George E. Howell

Exposure to p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) induces fasting hyperglycemia without insulin resistance in male C57BL/6H mice.

Approximately 8.3% of the United States (U.S.) population have either diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes mellitus. Out of all the cases of diabetes mellitus, approximately 90-95% of these cases are type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Although the exact cause of T2D remains elusive, predisposing factors include age, weight, poor diet, and a sedentary lifestyle. Until recently the association between exposure to environmental contaminants and the occurrence of diabetes had been unexplored. However, recent epidemiological studies have revealed that elevated serum concentrations of certain persistent organic pollutants (POPs), especially organochlorine pesticides, are positively associated with increased prevalence of T2D and insulin resistance. The current study seeks to investigate if this association is causative or coincidental. Male C57BL/6H mice were exposed to DDE (2.0mg/kg or 0.4mg/kg) or vehicle (corn oil; 1mL/kg) for 5 days via oral gavage; fasting blood glucose, glucose tolerance, and insulin challenge tests were performed following a 7 day resting period. Exposure to DDE caused significant hyperglycemia compared to vehicle and this hyperglycemic effect persisted for up to 21 days following cessation of DDE administration. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests and phosphorylation of Akt in the liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue following insulin challenge were comparable between vehicle and DDE treated animals. To determine the direct effect of exposure to DDE on glucose uptake, in vitro glucose uptake assays following DDE exposure were performed in L6 myotubules and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In summary, subacute exposure to DDE does produce fasting hyperglycemia, but this fasting hyperglycemia does not appear to be mediated by insulin resistance. Thus, the current study reveals that subacute exposure to DDE does alter systemic glucose homeostasis and may be a contributing factor to the development of hyperglycemia associated with diabetes.

Exposure to an environmentally relevant mixture of organochlorine compounds and polychlorinated biphenyls Promotes hepatic steatosis in male Ob/Ob mice

Hepatic steatosis is recognized as an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. While obesity and type 2 diabetes are well‐established risk factors in the development of hepatic steatosis, recent studies have revealed exposure to mixtures of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which are environmental contaminants in various fatty foods, can promote steatosis. Thus, the present study was designed to determine if exposure to a defined mixture of prevalent polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine (OC) pesticides or their metabolites promote hepatic steatosis in a genetically induced model of type 2 diabetes, the leptin‐deficient ob/ob mouse. Male C57BL/6J wild type (WT) or ob/ob mice were administered an environmentally relevant mixture of PCBs and OCs for 7 weeks via oral gavage. Exposure to POPs did not significantly alter fasting serum glucose or insulin levels. However, POPs exposure significantly increased hepatic triglyceride content in ob/ob animals, while decreasing serum triglyceride levels. This POPs‐mediated increase in hepatic triglyceride content did not appear to be associated with significantly increased inflammation in either the liver or adipose. Exposure to POPs significantly induced the expression of cytochrome P450 3a11 in WT animals, yet the expression of this cytochrome was significantly downregulated in ob/ob animals regardless of POPs exposure. Taken together, the present data indicate exposure to an environmentally relevant mixture of both PCBs and OC pesticides in ob/ob mice promotes hepatic steatosis while decreasing hypertriglyceridemia, which demonstrates exposure to a defined mixture of POPs alters systemic lipid metabolism in a genetically induced model of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Exposure to chlorpyrifos increases neutral lipid accumulation with accompanying increased de novo lipogenesis and decreased triglyceride secretion in McArdle-RH7777 hepatoma cells

Hepatic steatosis is associated with hepatic insulin resistance as well as hypertriglyceridemia. Recent studies have determined exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides can cause dyslipidemia and hepatic steatosis. However, the mechanisms through which OPs induced hepatic steatosis are not completely understood. Therefore, the current study was designed to determine if direct exposure to an OP insecticide, chlorpyrifos (CPS), could promote hepatic steatosis and identify putative mechanisms of CPS-induced steatosis. To determine if CPS exposure increased intracellular lipid accumulation, McA-RH7777 cells were incubated with CPS for 48 h then lipid accumulation was determined by Oil Red O staining. Exposure to CPS significantly increased neutral lipid accumulation in a concentration-dependent manner. This increase in Oil Red O staining appears to be due to increased intracellular triglyceride accumulation. In addition to increasing neutral lipid accumulation under normal growth conditions, exposure to CPS increased free fatty acid-induced intracellular neutral lipid accumulation. CPS induced increases in intracellular neutral lipid/triglyceride accumulation appear to be due to increased extracellular free fatty acid accumulation, increased de novo lipogenesis, and decreased fatty acidinduced triglyceride secretion. In summary, the present studies indicate exposure to CPS can have a direct effect on the hepatocyte to promote hepatic steatosis by increasing intracellular lipid/triglyceride accumulation through increased extracellular free fatty acid accumulation, increased hepatic de novo lipogenesis, and decreased triglyceride efflux.

