Tuesday, 1 August 2017
Wednesday, 26 July 2017
Scientists unlock planthoppers' potential to control future crop disease outbreaks
Source: eLife
- Summary:
- Researchers have discovered how a severe rice virus reproduces inside the small brown planthopper, a major carrier of the virus.
FULL STORY
A small brown planthopper a
member of a species known for being a major carrier of rice stripe virus feeding on a rice plant.
Credit: Junjie Zhu
Researchers from the Chinese Academy of
Sciences' Institute of Zoology have discovered how a severe rice virus
reproduces inside the small brown planthopper, a major carrier of the
virus.
Rice stripe virus (RSV) causes major damage to rice crops each year.
The study could inform future strategies for controlling the spread of
this and other viruses that can lead to devastating effects on rice,
wheat, cotton and other crops.
"Most plant viruses depend on insects to carry them between plants, and many can reproduce inside the cells of these carrier insects, or 'vectors', without actually harming them," says Feng Cui, Professor of Zoology. "RSV, one of the most notorious plant viruses, is carried by the small brown planthopper and, once inside the cells, manages to achieve a balance with the insect's immune system."
Viral infections in animal hosts activate a pathway by which a type of enzyme, called c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), is signalled to respond. But how exactly viruses regulate this pathway in vectors remains an open question, and Cui says the answer would provide important clues for intervening in the spread of plant viruses.
To address this question, Cui and her team explored the effect of RSV on the JNK signalling pathway in the small brown planthopper. Studying interactions between proteins, and using an analytical method to determine the compounds that are important for the JNK signalling pathway, they found that the virus activates the pathway in various ways -- especially through the interaction of a planthopper protein called G protein pathway suppressor 2 (GPS2), and a viral protein called capsid protein.
"The interaction between these two proteins promotes RSV reproduction inside the planthopper, ultimately leading to disease outbreak when the insect carries the virus among rice crops," says first author and postdoctoral researcher Wei Wang.
"We discovered that RSV infection increased the level of another protein called Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) and decreased the level of GPS2 in the insect vector. The virus capsid, which stores all of RSV's genetic material, competitively binds GPS2 to stop it from inhibiting the JNK activation machinery. JNK activation then promotes RSV replication in the vector, while inhibiting this pathway causes a significant reduction in virus production, therefore delaying disease outbreak in plants."
The findings suggest that inhibiting the JNK pathway, either by lowering JNK expressions, strengthening interactions with GPS2 or weakening the effects of TNF-a, could be beneficial for rice agriculture.
"Such inhibition could be achieved through breeding or other means of genetic modification," Wang concludes. "In some cases, it could be possible to administer the appropriate chemical compounds to rice plants to reduce the spread of RSV."
"Most plant viruses depend on insects to carry them between plants, and many can reproduce inside the cells of these carrier insects, or 'vectors', without actually harming them," says Feng Cui, Professor of Zoology. "RSV, one of the most notorious plant viruses, is carried by the small brown planthopper and, once inside the cells, manages to achieve a balance with the insect's immune system."
Viral infections in animal hosts activate a pathway by which a type of enzyme, called c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), is signalled to respond. But how exactly viruses regulate this pathway in vectors remains an open question, and Cui says the answer would provide important clues for intervening in the spread of plant viruses.
To address this question, Cui and her team explored the effect of RSV on the JNK signalling pathway in the small brown planthopper. Studying interactions between proteins, and using an analytical method to determine the compounds that are important for the JNK signalling pathway, they found that the virus activates the pathway in various ways -- especially through the interaction of a planthopper protein called G protein pathway suppressor 2 (GPS2), and a viral protein called capsid protein.
"The interaction between these two proteins promotes RSV reproduction inside the planthopper, ultimately leading to disease outbreak when the insect carries the virus among rice crops," says first author and postdoctoral researcher Wei Wang.
"We discovered that RSV infection increased the level of another protein called Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) and decreased the level of GPS2 in the insect vector. The virus capsid, which stores all of RSV's genetic material, competitively binds GPS2 to stop it from inhibiting the JNK activation machinery. JNK activation then promotes RSV replication in the vector, while inhibiting this pathway causes a significant reduction in virus production, therefore delaying disease outbreak in plants."
