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网站的所在地，该网站受到多氯联苯、汞和创纪录水平的二恶英的严重污染。有非常有力的证据表明，居住在这些被污染的水道中的海洋生物受到这些有毒物质的污染。底层或滤食者，以及捕食性物种，经常在他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它们暴露在高水平的污染物中，这可能会导致不利的健康影响。尽管有这些发现，并公开警告弱势群体(例如孕妇、婴儿或老年人)不应食用在这些水道捕获的海洋生物，但在贫困社区，通过消费接触到的海洋生物仍在继续。我们实验室进行的一项初步研究对成年小鼠的粪便中的16S rRNA进行了测序，成年小鼠的粪便中添加了2.5%或7.5%的帕塞伊克河鱼。主成分分析(PCA)表明，与“清洁”饲料组相比，在第1天和第9天，食用来自帕塞伊克河的“受污染”的鳗鱼饲料影响了雄性小鼠胃肠道群落的多样性和结构。由于肠道微生物群包含关键的代谢和生命功能，如内分泌信号、脂肪生产、新陈代谢和免疫调节，因此细菌群落结构的失调或失衡可能会导致整体健康状况发生重大变化。表型可能包括代谢综合征-这笔赠款旨在研究因食用受污染的帕塞克河鱼而导致的胃肠道微生物失调如何影响代谢综合征的生物效应，代谢综合征的特征将是高血压和甘油三酯、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，并分析食用了从这条水道捕获的受污染鱼类的小鼠的代谢性疾病的表型来做到这一点。重要的是，我们将把重点放在污染物的混合物和协同效应上，因为这类污染物独立于其他污染物存在是不寻常的。这项研究将模拟与环境相关的浓度和现实世界的暴露情景，在这些情景中，垂钓者及其家人食用受污染的鱼。最后，我们将探讨益生菌治疗对胃肠道菌群失调的预防作用。这些发现将通过提高认识、降低疾病易感性并保护贫困社区的健康来转化为更健康的社区，在贫困社区，家庭经常依赖捕捞的鱼作为食物。随着数据转化为公共卫生政策和疾病缓解战略，该项目将在与环境有关的共同暴露评估、微生物组分析和社区健康意识方面提供宝贵的培训机会。

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.