April 2023 Member Publications

  1. Basner M, Smith MG, Jones CW, Ecker AJ, Howard K, Schneller V, Cordoza M, Kaizi-Lutu M, Park-Chavar S, Stahn AC, Dinges DF, Shou H, Mitchell JA, Bhatnagar A, Smith T, Smith AE, Stopforth CK, Yeager R, Keith RJ. Associations of bedroom PM2.5, CO2, temperature, humidity, and noise with sleep: An observational actigraphy study. Sleep Health. 2023 Apr 10:S2352-7218(23)00043-8. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2023.02.010. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37076419.
    Impact Statement: This study demonstrates that factors such as air pollution, temperature, carbon dioxide, and noise in the bedroom environment have a significant impact on sleep quality. Higher levels of these factors were found to decrease sleep efficiency, highlighting the importance of creating a healthy and comfortable bedroom environment, beyond the mattress, for optimal sleep.
  2. Siddiqi TJ, Rashid AM, Siddiqi AK, Anwer A, Usman MS, Sakhi H, Bhatnagar A, Hamburg NM, Hirsch GA, Rodriguez CJ, Blaha MJ, DeFilippis AP, Benjamin EJ, Hall ME. Association of Electronic Cigarette Exposure on Cardiovascular Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Curr Probl Cardiol. 2023 Apr 21:101748. doi: 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2023.101748. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37088177.
    Impact Statement: Electronic cigarette (EC) usage, despite being perceived as safe, has been associated with adverse cardiovascular effects, including increased heart rate, blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and unfavorable changes in platelet biomarkers. These findings emphasize the need for regulation and informed decision-making by policymakers to protect public health.
  3. Wu J, Origgi JM, Ranker LR, Bhatnagar A, Robertson RM, Xuan Z, Wijaya D, Hong T, Fetterman JL. Compliance With the US Food and Drug Administration's Guidelines for Health Warning Labels and Engagement in Little Cigar and Cigarillo Content: Computer Vision Analysis of Instagram Posts. JMIR Infodemiology. 2023 Mar 14;3:e41969. doi: 10.2196/41969. PMID: 37113379; PMCID: PMC10132024.
    Impact Statement: This study reveals that health warnings are rarely included in influencer promotions of little cigars and cigarillos (LCCs) on Instagram, and posts with health warnings received less engagement. The findings emphasize the importance of extending health warning regulations to social media tobacco promotions and introduce a computer vision algorithm as a novel tool for monitoring compliance.
  4. Gourévitch B, Pitts T, Iceman K, Reed M, Cai J, Chu T, Zeng W, Morgado-Valle C, Mellen N. Synchronization of inspiratory burst onset along the ventral respiratory column in the neonate mouse is mediated by electrotonic coupling. BMC Biol. 2023 Apr 15;21(1):83. doi: 10.1186/s12915-023-01575-5. PMID: 37061721; PMCID: PMC10105963.
    Impact Statement: The findings of this study contribute to our understanding of the complex mechanism underlying respiratory rhythm generation and synchronization in newborns. This knowledge may lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies for respiratory disorders (e.g. neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome) that arise due to dysfunctional rhythm generation. Additionally, it may also aid in the development of novel treatments for other conditions that involve neuronal syncytium coupling.
  5. Habil MR, Hein DW. Effects of dose and human N-acetyltransferase 1 genetic polymorphism in benzidine metabolism and genotoxicity. Arch Toxicol. 2023 Apr 25. doi: 10.1007/s00204-023-03497-1. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37097310.
    Impact Statement: Benzidine exposure is associated with urinary bladder cancer but the effect of N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) genetic polymorphism on individual risk remains unclear. We used Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells transfected with human CYP1A2 and NAT1*4 allele (reference) or NAT1*14B (variant) to investigate the effects of dose and NAT1 polymorphism on benzidine metabolism and genotoxicity.  Our findings support human studies associating NAT1*14B with increased incidence or severity of urinary bladder cancer in workers exposed to benzidine.
