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The Toxicologist - Society of Toxicology

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els, they disrupt homeostatic control <strong>of</strong> proliferation, differentiation, senescence<br />

and apoptosis by triggering oxidative stress-induced intra-cellular signaling in adult<br />

stem cells, progenitor and differentiated cells, in and between tissues, to modulate<br />

gene expression and gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC). Because<br />

adult stem cells and GJIC exist in all organs, disruption <strong>of</strong> the quality and quantity<br />

<strong>of</strong> stem cells and gene expression, especially during embryogenesis and fetal development,<br />

can lead to both (a) immediate birth defects and ( b) chronic diseases, such<br />

as cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes, immunotoxicity, reproductive- and neurological-<br />

disorders later in life. <strong>The</strong> Barker hypothesis might be explained by pre-natal<br />

exposures that lead to altered stem cell numbers, thereby increasing or decreasing<br />

the risk to diseases, dependent on stem cells, later in life. Non-mutagenic chemicals,<br />

which can induce differentiation and GJIC <strong>of</strong> stem cells, can be either beneficial<br />

or detrimental.<br />

1429 FETAL ARSENIC EXPOSURE ENHANCES SKIN<br />

CANCER IN ADULTHOOD WITH<br />

CONTEMPORANEOUS DISTORTION OF TUMOR<br />

STEM CELL DYNAMICS.<br />

M. P. Waalkes. NCI at NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, NC.<br />

Arsenic is a carcinogen with transplacental activity that appears to impact human<br />

skin stem cell population dynamics in vitro. Keratinocyte stem cells (KSCs) are<br />

thought to be an important target in skin carcinogenesis. Thus, we tested the effects<br />

<strong>of</strong> in utero arsenic exposure on skin cancer in Tg.AC transgenic mice, a strain sensitive<br />

to skin carcinogenesis via activation <strong>of</strong> the v-Ha-ras transgene likely in KSCs.<br />

After in utero arsenic exposure, <strong>of</strong>fspring received topical 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate<br />

(TPA) through adulthood. Arsenic alone had no effect, while TPA<br />

alone induced papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). With in utero arsenic<br />

exposure before TPA mice developed well over twice as many SCC than with<br />

TPA only. Tumor levels <strong>of</strong> v-Ha-ras transcript were three times higher with arsenic<br />

plus TPA than with TPA alone, and v-Ha-ras was over expressed as an early event in<br />

arsenic treated fetal skin. Tumor transcript levels <strong>of</strong> CD34, a KSC marker, and<br />

Rac1, a key gene in KSC self renewal, were greatly increased with arsenic plus TPA<br />

versus TPA alone, and were similarly elevated in arsenic treated fetal skin. Over expression<br />

<strong>of</strong> Rac1 protein and greatly increased CD34 positive putative KSCs were<br />

observed in tumors induced by arsenic plus TPA. Thus, in utero arsenic exposure,<br />

though alone oncogenically inactive, stimulates skin cancer in association with distorted<br />

skin stem cell signaling and population dynamics, implicating stem cells in<br />

the fetal basis <strong>of</strong> cancer in adulthood.<br />

1430 TRANSPLACENTAL ARSENIC EXPOSURE INDUCED<br />

CHANGES IN LIVER PROGRAMMING ASSOCIATED<br />

WITH ACCELERATED ATHEROSCLEROSIS.<br />

J. C. States 1 , A. Singh 2 ,T. Knudsen 2 , E. Rouchka 3 ,M.S.Ko 5 , Y. Piao 5 ,N.O.<br />

Ngalame 1 , J. Arteel 1 , G. Arteel 1 and S. Srivastava 4 . 1 Pharmacology & <strong>Toxicology</strong>,<br />

University <strong>of</strong> Louisville, Louisville, KY, 2 Molecular, Cellular & Crani<strong>of</strong>acial Biology,<br />

University <strong>of</strong> Louisville, Louisville, KY, 3 Computer Engineering & Computer Science,<br />

University <strong>of</strong> Louisville, Louisville, KY, 4 Medicine, University <strong>of</strong> Louisville, Louisville,<br />

KY and 5 Laboratory <strong>of</strong> Genetics, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD.<br />

In utero exposure to toxicants can predispose to development <strong>of</strong> chronic adult diseases.<br />

Cardiovascular disease is elevated in areas <strong>of</strong> endemic exposure to arsenic in<br />

drinking water. <strong>The</strong> role that in utero arsenic exposure plays in development <strong>of</strong> atherosclerosis<br />

underlying the cardiovascular disease is unknown. We showed that in<br />

utero arsenic exposure accelerates atherosclerosis in the ApoE-knockout mouse.<br />

