Effects of PM Exposure on the Methylation of Clock Genes in a Population of Subjects with Overweight or Obesity.
Paola MontiSimona IodiceLetizia TarantiniFrancesca SacchiLuca FerrariMassimiliano RuscicaMassimiliano BuoliLuisella VignaAngela Cecilia PesatoriValentina BollatiPublished in: International journal of environmental research and public health (2021)
The expression of clock genes, regulating the synchronization of metabolic and behavioral processes with environmental light/dark cycles, is regulated by methylation and might be influenced by short-term exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM), especially in individuals that are hypersensitive to proinflammatory cues. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of PM2.5 and PM10 on the methylation profile of the clock genes ARNTL, CLOCK, CRY1, CRY2, PER1, PER2, and PER3 in a population of 200 women with obesity. A significant association between PM10 exposure and the methylation of clock genes was found, namely, this was negative for PER2 gene and positive for the CLOCK, CRY1, CRY2, and PER3 genes. PM2.5 was negatively associated with methylation of PER2 gene and positively with methylation of CRY2 gene. Evidence was observed for effect modification from body mass index (BMI) regarding the PER1 gene: as PM2.5/10 increases, DNA methylation increases significantly for relatively low BMI values (BMI = 25), while it decreases in participants with severe obesity (BMI = 51). PM may therefore alter the epigenetic regulation of clock genes, possibly affecting circadian rhythms. Future studies are needed to clarify how alterations in clock gene methylation are predictive of disease development and how obesity can modulate the adverse health effects of PM.
Keyphrases
- particulate matter
- genome wide
- dna methylation
- air pollution
- weight gain
- body mass index
- genome wide identification
- copy number
- weight loss
- metabolic syndrome
- insulin resistance
- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- gene expression
- type diabetes
- genome wide analysis
- healthcare
- public health
- mental health
- poor prognosis
- transcription factor
- bioinformatics analysis
- skeletal muscle
- early onset
- emergency department
- water soluble
- health information
- electronic health record