The findings suggest that inhibiting the JNK pathway, either by lowering JNK expressions, strengthening interactions with GPS2 or weakening the effects of TNF-a, could be beneficial for rice agriculture.
"Such inhibition could be achieved through breeding or other means of genetic modification," Wang concludes. "In some cases, it could be possible to administer the appropriate chemical compounds to rice plants to reduce the spread of RSV."
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A common underlying genetic basis for social behavior in dogs and humans
Source: Princeton University
- Summary:
- Scientists have identified genetic changes that are linked to dogs' human-directed social behaviors and suggest there is a common underlying genetic basis for hyper-social behavior in both dogs and humans.
FULL STORY
A boy and his dog.
Credit: © Christin Lola / Fotolia
Dogs' ability to communicate and
interact with humans is one the most astonishing differences between
them and their wild cousins, wolves. A new study published today in the
journal Science Advances identifies genetic changes that are
linked to dogs' human-directed social behaviors and suggests there is a
common underlying genetic basis for hyper-social behavior in both dogs
and humans.
An interdisciplinary team of researchers, including those from
Princeton University, sequenced a region of chromosome 6 in dogs and
found multiple sections of canine DNA that were associated with
differences in social behavior. In many cases, unique genetic insertions
called transposons on the Williams-Beuren syndrome critical region
(WBSCR) were strongly associated with the tendency to seek out humans
for physical contact, assistance and information.
In contrast, in humans, it is the deletion of genes from the counterpart of this region on the human genome, rather than insertions, that causes Williams-Beuren syndrome, a congenital disorder characterized by hyper-social traits such as exceptional gregariousness.
"It was the remarkable similarity between the behavioral presentation of Williams-Beuren syndrome and the friendliness of domesticated dogs that suggested to us that there may be similarities in the genetic architecture of the two phenotypes," said Bridgett vonHoldt, an assistant professor in ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton and the study's lead co-author.
VonHoldt had identified the canine analog of the WBSCR in her publication in Nature in 2010. But it was Emily Shuldiner, a 2016 Princeton alumna and the study's other lead co-author, who, as part of her senior thesis, pinpointed the commonalities in the genetic architecture of Williams-Beuren syndrome and canine tameness.
By analyzing behavioral and genetic data from dogs and gray wolves, vonHoldt, Shuldiner and their colleagues reported a strong genetic aspect to human-directed social behavior by dogs. Monique Udell, an assistant professor of animal and rangeland sciences at Oregon State University and the paper's senior author, collected and analyzed the behavioral data for 18 domesticated dogs and 10 captive human-socialized wolves, as well as the biological samples used to sequence their genomes.
First, Udell quantified human-directed sociability traits in canines, such as to what extent they turned to a human in the room to seek assistance in trying to lift a puzzle box lid in order to get a sausage treat below or the degree to which they sought out social interactions with familiar and unfamiliar humans. Then, vonHoldt and Shuldiner sequenced the genome in vonHoldt's lab and correlated their findings.
Consistent with their hypothesis, the researchers confirmed that the domesticated dogs displayed more human-directed behavior and spent more time in proximity to humans than the wolves. The also discovered that some of these transposons on the WBSCR were only found in domestic dogs, and not in wolves at all.
VonHoldt's findings suggest that only a few transposons on this region likely govern a complex set of social behaviors. "We haven't found a 'social gene,' but rather an important [genetic] component that shapes animal personality and assisted the process of domesticating a wild wolf into a tame dog," she said.
Anna Kukekova, an assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who is familiar with the research but had no role in it, said that the paper points to these genes as being evolutionarily conserved, or essentially unchanged throughout evolution. "The research provides evidence that there exist certain evolutionary conservative mechanisms that contribute to sociability across species," she said. "That they have found that this region contributes to sociability in dogs is exciting."
Survival of the friendliest
The researchers' evidence also calls into question the role of domestication in the evolution of canine behavior. Most experts agree that the first domesticated dogs were wolves that ventured into early human settlements. These proto-dogs evolved not only in their looks, but also their behavior, a process likely influenced by the species' cohabitation, according to vonHoldt.
