Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh.
Department of Pathology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Cardiovasc Toxicol. 2024 Jan;24(1):27-40. doi: 10.1007/s12012-023-09812-7. Epub 2023 Nov 16.
Arsenic contamination is a global health concern, primarily through contaminated groundwater and its entry into the food chain. The association between arsenic exposure and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is particularly alarming due to CVDs being the leading cause of death worldwide. Arsenic exposure has also been linked to changes in telomere length, mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn), and deletion, further increasing the risk of CVDs. We aimed to determine whether arsenic exposure alters telomere length and mtDNAcn and deletion in a total of 50 CVD patients who underwent open heart surgery hailed from known arsenic-affected and unaffected areas in Bangladesh. Amount of arsenic was determined from the collected nails and cardiac tissues. Relative telomere length and mtDNAcn and deletion were quantified by qRT-PCR. The patients from arsenic-contaminated areas had higher average arsenic deposits in their fingers and toenails (P < 0.05) and higher cardiac tissue injury scores (P < 0.05). Moreover, approximately 1.5-fold shorter telomere length (P < 0.05, r = - 0.775), 1.2-fold decreased mtDNAcn (P < 0.05, r = - 0.797), and an 81-fold higher amount of mitochondrial DNA deletion (P < 0.05, r = 0.784) were observed in the patients who had higher arsenic deposition in their nails. Higher levels of arsenic exposure were found to be linked to shorter telomere length, decreased mtDNAcn, and increased mitochondrial DNA deletion in the patients from As-affected areas. It can also be anticipated that the correlation of arsenic exposure with telomere length, mtDNAcn, and deletion can be used as biomarkers for early diagnosis of arsenic-induced cardiovascular diseases.
砷污染是一个全球性的健康问题，主要通过受污染的地下水及其进入食物链。由于心血管疾病（CVDs）是全球范围内导致死亡的主要原因，因此砷暴露与心血管疾病之间的关联尤其令人震惊。砷暴露还与端粒长度、线粒体 DNA 拷贝数（mtDNAcn）和缺失的变化有关，进一步增加了 CVDs 的风险。我们旨在确定砷暴露是否会改变总共 50 名接受心脏直视手术的 CVD 患者的端粒长度和 mtDNAcn 及缺失，这些患者来自孟加拉国已知受砷影响和未受影响的地区。从收集的指甲和心脏组织中确定砷的含量。通过 qRT-PCR 定量相对端粒长度和 mtDNAcn 及缺失。来自砷污染地区的患者其手指和脚趾甲中的平均砷沉积量较高（P < 0.05），心脏组织损伤评分较高（P < 0.05）。此外，指甲中砷沉积较高的患者端粒长度缩短约 1.5 倍（P < 0.05，r = -0.775），mtDNAcn 降低 1.2 倍（P < 0.05，r = -0.797），线粒体 DNA 缺失增加 81 倍（P < 0.05，r = 0.784）。发现指甲中砷暴露水平较高与端粒长度较短、mtDNAcn 降低和线粒体 DNA 缺失增加有关。可以预期，砷暴露与端粒长度、mtDNAcn 和缺失的相关性可以用作砷诱导的心血管疾病的早期诊断的生物标志物。
