Journal article
Identification of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and PCB metabolites associated with changes in the gut microbiome of female mice exposed to an environmental PCB mixture
Journal of hazardous materials, Vol.489, 137688
06/2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137688
PMCID: PMC12002644
PMID: 40020572
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are neurotoxic hazardous materials that may cause toxicity via the gut-liver-brain axis. This study investigated PCB × microbiome interactions in adult female mice exposed orally to an environmental PCB mixture. Female mice (6-week-old) were exposed daily for 7 weeks to peanut butter containing 0, 0.1, 1, or 6mg/kg/day of PCBs. Twenty hours after the final exposure, the cecal content was collected to characterize the microbiome composition and predicted function. PCB and its metabolites in feces were analyzed using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), while cecal content was assessed with liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). MARBLES exposure influenced the abundance of microbial taxa and predicted functions within the cecal content. Complex PCB and metabolite mixtures were detected in the gastrointestinal tract. Network analysis revealed associations between specific parent PCBs and metabolites with changes in the abundance of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. These findings demonstrate that individual PCBs and their metabolites significantly influence the abundance of specific bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract following oral PCB exposure. These findings inform further research targeting the microbiome to attenuate the adverse health outcomes of PCB exposure.
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•PCB exposure dose-dependently altered cecal bacterial levels, including Lactobacillales•Lactobacillaceae was among the most frequently identified bacteria in topic modeling•PCB exposure altered predicted functional pathways relevant to inflammation•Complex PCB and metabolite mixtures were detected in gut content and feces•Network analysis linked altered gut microbiota to specific PCB levels in GI content
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Identification of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and PCB metabolites associated with changes in the gut microbiome of female mice exposed to an environmental PCB mixture
- Creators
- Laura E. Dean - University of IowaHui Wang - University of IowaXueshu Li - University of IowaRachel L. Fitzjerrells - University of IowaAnthony E. Valenzuela - University of California, DavisKari Neier - University of California Davis Medical CenterJanine M. LaSalle - University of California Davis Medical CenterAshutosh Mangalam - University of IowaPamela J. Lein - University of California, DavisHans-Joachim Lehmler - Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of hazardous materials, Vol.489, 137688
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137688
- PMID
- 40020572
- PMCID
- PMC12002644
- NLM abbreviation
- J Hazard Mater
- ISSN
- 0304-3894
- eISSN
- 1873-3336
- Publisher
- Elsevier B.V
- Grant note
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health: R01 ES014901, R01 ES031098, R01 ES034691, R01 ES029213 Environmental Health Sciences Research Center: P30 ES005605, P30 ES023513 Iowa Superfund Research Program: P43 ES013661 National Institutes of Health: F31 DE033564
This work was supported by grants R01 ES014901, R01 ES031098, R01 ES034691 and R01 ES029213 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health. In addition, the Environmental Health Sciences Research Center (P30 ES005605 and P30 ES023513) and the Iowa Superfund Research Program (P43 ES013661) supported the authentication of the test compounds and the analytical work. RLF was supported by the National Institutes of Health under award number F31 DE033564. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 02/2025
- Date published
- 06/2025
- Academic Unit
- Public Health Administration; Occupational and Environmental Health; Pathology; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Iowa Superfund Research Program
- Record Identifier
- 9984795377302771
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