However, unlike previous research which suggests that, during the process of domestication, dogs were selected for a set of cognitive abilities, particularly an ability to discern gesture and voice, vonHoldt and Shuldiner's research posits that dogs were instead selected for their tendency to seek human companionship.
"If early humans came into contact with a wolf that had a personality of being interested in them, and only lived with and bred those 'primitive dogs,' they would have exaggerated the trait of being social," vonHoldt said.
In contrast, in humans, it is the deletion of genes from the counterpart of this region on the human genome, rather than insertions, that causes Williams-Beuren syndrome, a congenital disorder characterized by hyper-social traits such as exceptional gregariousness.
"It was the remarkable similarity between the behavioral presentation of Williams-Beuren syndrome and the friendliness of domesticated dogs that suggested to us that there may be similarities in the genetic architecture of the two phenotypes," said Bridgett vonHoldt, an assistant professor in ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton and the study's lead co-author.
VonHoldt had identified the canine analog of the WBSCR in her publication in Nature in 2010. But it was Emily Shuldiner, a 2016 Princeton alumna and the study's other lead co-author, who, as part of her senior thesis, pinpointed the commonalities in the genetic architecture of Williams-Beuren syndrome and canine tameness.
By analyzing behavioral and genetic data from dogs and gray wolves, vonHoldt, Shuldiner and their colleagues reported a strong genetic aspect to human-directed social behavior by dogs. Monique Udell, an assistant professor of animal and rangeland sciences at Oregon State University and the paper's senior author, collected and analyzed the behavioral data for 18 domesticated dogs and 10 captive human-socialized wolves, as well as the biological samples used to sequence their genomes.
First, Udell quantified human-directed sociability traits in canines, such as to what extent they turned to a human in the room to seek assistance in trying to lift a puzzle box lid in order to get a sausage treat below or the degree to which they sought out social interactions with familiar and unfamiliar humans. Then, vonHoldt and Shuldiner sequenced the genome in vonHoldt's lab and correlated their findings.
Consistent with their hypothesis, the researchers confirmed that the domesticated dogs displayed more human-directed behavior and spent more time in proximity to humans than the wolves. The also discovered that some of these transposons on the WBSCR were only found in domestic dogs, and not in wolves at all.
VonHoldt's findings suggest that only a few transposons on this region likely govern a complex set of social behaviors. "We haven't found a 'social gene,' but rather an important [genetic] component that shapes animal personality and assisted the process of domesticating a wild wolf into a tame dog," she said.
Anna Kukekova, an assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who is familiar with the research but had no role in it, said that the paper points to these genes as being evolutionarily conserved, or essentially unchanged throughout evolution. "The research provides evidence that there exist certain evolutionary conservative mechanisms that contribute to sociability across species," she said. "That they have found that this region contributes to sociability in dogs is exciting."
Survival of the friendliest
The researchers' evidence also calls into question the role of domestication in the evolution of canine behavior. Most experts agree that the first domesticated dogs were wolves that ventured into early human settlements. These proto-dogs evolved not only in their looks, but also their behavior, a process likely influenced by the species' cohabitation, according to vonHoldt.
However, unlike previous research which suggests that, during the process of domestication, dogs were selected for a set of cognitive abilities, particularly an ability to discern gesture and voice, vonHoldt and Shuldiner's research posits that dogs were instead selected for their tendency to seek human companionship.
"If early humans came into contact with a wolf that had a personality of being interested in them, and only lived with and bred those 'primitive dogs,' they would have exaggerated the trait of being social," vonHoldt said.
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Origin of modern dog has a single geographic origin, study reveals
Source: Stony Brook University
- Summary:
- By analyzing the DNA of two prehistoric dogs from Germany, an international research team has determined that their genomes were the probable ancestors of modern European dogs. The finding suggests a single domestication event of modern dogs from a population of gray wolves that occurred between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago.
FULL STORY
A picture of the 5000 year old Late Neolithic CTC dog skull in the lab before it underwent whole genome sequencing.
Credit: Amelie Scheu
By analyzing the DNA of two prehistoric
dogs from Germany, an international research team led by Krishna R.
Veeramah, PhD, Assistant Professor of Ecology & Evolution in the
College of Arts & Sciences at Stony Brook University, has determined
that their genomes were the probable ancestors of modern European dogs.
