally significant decrease in SOD and CAT activities in the high exposure group compared to the control group. For MDA, statistically significant differences were found among people working long term vs. those working temporarily (P = 0.02) as sprayers. In the moderate exposure group, a positive correlation was observed between MDA levels and GPx activity. In the high exposure group, a negative correlation was observed between GR and CAT activities, and between MDA levels and GPx activities. Furthermore, in the high exposure group, a positive correlation between DNA damage parameters and MDA levels was observed. The results suggest an important role of antioxidant enzymes for the protection of DNA damage caused by occupational exposure to pesticides.

Benzo(a)pyrene induces hepatic AKR1A1 mRNA expression in tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus).

AKR1A1 or aldehyde reductase is a member of the aldo-keto reductases superfamily that is evolutionarily conserved among species. AKR1A1 is one of the five AKRs (AKR1A1 and 1C1-1C4) implicated in the metabolic benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) activation to reactive BaP 7,8-dione. BaP is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) widely distributed in aquatic ecosystems and its metabolic activation is necessary to produce its toxic effects. Although the presence of AKR1A1 in fish has been reported, its tissue distribution in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and AKR1A1 inducibility by BaP are not known yet. Moreover, cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) mRNA expression in fish has been used as a PAH biomarker of effect. Therefore, BaP effects on AKR1A1 and CYP1A gene expressions in tilapia, a species of commercial interest, were investigated by real-time RT-PCR. A partial AKR1A1 cDNA was identified, sequenced and compared with AKR1A1 reported sequences in the GenBank DNA database. Constitutive AKR1A1 mRNA expression was detected mainly in liver, similarly to that of CYP1A. BaP exposure resulted in statistically significant AKR1A1 and CYP1A mRNA induction in liver (20- and 120-fold, respectively) at 24 h. On the other hand, ethoxyquin (EQ) was used as control inducer for AKR1A1 mRNA. Interestingly, EQ also induced CYP1A mRNA levels in tilapia liver. Our results suggest that teleost AKR1A1, in addition to CYP1A, are inducible by BaP. The mechanism of AKR1A1 induction by BaP and its role in fish susceptibility to BaP toxic effects remains to be elucidated.

The Relationship between Cancer and Paraoxonase 1.

Extensive research has been carried out to understand and elucidate the mechanisms of paraoxonase 1 (PON1) in the development of diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurological diseases, and inflammatory diseases. This review focuses on the relationship between PON1 and cancer. The data suggest that PON1, oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and cancer are closely linked. Certainly, the gene expression of PON1 will remain challenging to study. Therefore, targeting PON1, redox-sensitive pathways, and transcription factors promise prevention and therapy in the development of several diseases, including cancer.

Relationship between internal and external factors and the activity of PON1.

Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is an A-esterase calcium-dependent enzyme that is associated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and capable of hydrolyzing a wide variety of substrates, including organophosphate (OP) pesticides. The PON1 phenotype can be modulated by multiple internal and external factors, thereby affecting the catalytic capacity of the enzyme. The aim of this study was to evaluate factors that could modulate PON1 activity in a sample occupationally exposed to pesticides. A cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study was carried out with 240 workers. The participants were stratified according to their level of pesticide exposure as reference, moderate-exposure, and high-exposure groups. PON1 activities (arylesterase/AREase, CMPAase, and ssPONase (salt-stimulated)) were determined by spectrophotometry, and the Q192R and L55MPON1 genotypes by real-time PCR. The most frequent genotypes were heterozygous (QR) and homozygous (LL) for PON1Q192R and PON1L55M polymorphisms, respectively. The internal factors associated with the activity of PON1 were the PON1 genotypes (55 and 192) and biochemical parameters related to the lipid profile, in contrast, various external factors related to diet and harmful habits as well as with exposure to pesticides were associated with the activity of PON1. However, using a multivariate mixed ordinal regression model, we found a significant reduction of ssPONase activity in the high-exposure group compared with the reference group only in haplotypes QQLL and RRLL.

Low doses of ochratoxin A induce micronucleus formation and delay DNA repair in human lymphocytes.

The contamination of food commodities by fungal toxins has attracted great interest because many of these mycotoxins are responsible for different diseases, including cancer and other chronic illnesses. Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin naturally present in food, and long-term exposure to food contaminated with low levels of OTA has been associated with renal cancer. In the present study, the cytotoxicity, cytostaticity, and genotoxicity of OTA (0.075-15 µM) in human lymphocytes were evaluated. A comet assay, a modified comet assay (DNA repair assay), which uses N-hydroxyurea (NHU) to detect non-repaired lesions produced by OTA, and a cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus assay were used. Treatments with OTA were not cytotoxic, but OTA caused a cytostatic effect in human lymphocytes at a concentration of 15 µM. OTA (0.075-5 µM) produced a slight increase in the percentage of DNA in the comets and a delay in the DNA repair capacity of the lymphocytes. Micronucleus (MN) induction was observed at OTA concentrations of 1.5 and 5 µM. Our results indicate that OTA induces DNA stable damage at low doses that are neither cytotoxic nor cytostatic, and OTA delays the DNA repair kinetics. These findings indicate that OTA affects two pivotal events in the carcinogenesis pathway.