Effects of acute exposure to chlorpyrifos on cholinergic and non-cholinergic targets in normal and high-fat fed male C57BL/6J mice

&NA; The prevalence of obesity is increasing at an alarming rate in the United States with 36.5% of adults being classified as obese. Compared to normal individuals, obese individuals have noted pathophysiological alterations which may alter the toxicokinetics of xenobiotics and therefore alter their toxicities. However, the effects of obesity on the toxicity of many widely utilized pesticides has not been established. Therefore, the present study was designed to determine if the obese phenotype altered the toxicity of the most widely used organophosphate (OP) insecticide, chlorpyrifos (CPS). Male C57BL/6J mice were fed normal or high‐fat diet for 4 weeks and administered a single dose of vehicle or CPS (2.0 mg/kg; oral gavage) to assess cholinergic (acetylcholinesterase activities) and non‐cholinergic (carboxylesterase and endocannabinoid hydrolysis) endpoints. Exposure to CPS significantly decreased red blood cell acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, but not brain AChE activity, in both diet groups. Further, CPS exposure decreased hepatic carboxylesterase activity and hepatic hydrolysis of a major endocannabinoid, anandamide, in a diet‐dependent manner with high‐fat diet fed animals being more sensitive to CPS‐mediated inhibition. These in vivo studies were corroborated by in vitro studies using rat primary hepatocytes, which demonstrated that fatty acid amide hydrolase and CES activities were more sensitive to CPS‐mediated inhibition than 2‐arachidonoylglycerol hydrolase activity. These data demonstrate hepatic CES and FAAH activities in high‐fat diet fed mice were more potently inhibited than those in normal diet fed mice following CPS exposure, which suggests that the obese phenotype may exacerbate some of the non‐cholinergic effects of CPS exposure. HighlightsCPS‐mediated inhibition of cholinesterase activity was not affected by diet.Hepatic CES and FAAH activities were inhibited by CPS in a diet‐dependent manner.Bioactivation of CPS was significantly decreased in high‐fat fed animals.CPS inhibited CES and FAAH activities more potently than 2‐AG hydrolysis in vitro.

“Trans-nonachlor increases extracellular free fatty acid accumulation and de novo lipogenesis to produce hepatic steatosis in McArdle-RH7777 cells”

Recent studies suggest there may be an environmental exposure component to the development and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) involving the organochlorine (OC) pesticides or their metabolites. However, the roles of OC compounds in the development of NAFLD has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the current study was designed to determine if exposure to trans-nonachlor, a prevalent OC compound, could promote hepatocyte lipid accumulation and determine potential pro-steatotic mechanisms. McArdle-RH7777 (McA) hepatoma cells were incubated with trans-nonachlor for 24 h then neutral lipid accumulation was determined by Oil Red O staining. Exposure to trans-nonachlor produced a concentration dependent increase in neutral lipid accumulation. Trans-nonachlor also increased extracellular free fatty acid-induced neutral lipid accumulation which appears to be due at least in part to increased free fatty acid accumulation as evident by increased accumulation of Bodipy labeled dodecanoic acid. Additionally, 14C-acetate incorporation into total cellular lipids was increased by trans-nonachlor implicating increased de novo lipogenesis (DNL) as a potential mediator of trans-nonachlor-induced neutral lipid accumulation. Taken together, the present data indicate exposure to trans-nonachlor has a direct, pro-steatotic effect on hepatocytes to increase lipid accumulation through the combinatorial actions of extracellular free fatty acid accumulation and increased DNL.

Inhibition of cholinergic and non-cholinergic targets following subacute exposure to chlorpyrifos in normal and high fat fed male C57BL/6J mice

The effects of obesity on organophosphate pesticide-mediated toxicities, including both cholinergic and non-cholinergic targets, have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the present study was designed to determine if high fat diet intake alters the effects of repeated exposure to chlorpyrifos (CPS) on the activities of both cholinergic and noncholinergic serine hydrolase targets. Male C57BL/6J mice were placed on either standard rodent chow or high fat diet for four weeks with CPS exposure (2.0 mg/kg) for the last 10 days of diet intake. Exposure to CPS did not alter acetylcholinesterase in the central nervous system, but it did significantly inhibit circulating cholinesterase activities in both diet groups. CPS significantly inhibited hepatic carboxylesterase and fatty acid amide hydrolase and this inhibition was significantly greater in high fat fed animals. Additionally, CPS exposure and high fat diet intake downregulated genes involved in hepatic de novo lipogenesis as well as cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in hepatic xenobiotic metabolism. In summary, the present study demonstrates that high fat diet intake potentiates CPS mediated inhibition of both carboxylesterase and fatty acid amide hydrolase in the liver of obese animals following subacute exposure and suggests obesity may be a risk factor for increased non-cholinergic hepatic CPS toxicity.

Alterations in cellular lipid metabolism produce neutral lipid accumulation following exposure to the organochlorine compound trans-nonachlor in rat primary hepatocytes

Recent epidemiological studies have revealed significant positive associations between exposure to organochlorine (OC) pesticides and occurrence of the metabolic syndrome and there are a growing number of animal‐based studies to support causality. However, the cellular mechanisms linking OC compound exposure and metabolic dysfunction remain elusive. Therefore, the present study was designed to determine if direct exposure to three highly implicated OC compounds promoted hepatic steatosis, the hepatic ramification of the metabolic syndrome. First, the steatotic effect of p,p′‐dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), oxychlordane, and trans‐nonachlor was determined in freshly isolated rat primary hepatocytes. Exposure to trans‐nonachlor significantly increased neutral lipid accumulation as opposed to DDE and oxychlordane. To determine possible mechanisms governing increased fatty acid availability, the effects of trans‐nonachlor exposure on fatty acid uptake, de novo lipogenesis, triglyceride secretion, and fatty acid oxidation were explored. Trans‐nonachlor did not significantly alter fatty acid uptake. However, insulin‐stimulated de novo lipogenesis as well as basal expression of fatty acid synthase, a major regulator of lipogenesis were significantly increased following trans‐nonachlor exposure. Interestingly, there was a significant decrease in fatty acid oxidation following trans‐nonachlor exposure. This decrease in fatty acid oxidation was accompanied by a slight, but significant increase in oleic acid‐induced cellular triglyceride secretion. Therefore, taken together, the present data indicate direct exposure to trans‐nonachlor has a more potent pro‐steatotic effect than exposure to DDE or oxychlordane. This pro‐steatotic effect of trans‐nonachlor appears to be predominately mediated via increased de novo lipogenesis and decreased fatty acid oxidation.