  6. Walls KM, Hong KU, Hein DW. Heterocyclic amines reduce insulin-induced AKT phosphorylation and induce gluconeogenic gene expression in human hepatocytes. Arch Toxicol. 2023 Apr 2. doi: 10.1007/s00204-023-03488-2. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37005939.
    Impact Statement: The effect of three heterocyclic amines (HCAs) commonly found in cooked meat (2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline [MeIQ], 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline [MeIQx], and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine [PhIP]) on insulin signaling and glucose production were assessed in human hepatocytes.  Our findings show that HCAs induce insulin resistance and promote hepatic glucose production in human hepatocytes. This implicates that exposure to HCAs may lead to the development of type II diabetes or metabolic syndrome.
  7. Hong KU, Walls KM, Hein DW. Non-coding and intergenic genetic variants of human arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) gene are associated with differential plasma lipid and cholesterol levels and cardiometabolic disorders. Front Pharmacol. 2023 Apr 3;14:1091976. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1091976. PMID: 37077812; PMCID: PMC10106703.
    Impact Statement: This is the first report of its kind. Our analysis shows that common genetic variations in human N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) gene are linked to dyslipidemia (e.g., high cholesterol) as well as cardiometabolic disorders. This finding implies that individuals carrying certain genetic variants of NAT2 (e.g., rapid acetylator genotypes) are more likely to develop dyslipidemia and cardiometabolic disorders.
  8. Xiang F, Huang F, Huang J, Li X, Dong N, Xiao Y, Zhao Q, Xiao L, Zhang H, Zhang C, Cheng Z, Chen L, Chen J, Wang H, Guo Y, Liu N, Luo Z, Hou X, Ji B, Zhao R, Jin Z, Savage R, Zhao Y, Zheng Z, Chen X; Chinese Association of Cardiovascular Surgeons; Chinese Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery; Chinese Society of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesiology. Expert Consensus on the Use of Human Serum Albumin in Adult Cardiac Surgery. Chin Med J (Engl). 2023 Apr 22. doi: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000002709. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37083122.
    Impact Statement: This multidisciplinary international expert consensus will serve to guide the decisions regarding the use of human albumin during and after cardiac surgery.
  9. Vatsalya V, Feng W, Kong M, Hu H, Szabo G, McCullough A, Dasarathy S, Nagy LE, Radaeva S, Barton B, Mitchell M, McClain CJ. The Beneficial Effects of Lactobacillus GG Therapy on Liver and Drinking Assessments in Patients with Moderate Alcohol-Associated Hepatitis. Am J Gastroenterol. 2023 Apr 11. doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000002283. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37040544.
    Impact Statement: Daily oral supplementation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) was found to reduce liver injury and decrease heavy drinking levels in individuals with alcohol use disorder and alcohol-associated hepatitis. These findings suggest that LGG could be a beneficial intervention for improving liver health and promoting healthier drinking behaviors in this population.
  10. Lindsey ML, Kassiri Z, LeBlanc AJ, Ripplinger CM, Kirk JA, Carter JR, Kleinbongard P, Brunt KR. Spring Cleaning: Freshening up the portfolio. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2023 Apr 28. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00219.2023. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37115630.
    Impact Statement: The American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology has made updates to its article types, including renaming "Rapid Report" to "Short Report" to allow authors to present compelling findings without completing the entire story. They have also renamed "Innovative Methodology" to "Methods and Resources," emphasizing the promotion of standardization and the provision of valuable tools and protocols for cardiovascular research.
  11. Hassanein T, McClain CJ, Vatsalya V, Stein LL, Flamm SL, Martin P, Cave MC, Mitchell M Jr, Barton B, Nagy L, Szabo G, McCullough A, Dasarathy S, Shah J, Blevins C, Scott D, Krebs W, Brown JE, Lin W. Safety, Pharmacokinetics, & Efficacy Signals of Larsucosterol (DUR-928) in Alcohol-associated Hepatitis. Am J Gastroenterol. 2023 Mar 31. doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000002275. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37011138.
    Impact Statement: A study assessing larsucosterol in individuals with alcohol-associated hepatitis demonstrated positive outcomes, including improved biochemical parameters and reduced disease severity. These findings support further investigation of larsucosterol's efficacy in larger clinical trials.
