The influence of ubiquitous environmental contaminents on beta cell survival and function

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Concerns about the adverse health effects associated with exposure to environmental contaminants have been increasing globally. In recent years it has been suggested that the epidemic of Type 2 is due to lifestyle changes associated with industrialization and a more "modern" society. However industrialization is also associated with an increased exposure to synthetic chemicals associated with consumer goods, industrial and agricultural practices. It has therefore been suggested that chemicals in the environment may contribute to the development of diabetes. It is true that elevated levels of some environmental chemicals have been measured in people with diabetes but this does not prove that the chemical exposure causes the disease. The goal of this project is to determine whether chemicals that are commonly found in our environment can affect the function of the pancreas and therefore be related to the development of type 2 diabetes. This project will use insulin secreting pancreatic beta cells to determine if a wide variety of commonly encountered chemicals present in the environment can impair the normal function of these cells and/or cause the beta cells to die. I will also investigate whether the developing pancreas (fetus or newborn) is more susceptible to these chemical insults than the adult pancreas. We will also determine whether these chemicals are all acting through a common pathway to cause damage to the pancreas and attempt to find ways to prevent or reduce the effects of this exposure. The results from this study will determine whether toxic chemicals in the environment are capable of causing metabolic endocrine disruption in animal and human populations. These results will also be important to determine whether chemicals in the environment are contributing to the increased rates of type 2 diabetes around the world.