The finding, to be published in Nature Communications,
suggests a single domestication event of modern dogs from a population
of gray wolves that occurred between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago.
Dogs were the first animal to be domesticated by humans. The oldest
dog fossils that can be clearly distinguished from wolves are from the
region of what is now Germany from around 15,000 years ago. However, the
archeological record is ambiguous, with claims of ancient domesticated
dog bones as far east as Siberia. Recent analysis of genetic data from
modern dogs adds to mystery, with some scientists suggesting many areas
of Europe, Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East as possible
origins of dog domestication.
In 2016, research by scientists using emerging paleogenomics techniques proved effective for sequencing the genome of a 5,000-year-old ancient dog from Ireland. The results of the study led the research team to suggest dogs were domesticated not once but twice. The team from Oxford University also hypothesized that an indigenous dog population domesticated in Europe was replaced by incoming migrants domesticated independently in East Asia sometime during the Neolithic era.
"Contrary to the results of this previous analysis, we found that our ancient dogs from the same time period were very similar to modern European dogs, including the majority of breed dogs people keep as pets," explained Dr. Veeramah. "This suggests that there was no mass Neolithic replacement that occurred on the continent and that there was likely only a single domestication event for the dogs observed in the fossil record from the Stone Age and that we also see and live with today."
In the paper, titled "Ancient European dog genomes reveal continuity since the Early Neolithic," Veeramah and colleagues used the older 7,000 year old dog to narrow the timing of dog domestication to the 20,000 to 40,000 years ago range.
They also found evidence of the younger 5,000 year old dog to be a mixture of European dogs and something that resembles current central Asian/Indian dogs. This finding may reflect that people moving into Europe from the Asian Steppes at the beginning of the Bronze Age brought their own dogs with them.
"We also reanalyzed the ancient Irish dog genome alongside our German dog genomes and believe we found a number of technical errors in the previous analysis that likely led those scientists to incorrectly make the conclusion of a dual domestication event," added Veeramah.
Overall, he emphasized, their new genomic analysis of ancient dogs will help scientists better understand the process of dog evolution, even if the exact geographic origin of domestication remains a mystery. He expects further sequencing of the ancient genomes from Eurasia will help to eventually solve the issue.
In 2016, research by scientists using emerging paleogenomics techniques proved effective for sequencing the genome of a 5,000-year-old ancient dog from Ireland. The results of the study led the research team to suggest dogs were domesticated not once but twice. The team from Oxford University also hypothesized that an indigenous dog population domesticated in Europe was replaced by incoming migrants domesticated independently in East Asia sometime during the Neolithic era.
"Contrary to the results of this previous analysis, we found that our ancient dogs from the same time period were very similar to modern European dogs, including the majority of breed dogs people keep as pets," explained Dr. Veeramah. "This suggests that there was no mass Neolithic replacement that occurred on the continent and that there was likely only a single domestication event for the dogs observed in the fossil record from the Stone Age and that we also see and live with today."
In the paper, titled "Ancient European dog genomes reveal continuity since the Early Neolithic," Veeramah and colleagues used the older 7,000 year old dog to narrow the timing of dog domestication to the 20,000 to 40,000 years ago range.
They also found evidence of the younger 5,000 year old dog to be a mixture of European dogs and something that resembles current central Asian/Indian dogs. This finding may reflect that people moving into Europe from the Asian Steppes at the beginning of the Bronze Age brought their own dogs with them.
"We also reanalyzed the ancient Irish dog genome alongside our German dog genomes and believe we found a number of technical errors in the previous analysis that likely led those scientists to incorrectly make the conclusion of a dual domestication event," added Veeramah.
Overall, he emphasized, their new genomic analysis of ancient dogs will help scientists better understand the process of dog evolution, even if the exact geographic origin of domestication remains a mystery. He expects further sequencing of the ancient genomes from Eurasia will help to eventually solve the issue.
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Saturday, 15 July 2017
Diet rich in tomatoes cuts skin cancer in half in mice
Discovery builds on previous evidence of cancer-prevention benefits
- Source: Ohio State University
- Summary:
- Daily tomato consumption appeared to cut the development of skin cancer tumors by half in a mouse study, report investigators.