  12. Turaga SM, Sardiu ME, Vishwakarma V, Mitra A, Bantis LE, Madan R, Merchant ML, Klein JB, Samuel G, Godwin AK. Identification of small extracellular vesicle protein biomarkers for pediatric Ewing Sarcoma. Front Mol Biosci. 2023 Apr 13;10:1138594. doi: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1138594. PMID: 37122563; PMCID: PMC10140755.
    Impact Statement: Researchers identified a specific protein biomarker, UGT3A2, that is highly specific to Ewing Sarcoma (EWS) tumor cells and their small extracellular vesicles. This discovery has the potential to improve the early diagnosis and monitoring of EWS.
  13. Liu S, He L, Bannister OB, Li J, Schnegelberger RD, Vanderpuye CM, Althouse AD, Schopfer FJ, Wahlang B, Cave MC, Monga SP, Zhang X, Arteel GE, Beier JI. Western diet unmasks transient low-level vinyl chloride-induced tumorigenesis; potential role of the (epi-)transcriptome. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2023 Apr 14;468:116514. doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2023.116514. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37061008.
    Impact Statement: Using an experimental model, the study investigated how exposure to the industrial toxicant, vinyl chloride, affects the liver with time. The findings demonstrated that vinyl chloride at low concentrations for 12 weeks can lead to liver cancer after 1 year, particularly when vinyl chloride exposure was combined with western (high caloric) diet intake and calls for the need to reconsider current vinyl chloride safety restrictions.
  14. Wahlang B. Sex differences in toxicant-associated fatty liver disease. J Endocrinol. 2023 Apr 1:JOE-22-0247. doi: 10.1530/JOE-22-0247. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37074385.
    Impact Statement: The publication is part of the Journal of Endocrinology “Rising Stars” Collection and features Dr. Wahlang as one of the rising stars in the field of environmental endocrinology and toxicology. The publication reviews what is currently known about sex differences in liver diseases associated with environmental chemical exposures and existing knowledge gaps. The review also discusses the need for integration of sex and gender in environmental health research, and how this will enable better risk assessment in human population studies.
  15. Ottinger MA, Harry GJ, Malecki K, Wise JP Sr. Editorial: Healthspan and neural aging: Merging the exposome and one environmental health - From molecular mechanisms to epidemiology. Front Aging Neurosci. 2023 Mar 14;15:1172967. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1172967. PMID: 36998315; PMCID: PMC10043411.
    Impact Statement: Studying the relationship between our environment and aging processes is essential for promoting healthy aging and developing effective interventions. By understanding how environmental factors, such as chemicals and social determinants, impact our susceptibility to age-related diseases, we can inform policies and strategies to support a healthier and longer lifespan for everyone.
  16. Yuan J, Mo Y, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Zhang Q. Nickel nanoparticles induce autophagy and apoptosis via HIF-1α/mTOR signaling in human bronchial epithelial cells. Environ Pollut. 2023 Apr 18;329:121670. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121670. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37080518.
    Impact Statement: Our findings suggest that Nano-Ni exposure causes increased levels of autophagy and apoptosis via the HIF-1α/mTOR signaling axis. Nano-Ni-induced autophagy has a protective role against Nano-Ni-induced apoptosis. Our findings provide us with further insight into Nano-Ni-induced toxicity.
  17. Wise JTF, Yin X, Ma X, Zhang X, Hein DW. Stable Isotope Tracing Reveals an Altered Fate of Glucose in N-Acetyltransferase 1 Knockout Breast Cancer Cells. Genes (Basel). 2023 Mar 31;14(4):843. doi: 10.3390/genes14040843. PMID: 37107601; PMCID: PMC10137864.
    Impact Statement: The data generated in this study show that N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) expression is important for the proper functioning of mitochondria and the flux of glucose through the TCA/Krebs cycle in breast cancer cells. Metabolism changes in the fate of glucose in NAT1 knock out breast cancer cells offer more insight into the role of NAT1 in energy metabolism and the growth of breast cancer cells.  The findings provide further evidence that NAT1 may be a useful therapeutic target for breast cancer.