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Your Environment. Your Health.

Research Briefs By Category: Health Effects - Animal Studies

Superfund Research Program

  • 344 - Benzene Exposure During Pregnancy Affects Later-Life Metabolic Health -- Sadagurski
    Release Date: 08/02/2023

    Prenatal exposure to the air pollutant benzene may lead to a higher risk of metabolic diseases later in life, according to a study in mice partially funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP). Benzene affects neurodevelopment, predisposing offspring to harmful metabolic effects, according to a research team led by Marianna Sadagurski, Ph.D., of the Wayne State University SRP Center.

  • 343 - Cadmium-Linked Inflammation Increases the Severity of Lung Infection -- Carter
    Release Date: 07/12/2023

    Researchers funded in part by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) uncovered a key mechanism explaining how inflammation caused by cadmium exposure makes lung infections more severe and deadly.

  • 342 - Exposure to PCBs During Nursing Leads to Temporary Diabetes-Related Health Effect -- Pearson
    Release Date: 06/07/2023

    Exposure to synthetic chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) through a mother's milk could cause short-term glucose intolerance in offspring, according to a study by researchers from the University of Kentucky (UK) and funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP). Intolerance to glucose, signified by high blood levels of the sugar, is a hallmark of diabetes. The study, conducted with mice, builds on earlier SRP-funded work by the same group that found connections between maternal PCB exposure and diabetes risk factors in progeny.

  • 337 - Dioxin Disrupts Liver Cells in Mice, Potential Link with Liver Disease -- Zacharewski, Nault
    Release Date: 01/11/2023

    An NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded study in mice reported that exposure to a type of dioxin can alter cells in the liver, their metabolic characteristics, and how they are organized within the liver. According to the researchers, these changes in cell behavior and organization play a role in the development of dioxin-induced liver diseases, such as fibrosis and fatty liver disease.

  • 327 - Leveraging Machine Learning to Predict Toxicity -- Gu
    Release Date: 03/02/2022

    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) grantees developed a new computational approach to predict how hazardous substances may affect health based on key changes in cells. Led by April Z. Gu, Ph.D., of the Northeastern University Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT) SRP Center, researchers used machine learning and advanced algorithms to link biological changes from high throughput cell studies with health outcomes observed in animal studies.

  • 316 - Arsenic Exposure Before Conception May Trigger Diabetes in Male Offspring -- Fry, Styblo
    Release Date: 04/07/2021

    Exposure to inorganic arsenic before conception can alter metabolic outcomes in the offspring of mice, with different effects among males and females, according to a new study. Researchers reported, for the first time, a link between changes in gene expression in parents’ reproductive cells and diabetic indicators in offspring.

  • 314 - Triclosan and a High-fat Diet Worsen Liver Disease in Mice -- Tukey
    Release Date: 02/03/2021

    A new study funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) shows triclosan exposure, in combination with a high-fat diet, can worsen nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Led by Robert Tukey, Ph.D., researchers at the University of California San Diego SRP Center described the molecular mechanisms by which triclosan alters metabolism and gut microbiota, resulting in fat buildup in the liver.

  • 313 - New Model to Examine PFAS Sheds Light on Lipid Disruption Mechanisms -- Schlezinger, Webster
    Release Date: 01/13/2021

    Researchers from the Boston University (BU) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center developed a novel study design that generated new insight on the effects of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) on cholesterol regulation in the liver. Led by Jennifer Schlezinger, Ph.D., the team also investigated the molecular mechanisms of action, focusing on effects of PFOA on the human peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α (hPPARα), a transcription factor that regulates lipid homeostasis.

  • 311 - Edible Sorbents May Protect Against Metal Toxicity -- Phillips
    Release Date: 11/04/2020

    A new study from NIEHS-funded Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center researchers suggests that edible sorbents may be an effective treatment to reduce heavy metal exposure from consumption of contaminated water and food. According to the researchers, this is the first evidence that edible sorbents can bind heavy metal mixtures and protect against their toxicity in a living organism.

  • 303 - High-Fiber Diet May Protect Against Harmful Health Effects of PCBs -- Hennig
    Release Date: 03/04/2020

    Two new NIEHS-funded Superfund Research Program (SRP) studies showed how a type of dietary fiber, inulin, may protect against heart disease, including heart disease resulting from exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). According to University of Kentucky SRP Center researchers, a diet high in inulin may reduce or modify certain lipids associated with an increased chance of developing cardiovascular problems and may protect against adverse cardiovascular effects caused by environmental toxicants.

  • 302 - PAH and Hypoxia Exposure Result in Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Fish -- Di Giulio
    Release Date: 02/05/2020

    Zebrafish exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water with inadequate oxygen, or hypoxia, can experience a broad range of effects on the mitochondria, according to an NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded study. Changes to the function and integrity of mitochondria, which are organelles that make energy for the cell, can disrupt metabolism and reduce organism fitness and performance.

  • 301 - Cadmium Exposure Impairs Production of Neurons Responsible for Learning and Memory -- Xia
    Release Date: 01/08/2020

    A new study funded by the Superfund Research Program (SRP) shows cadmium exposure can impair new neurons from forming and maturing in the hippocampus region of the brain. Led by Zhengui Xia, Ph.D., the researchers at the University of Washington (UW) SRP Center also found that cadmium can lead to the death of stem cells that produce these neurons. In people, learning and memory formation depends on the production of new neurons in this region of the brain.

  • 298 - Collaborative Cross Mice Can Fill Data Gaps in Risk Assessment -- Rusyn
    Release Date: 10/02/2019

    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) grantees showed how the Collaborative Cross (CC) mouse model, which uses genetically diverse mice to capture over 90% of known mouse genetic variations, can account for individual differences in susceptibility to environmental chemicals. Led by Ivan Rusyn, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Texas A&M University SRP Center, researchers measured variability in kidney toxicity and metabolism in CC mice after exposing them to tetrachloroethylene (PERC).

  • 296 - PCBs Alter Glucose Regulation Differently in Males and Females -- Cassis
    Release Date: 08/07/2019

    Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) affects glucose regulation during weight loss differently in male and female mice, according to a new Superfund Research Program (SRP) study. The researchers discovered that differences were related to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a protein involved in the regulation of various biological responses and cell maintenance in the body.

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