FULL STORY
A new discovery about the benefits of eating tomatoes builds on previous evidence of cancer-prevention benefits.
Credit: © Serhiy Shullye / Fotolia
Daily tomato consumption appeared to
cut the development of skin cancer tumors by half in a mouse study at
The Ohio State University.
The new study of how nutritional interventions can alter the risk for skin cancers appeared online in the journal Scientific Reports.
It found that male mice fed a diet of 10 percent tomato powder daily for 35 weeks, then exposed to ultraviolet light, experienced, on average, a 50 percent decrease in skin cancer tumors compared to mice that ate no dehydrated tomato.
The theory behind the relationship between tomatoes and cancer is that dietary carotenoids, the pigmenting compounds that give tomatoes their color, may protect skin against UV light damage, said Jessica Cooperstone, co-author of the study and a research scientist in the Department of Food Science and Technology in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at Ohio State.
There were no significant differences in tumor number for the female mice in the study. Previous research has shown that male mice develop tumors earlier after UV exposure and that their tumors are more numerous, larger and more aggressive.
"This study showed us that we do need to consider sex when exploring different preventive strategies," said the study's senior author, Tatiana Oberyszyn, a professor of pathology and member of Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center.
"What works in men may not always work equally well in women and vice versa."
Previous human clinical trials suggest that eating tomato paste over time can dampen sunburns, perhaps thanks to carotenoids from the plants that are deposited in the skin of humans after eating, and may be able to protect against UV light damage, Cooperstone said.
"Lycopene, the primary carotenoid in tomatoes, has been shown to be the most effective antioxidant of these pigments," she said.
"However, when comparing lycopene administered from a whole food (tomato) or a synthesized supplement, tomatoes appear more effective in preventing redness after UV exposure, suggesting other compounds in tomatoes may also be at play."
In the new study, the Ohio State researchers found that only male mice fed dehydrated red tomatoes had reductions in tumor growth. Those fed diets with tangerine tomatoes, which have been shown to be higher in bioavailable lycopene in previous research, had fewer tumors than the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant.
Cooperstone is currently researching tomato compounds other than lycopene that may impart health benefits.
Non-melanoma skin cancers are the most common of all cancers, with more new cases 5.4 million in 2012 each year than breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers combined, according to the American Cancer Society.
Despite a low mortality rate, these cancers are costly, disfiguring, and their rates are increasing, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
"Alternative methods for systemic protection, possibly through nutritional interventions to modulate risk for skin-related diseases, could provide a significant benefit," Cooperstone said.
"Foods are not drugs, but they can possibly, over the lifetime of consumption, alter the development of certain diseases," she said.
It found that male mice fed a diet of 10 percent tomato powder daily for 35 weeks, then exposed to ultraviolet light, experienced, on average, a 50 percent decrease in skin cancer tumors compared to mice that ate no dehydrated tomato.
The theory behind the relationship between tomatoes and cancer is that dietary carotenoids, the pigmenting compounds that give tomatoes their color, may protect skin against UV light damage, said Jessica Cooperstone, co-author of the study and a research scientist in the Department of Food Science and Technology in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at Ohio State.
There were no significant differences in tumor number for the female mice in the study. Previous research has shown that male mice develop tumors earlier after UV exposure and that their tumors are more numerous, larger and more aggressive.
"This study showed us that we do need to consider sex when exploring different preventive strategies," said the study's senior author, Tatiana Oberyszyn, a professor of pathology and member of Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center.
"What works in men may not always work equally well in women and vice versa."
Previous human clinical trials suggest that eating tomato paste over time can dampen sunburns, perhaps thanks to carotenoids from the plants that are deposited in the skin of humans after eating, and may be able to protect against UV light damage, Cooperstone said.
"Lycopene, the primary carotenoid in tomatoes, has been shown to be the most effective antioxidant of these pigments," she said.
"However, when comparing lycopene administered from a whole food (tomato) or a synthesized supplement, tomatoes appear more effective in preventing redness after UV exposure, suggesting other compounds in tomatoes may also be at play."
