Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Subtropical Wetland Ecosystem Research, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
Chemosphere. 2012 Apr;87(4):369-75. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.12.026. Epub 2011 Dec 30.
It is reported that the most abundant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in weathered crude oils are cardiotoxic. However, the action mechanism of PAHs on vertebrate cardiovascular development and disease is unclear. In the present study, the cardiac morphology and functioning of zebrafish embryos exposed to benzo[a]pyrene [B(a)P], as a high-ring PAHs, for 72 h were observed and determined. The results showed that B(a)P exposure resulted in cardiac developmental defects in zebrafish embryos. Significant changes in expression level of multiple genes potentially critical for regulating the B(a)P-induced cardiovascular developmental defects were also found. A gene network regulating cardiac development perturbed by B(a)P exposure was identified and established by computational analysis and employment of some databases. The information from the network could provide a clue for further mechanistic studies explaining molecular events regulating B(a)P-mediated cardiovascular defects and consequences.
据报道，风化原油中含量最丰富的多环芳烃（PAHs）对心脏有毒性。然而，PAHs 对脊椎动物心血管发育和疾病的作用机制尚不清楚。在本研究中，观察和测定了暴露于苯并[a]芘（B[a]P）的斑马鱼胚胎 72 小时后的心脏形态和功能。结果表明，B[a]P 暴露导致斑马鱼胚胎心脏发育缺陷。还发现多个潜在关键基因的表达水平发生了显著变化，这些基因可能与调节 B[a]P 诱导的心血管发育缺陷有关。通过计算分析和使用一些数据库，确定并建立了一个由 B[a]P 暴露调节心脏发育的基因网络。该网络的信息可以为进一步的机制研究提供线索，以解释调节 B[a]P 介导的心血管缺陷和后果的分子事件。
