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场地的所在地，该场地被多氯联苯、汞和创纪录的二恶英严重污染。有非常有力的证据表明，栖息在这些受污染水道中的海洋生物受到这些有毒物质的污染。底食动物或滤食动物，沿着捕食性物种，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它们暴露于高水平的污染物，这可能导致不利的健康影响。尽管有这些调查结果和公开警告，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，但贫穷社区仍有因食用而接触海洋生物的现象。我们实验室进行的一项初步研究对成年小鼠粪便中的16 S rRNA进行了测序，这些小鼠喂食高压灭菌的饲料，并补充了2.5%或7.5%的“脏”帕塞伊克河鱼。主成分分析（PCA）表明，消费的“污染”鳗鱼饲料来源于帕塞伊克河影响胃肠道群落多样性和结构的雄性小鼠在第1和第9天，相比“干净”的饲料组。由于肠道微生物组包括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可能导致整体健康的显着变化。表型可能包括代谢综合征的表型-该资助旨在研究消费受污染的帕塞伊克河鱼类导致的胃肠道生态失调如何有助于代谢综合征的生物学效应，其特征在于高血压和甘油三酯，HDL-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疾病表型来做到这一点。重要的是，我们将专注于污染物的混合物和协同效应，因为这种污染物独立于其他污染物存在是不寻常的。这项研究将模拟环境相关的浓度和现实世界的暴露情景，其中受污染的鱼被垂钓者及其家人食用。最后，我们将探讨益生菌治疗对胃肠道生态失调的预防作用。这些发现将通过提高认识、减少疾病易感性和保护贫困社区的健康来转化为更健康的社区，因为这些社区的家庭经常依赖捕获的鱼作为生计。随着数据转化为公共卫生政策和疾病缓解战略，该项目将在与环境相关的共同暴露评估、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.