Consumption of Contaminated Passaic River Fish Causes Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis and May Influence Metabolic Syndrome Outcomes

纽瓦克湾/帕塞伊克河地区是一个超级基金的所在地，该地区被多氯联苯、汞和创纪录的二恶英严重污染。有非常有力的证据表明，生活在这些被污染的水道中的海洋生物受到了这些有毒物质的污染。底食或滤食动物，以及掠食性物种，经常在它们的身体组织中积累大量的污染物。人类食用这些物种会使其暴露于高水平的污染物中，从而对健康产生不利影响。尽管有这些发现和公开警告，弱势群体（如孕妇、婴儿或老人）不应食用在这些水道捕获的海洋生物，但贫困社区仍在继续通过食用接触到这些生物。我们的实验室进行了一项试点研究，从成年小鼠的粪便中测序了16S rRNA，这些小鼠被喂食含有2.5%或7.5%“脏”帕塞克河鱼的高压灭菌饮食。主成分分析（PCA）表明，与“干净”饲料组相比，食用来自帕塞伊克河的“污染”鳗鱼饲料在第1天和第9天都会影响雄性小鼠胃肠道群落多样性和结构。因为肠道微生物群包含关键的代谢和生命功能，如内分泌信号、脂质产生、代谢和免疫调节，生态失调或细菌群落结构的不平衡会导致整体健康的重大变化。表型可能包括代谢综合征——该资助旨在研究食用受污染的帕塞伊克河鱼导致的胃肠道生态失调如何导致代谢综合征的生物学效应，代谢综合征的特征是高血压、甘油三酯、高密度脂蛋白- c和空腹血糖水平。我们建议通过观察肠道微生物群落结构的变化，并分析食用从这条水道捕获的受污染鱼类的小鼠代谢疾病的表型来做到这一点。重要的是，我们将关注污染物的混合物和协同效应，因为这些污染物不可能独立存在。这项研究将模拟与环境相关的浓度以及钓鱼者及其家人食用受污染鱼类的真实暴露情景。最后，我们将探讨益生菌治疗对胃肠道失调的预防作用。这些发现将通过提高认识、减少疾病易感性和保护家庭经常依赖捕捞鱼类作为食物的较贫穷社区的健康，转化为更健康的社区。随着数据转化为公共卫生政策和疾病缓解战略，该项目将提供与环境有关的共接触评估、微生物组分析和社区卫生意识方面的宝贵培训机会。

The Newark Bay/Passaic River region is home to a Superfund site that is heavily polluted with PCBs, mercury, and record levels of dioxin. There is very strong evidence that the marine life inhabiting these polluted waterways are contaminated with these toxic agents. Bottom or filter feeders, along with predatory species, often accumulate significant amounts of contaminants in their body tissue. Consumption of these species by humans exposes them to high levels of contaminants, which can lead to adverse health effects. Despite these findings and posted public warnings that vulnerable populations (e.g., pregnant women, babies, or elderly) should not consume marine life captured in these waterways, exposure through consumption continues in poor communities. A pilot study done by our lab sequenced 16S rRNA from the feces of adult mice that were fed autoclaved diets supplemented with 2.5% or 7.5% “dirty” Passaic River fish. A principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated that consumption of “contaminated” eel feed sourced from the Passaic River affected GI tract community diversity and structure in male mice at both days 1 and 9, compared to the “clean” feed group. Because the gut microbiome encompasses key metabolic and life functions, such as endocrine signaling, lipid production, metabolism, and immune regulation, dysbiosis, or an imbalance of, bacterial community structure can lead to significant changes in overall wellness. Phenotypes may include those of metabolic syndrome - This grant aims to study how GI tract dysbiosis from consumption of contaminated Passaic River fish contributes to the biological effects of metabolic syndrome, which will be characterized as hypertension and triglyceride, HDL-C, and fasting glucose levels. We propose to do this by observing shifts in community structure of the gut microbiome, and analyzing phenotypes of metabolic disease in mice that have consumed contaminated fish captured from this waterway. Importantly, we will focus on mixtures and synergistic effects of contaminants, as it is unusual for such contaminants to exist independently of others. This research will model both environmentally relevant concentrations and real-world exposure scenarios where contaminated fish are consumed by anglers and their families. Finally, we will explore the preventative effects of probiotic treatment on GI tract dysbiosis. These findings will translate into healthier communities by raising awareness, reducing disease susceptibility, and protecting the health of poorer communities where families regularly rely on caught fish as sustenance. This project will provide valuable training opportunities in environmentally relevant coexposure assessments, microbiome analyses, and community health awareness as data is translated into public health policy and disease mitigation strategies.