Logo image
Lead exposure and serum metabolite profiles in pregnant women in Mexico City
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Lead exposure and serum metabolite profiles in pregnant women in Mexico City

Megan M. Niedzwiecki, Shoshannah Eggers, Anu Joshi, Georgia Dolios, Alejandra Cantoral, Hector Lamadrid-Figueroa, Chitra Amarasiriwardena, Martha M. Tellez-Rojo, Robert O. Wright and Lauren Petrick
Environmental health, Vol.20(1), pp.125-125
12/10/2021
DOI: 10.1186/s12940-021-00810-2
PMCID: PMC8665540
PMID: 34893088
url
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-021-00810-2View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Background Lead (Pb) exposure is a global health hazard causing a wide range of adverse health outcomes. Yet, the mechanisms of Pb toxicology remain incompletely understood, especially during pregnancy. To uncover biological pathways impacted by Pb exposure, this study investigated serum metabolomic profiles during the third trimester of pregnancy that are associated with blood Pb and bone Pb. Methods We used data and specimens from 99 women enrolled in the Programming Research in Obesity, Growth, Environment, and Social Stressors birth cohort in Mexico City. Maternal Pb exposure was measured in whole blood samples from the third trimester of pregnancy and in the tibia and patella bones at 1 month postpartum. Third-trimester serum samples underwent metabolomic analysis; metabolites were identified based on matching to an in-house analytical standard library. A metabolome-wide association study was performed using multiple linear regression models. Class- and pathway-based enrichment analyses were also conducted. Results The median (interquartile range) blood Pb concentration was 2.9 (2.6) mu g/dL. Median bone Pb, measured in the tibia and patella, were 2.5 (7.3) mu g/g and 3.6 (9.5) mu g/g, respectively. Of 215 total metabolites identified in serum, 31 were associated with blood Pb (p < 0.05). Class enrichment analysis identified significant overrepresentation of metabolites classified as fatty acids and conjugates, amino acids and peptides, and purines. Tibia and patella Pb were associated with 14 and 8 metabolites, respectively (p < 0.05). Comparing results from bone and blood Pb, glycochenodeoxycholic acid, glycocholic acid, and 1-arachidonoylglycerol were positively associated with blood Pb and tibia Pb, and 7-methylguanine was negatively associated with blood Pb and patella Pb. One metabolite, 5-aminopentanoic acid, was negatively associated with all three Pb measures. Conclusions This study identified serum metabolites in pregnant women associated with Pb measured in blood and bone. These findings provide insights on the metabolic profile around Pb exposure in pregnancy and information to guide mechanistic studies of toxicological effects for mothers and children.
Environmental Sciences Environmental Sciences & Ecology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Public, Environmental & Occupational Health Science & Technology

Details

Metrics

Logo image