In the new study, the Ohio State researchers found that only male mice fed dehydrated red tomatoes had reductions in tumor growth. Those fed diets with tangerine tomatoes, which have been shown to be higher in bioavailable lycopene in previous research, had fewer tumors than the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant.
Cooperstone is currently researching tomato compounds other than lycopene that may impart health benefits.
Non-melanoma skin cancers are the most common of all cancers, with more new cases 5.4 million in 2012 each year than breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers combined, according to the American Cancer Society.
Despite a low mortality rate, these cancers are costly, disfiguring, and their rates are increasing, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
"Alternative methods for systemic protection, possibly through nutritional interventions to modulate risk for skin-related diseases, could provide a significant benefit," Cooperstone said.
"Foods are not drugs, but they can possibly, over the lifetime of consumption, alter the development of certain diseases," she said.
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House dust spurs growth of fat cells in lab tests
- Source: American Chemical Society
- Summary:
- Poor diet and a lack of physical activity are major contributors to the world's obesity epidemic, but researchers have also identified common environmental pollutants that could play a role. Now one team reports that small amounts of house dust containing many of these compounds can spur fat cells to accumulate more triglycerides, or fat, in a lab dish.
FULL STORY
House dust may contain compounds that can spur fat cells to accumulate more triglycerides, or fat, in a lab dish.
Credit: © Photographee.eu / Fotolia
Poor diet and a lack of physical
activity are major contributors to the world's obesity epidemic, but
researchers have also identified common environmental pollutants that
could play a role. Now one team reports in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology
that small amounts of house dust containing many of these compounds can
spur fat cells to accumulate more triglycerides, or fat, in a lab dish.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs, are synthetic or naturally
occurring compounds that can interfere with or mimic the body's
hormones. EDCs, such as flame retardants, phthalates and bisphenol-A,
are known for their potential effects on reproductive, neurological and
immune functions. But animal studies also suggest that early life
exposure to some EDCs can cause weight gain later in life, and, as a
result, have been called "obesogens." Some manufacturers have reduced
the use of EDCs in products, but many are still ubiquitous in consumer
goods. And they wind up in indoor dust that can be inhaled, ingested, or
absorbed through the skin. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
estimates that children consume 50 milligrams of house dust each day.
Concerned about the potential effects EDCs in dust might have on
children's health, Heather Stapleton and colleagues wanted to see if the
compounds in house dust might have an effect on fat cells.
The researchers collected samples of indoor dust from 11 homes in North Carolina and tested extracts from the samples in a mouse pre-adipocyte cell model, 3T3-L1 cells, often used to test compounds for potential effects on the accumulation of triglycerides, a type of fat. Extracts from seven of the 11 dust samples triggered the pre-adipocytes to develop into mature fat cells and accumulate triglycerides. Extracts from nine samples spurred the cells to divide, creating a larger pool of precursor fat cells. Only one dust sample had no effect. Additionally, among the 44 individual common house dust contaminants tested in this model, pyraclostrobin (a pesticide), the flame-retardant TBPDP, and DBP, a commonly used plasticizer, had the strongest fat-producing effects. This suggests that the mixture of these chemicals in house dust is promoting the accumulation of triglycerides and fat cells, the researchers say. Amounts of dust as low as 3 micrograms well below the mass of dust that children are exposed to daily caused measurable effects. Thus, the researchers also suggest that house dust is a likely exposure source of chemicals that may be able to disrupt metabolic health, particularly in children.
The researchers collected samples of indoor dust from 11 homes in North Carolina and tested extracts from the samples in a mouse pre-adipocyte cell model, 3T3-L1 cells, often used to test compounds for potential effects on the accumulation of triglycerides, a type of fat. Extracts from seven of the 11 dust samples triggered the pre-adipocytes to develop into mature fat cells and accumulate triglycerides. Extracts from nine samples spurred the cells to divide, creating a larger pool of precursor fat cells. Only one dust sample had no effect. Additionally, among the 44 individual common house dust contaminants tested in this model, pyraclostrobin (a pesticide), the flame-retardant TBPDP, and DBP, a commonly used plasticizer, had the strongest fat-producing effects. This suggests that the mixture of these chemicals in house dust is promoting the accumulation of triglycerides and fat cells, the researchers say. Amounts of dust as low as 3 micrograms well below the mass of dust that children are exposed to daily caused measurable effects. Thus, the researchers also suggest that house dust is a likely exposure source of chemicals that may be able to disrupt metabolic health, particularly in children.
