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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

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Your Environment. Your Health.

Publication Detail

Title: Low-Dose Cadmium Potentiates Metabolic Reprogramming Following Early-Life Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection.

Authors: Jarrell, Zachery R; Smith, Matthew Ryan; Kim, Ki-Hye; Lee, Youri; Hu, Xin; He, Xiaojia; Orr, Michael; Chen, Yan; Kang, Sang-Moo; Jones, Dean P; Go, Young-Mi

Published In Toxicol Sci, (2022 Jun 28)

Abstract: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection causes serious pulmonary disease and death in high-risk infants and elderly. Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic environmental metal contaminant and constantly exposed to humans. Limited information is available on Cd toxicity after early-life respiratory virus infection. In this study, we examined the effects of low-dose Cd exposure following early-life RSV infection on lung metabolism and inflammation using mouse and fibroblast culture models. C57BL/6J mice at 8 days old were exposed to RSV 2 times with a 4-week interval. A subset of RSV-infected mice was subsequently treated with Cd at a low dose in drinking water (RSV infection at infant age [RSVinf]+Cd) for 16 weeks. The results of inflammatory marker analysis showed that the levels of cytokines and chemokines were substantially higher in RSVinf+Cd group than other groups, implying that low-dose Cd following early-life RSV infection enhanced lung inflammation. Moreover, histopathology data showed that inflammatory cells and thickening of the alveolar walls as a profibrotic signature were evident in RSVinf+Cd. The metabolomics data revealed that RSVinf+Cd-caused metabolic disruption in histamine and histidine, vitamin D and urea cycle, and pyrimidine pathway accompanying with mechanistic target of rapamycin complex-1 activation. Taken together, our study demonstrates for the first time that cumulative Cd exposure following early-life RSV infection has a significant impact on subsequent inflammation and lung metabolism. Thus, early-life respiratory infection may reprogram metabolism and potentiate Cd toxicity, enhance inflammation, and cause fibrosis later in life.

PubMed ID: 35512398 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Animals; Cadmium; Inflammation/metabolism; Lung/pathology; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections*/metabolism; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections*/pathology; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses

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