PUBLICATION
PFHxS Exposure and the Risk of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
- Authors
- Ulhaq, Z.S., Tse, W.K.F.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-240123-7
- Date
- 2024
- Source
- Genes 15(1): (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Ulhaq, Zulvikar Syambani
- Keywords
- PFAS, chronic liver disease, toxicities, transcriptomic, zebrafish
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Fluorocarbons*
- Humans
- Insulin Resistance*/genetics
- Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease*/genetics
- Risk Factors
- Sulfonic Acids*
- Zebrafish/genetics
- PubMed
- 38254982 Full text @ Genes (Basel)
Citation
Ulhaq, Z.S., Tse, W.K.F. (2024) PFHxS Exposure and the Risk of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Genes. 15(1):.
Abstract
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) is a highly prevalent environmental pollutant, often considered to be less toxic than other poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Despite its relatively lower environmental impact compared to other PFASs, several studies have suggested that exposure to PFHxS may be associated with disruptions of liver function in humans. Nevertheless, the precise pathomechanisms underlying PFHxS-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remain relatively unclear. Therefore, this study applied our previously published transcriptome dataset to explore the effects of PFHxS exposure on the susceptibility to NAFLD and to identify potential mechanisms responsible for PFHxS-induced NAFLD through transcriptomic analysis conducted on zebrafish embryos. Results showed that exposure to PFHxS markedly aggravated hepatic symptoms resembling NAFLD and other metabolic syndromes (MetS) in fish. Transcriptomic analysis unveiled 17 genes consistently observed in both NAFLD and insulin resistance (IR), along with an additional 28 genes identified in both the adipocytokine signaling pathway and IR. These shared genes were also found within the NAFLD dataset, suggesting that hepatic IR may play a prominent role in the development of PFHxS-induced NAFLD. In conclusion, our study suggests that environmental exposure to PFHxS could be a potential risk factor for the development of NAFLD, challenging the earlier notion of PFHxS being safer as previously claimed.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping