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Regulatory effects of dioxin-like and non-dioxin-like PCBs and other AhR ligands on the antioxidant enzymes paraoxonase 1/2/3

  • PCBs: Exposures, Effects, Remediation and Regulation with special reference to PCBs in Schools
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Abstract

Paraoxonase 1 (PON1), an antioxidant enzyme, is believed to play a critical role in many diseases, including cancer. PCBs are widespread environmental contaminants known to induce oxidative stress and cancer and to produce changes in gene expression of various pro-oxidant and antioxidant enzymes. Thus, it appeared of interest to explore whether PCBs may modulate the activity and/or gene expression of PON1 as well. In this study, we compared the effects of dioxin-like and non-dioxin-like PCBs and of various aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligands on PON1 regulation and activity in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Our results demonstrate that (i) the non-dioxin-like PCB154, PCB155, and PCB184 significantly reduced liver and serum PON1 activities, but only in male rats; (ii) the non-dioxin-like PCB153, the most abundant PCB in many matrices, did not affect PON1 messenger RNA (mRNA) level in the liver but significantly decreased serum PON1 activity in male rats; (iii) PCB126, an AhR ligand and dioxin-like PCB, increased both PON1 activities and gene expression; and (iv) even though three tested AhR ligands induced CYP1A in several tissues to a similar extent, they displayed differential effects on the three PONs and AhR, i.e., PCB126 was an efficacious inducer of PON1, PON2, PON3, and AhR in the liver, while 3-methylcholantrene induced liver AhR and lung PON3, and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), the most potent AhR agonist, increased only PON3 in the lung, at the doses and exposure times used in these studies. These results show that PCBs may have an effect on the antioxidant protection by paraoxonases in exposed populations and that regulation of gene expression through AhR is highly diverse.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank members of the Ludewig and Robertson laboratories for help with the animal studies and special thanks go Dr. Bingxuan Wang for sharing the liver RNA samples. This study and HS were funded by Project 1 and the Training Core of the NIEHS-supported Iowa Superfund Research Program (P42 ES013661). Support is also recognized by NIEHS P30 ES05605. This work is part of the doctoral thesis of HS. The results, conclusions, and opinions expressed here are solely those of the authors.

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The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology, Graduate College, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Hua Shen, Larry W. Robertson & Gabriele Ludewig

  2. Department of Occupational & Environmental Health, College of Public Health, The University of Iowa, 100 Oakdale Campus, 214 IREH, Iowa City, IA, 52242-5000, USA

    Larry W. Robertson & Gabriele Ludewig

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  1. Hua Shen
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Correspondence to Gabriele Ludewig.

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Shen, H., Robertson, L.W. & Ludewig, G. Regulatory effects of dioxin-like and non-dioxin-like PCBs and other AhR ligands on the antioxidant enzymes paraoxonase 1/2/3. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 2108–2118 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4722-1

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