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Everyday chemicals linked to chronic disease in men
- Source: University of Adelaide
- Summary:
- Chemicals found in everyday plastics materials are linked to cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure in men, according to researchers.
FULL STORY
Phthalates are a group of
chemicals widely used in common consumer products, such as food
packaging and wrappings as seen in this photograph. (Stock image)
Credit: © segenvitaly / Fotolia
Chemicals found in everyday plastics
materials are linked to cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and high
blood pressure in men, according to Australian researchers.
Researchers from the University of Adelaide and the South Australian
Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) investigated the
independent association between chronic diseases among men and
concentrations of potentially harmful chemicals known as phthalates.
The results of the study are now published in the international journal Environmental Research.
Phthalates are a group of chemicals widely used in common consumer products, such as food packaging and wrappings, toys, medications, and even medical devices.
Researchers found that of the 1500 Australian men tested, phthalates were detected in urine samples of 99.6% of those aged 35 and over.
"We found that the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure increased among those men with higher total phthalate levels," says senior author Associate Professor Zumin Shi, from the University of Adelaide's Adelaide Medical School and the Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men's Health, and a member of SAHMRI's Nutrition & Metabolism theme.
"While we still don't understand the exact reasons why phthalates are independently linked to disease, we do know the chemicals impact on the human endocrine system, which controls hormone release that regulate the body's growth, metabolism, and sexual development and function.
"In addition to chronic diseases, higher phthalate levels were associated with increased levels of a range of inflammatory biomarkers in the body," he says.
Age and western diets are directly associated with higher concentrations of phthalates. Previous studies have shown that men who ate less fresh fruit and vegetables and more processed and packaged foods, and drank carbonated soft drinks, have higher levels of phthalates in their urine.
"Importantly, while 82% of the men we tested were overweight or obese conditions known to be associated with chronic diseases -- when we adjusted for this in our study, the significant association between high levels of phthalates and disease was not substantially altered," Associate Professor Shi says.
"In addition, when we adjusted for socio-economic and lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol, the association between high levels of phthalates and disease was unchanged."
Associate Professor Shi says that although the studies were conducted in men, the findings are also likely to be relevant to women.
"While further research is required, reducing environmental phthalates exposure where possible, along with the adoption of healthier lifestyles, may help to reduce the risk of chronic disease," he says.
The results of the study are now published in the international journal Environmental Research.
Phthalates are a group of chemicals widely used in common consumer products, such as food packaging and wrappings, toys, medications, and even medical devices.
Researchers found that of the 1500 Australian men tested, phthalates were detected in urine samples of 99.6% of those aged 35 and over.
"We found that the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure increased among those men with higher total phthalate levels," says senior author Associate Professor Zumin Shi, from the University of Adelaide's Adelaide Medical School and the Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men's Health, and a member of SAHMRI's Nutrition & Metabolism theme.
"While we still don't understand the exact reasons why phthalates are independently linked to disease, we do know the chemicals impact on the human endocrine system, which controls hormone release that regulate the body's growth, metabolism, and sexual development and function.
"In addition to chronic diseases, higher phthalate levels were associated with increased levels of a range of inflammatory biomarkers in the body," he says.
Age and western diets are directly associated with higher concentrations of phthalates. Previous studies have shown that men who ate less fresh fruit and vegetables and more processed and packaged foods, and drank carbonated soft drinks, have higher levels of phthalates in their urine.
"Importantly, while 82% of the men we tested were overweight or obese conditions known to be associated with chronic diseases -- when we adjusted for this in our study, the significant association between high levels of phthalates and disease was not substantially altered," Associate Professor Shi says.
"In addition, when we adjusted for socio-economic and lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol, the association between high levels of phthalates and disease was unchanged."
Associate Professor Shi says that although the studies were conducted in men, the findings are also likely to be relevant to women.
"While further research is required, reducing environmental phthalates exposure where possible, along with the adoption of healthier lifestyles, may help to reduce the risk of chronic disease," he says.
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