Liver dysfunction plays a central role in development <strong>of</strong> the inter-related chronic<br />

diseases metabolic syndrome, diabetes and atherosclerosis. Using a genomics approach,<br />

we investigated effects <strong>of</strong> in utero arsenic exposure on liver developmental<br />

programming. Pregnant dams were provided drinking water with or without 85<br />

mg/L NaAsO2 from gestational day 8 – 20. Abundances <strong>of</strong> both mRNAs and<br />

miRNAs were evaluated by microarray analyses <strong>of</strong> total RNA from livers <strong>of</strong> exposed<br />

and unexposed progeny on the day <strong>of</strong> birth (PND1) and at age 10 weeks (PND70).<br />

Plasma biomarkers <strong>of</strong> liver injury were elevated in 10 week old mice exposed to arsenic<br />

in utero. <strong>The</strong>se results along with analyses <strong>of</strong> the microarray data are consistent<br />

with epigenetic changes altering liver development and hepatic inflammatory<br />

responses that may contribute to the acceleration <strong>of</strong> atherogenesis caused by prenatal<br />

arsenic exposure in ApoE-knockout mice. Supported by PHS grants<br />

R21ES015812, R01ES011314 & P30ES014443, U<strong>of</strong>L Center for Genetics and<br />

Molecular Medicine pilot grant, U<strong>of</strong>L Collaborative Planning and Development<br />

Grant and Intramural Research Program <strong>of</strong> NIA/NIH<br />

1431 PERMANENT EFFECTS OF MATERNAL LEAD (PB)<br />

EXPOSURE ON THE HPA AXIS: A BIOLOGICAL<br />

UNIFYING MECHANISM FOR PB-ASSOCIATED ADULT<br />

DISEASES.<br />

D. A. Cory-Slechta. Department <strong>of</strong> Environmental Medicine, University <strong>of</strong> Rochester<br />

School <strong>of</strong> Medicine, Rochester, NY.<br />

A major hypothesis underlying early life permanent physiological programming involves<br />

fetal exposure to excess glucocorticoids, leading to increased risk <strong>of</strong> cardiovascular<br />

(hypertension), metabolic (obesity), neuroendocrine (type 2 diabetes) and<br />

various behavioral and psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder).<br />

Our studies demonstrate that maternal only Pb exposure may produce similar<br />

permanent physiological changes through effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal<br />

(HPA) axis. Specifically, developmental only exposures to low levels <strong>of</strong> Pb in<br />

rats initiated 2 mos prior to breeding <strong>of</strong> dams and continuing until <strong>of</strong>fspring were<br />

weaned and associated with blood Pb values <strong>of</strong> approximately 10-35 ug/dl, produce<br />

permanent HPA axis dysfunction in <strong>of</strong>fspring <strong>of</strong> both genders. <strong>The</strong>se changes were<br />

reflected in dynamic alterations in corticosterone levels throughout adulthood, altered<br />

behavioral and corticosterone responses to stress challenges, and reductions in<br />

the ability <strong>of</strong> dexamethasone to suppress corticosterone. <strong>The</strong> latter suggest alterations<br />

in delayed glucocorticoid negative feedback, and resulted in a hypercortisolism<br />

which was more prominent at the lower than higher blood Pb levels.<br />

Collectively, these findings may provide a plausible biological unifying mechanism<br />

for the diverse diseases and disorders that have now been associated with environmental<br />

Pb exposure, including obesity, hypertension, diabetes, anxiety, schizophrenia<br />

and depression, all <strong>of</strong> which have been related to HPA axis dysfunction. In addition,<br />

elevated glucocorticoids lead to hippocampal neuronal death and have been<br />

postulated to play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, which has also recently been linked<br />

to environmental Pb exposure. Studies are needed to define the lowest Pb exposure<br />

levels associated with such effects and their possible epigenetic basis. Moreover, because<br />

these effects are induced by maternal Pb exposure, they underscore the need<br />

for blood Pb testing in pregnant women at risk <strong>of</strong> elevated Pb exposure.<br />

1432 ARSENIC-INDUCED STEM CELL INITIATION<br />

PRODUCES A CANCER STEM CELL PHENOTYPE<br />

DURING MALIGNANT TRANSFORMATION.<br />

E. J. Tokar. NCI at NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, NC.<br />

Emerging evidence indicates that cancer stem cells are the true malignant cells<br />

within tumors and are carcinogenically initiated from normal stem cells or their<br />

close, partially differentiated progeny. Recent reports show that arsenic has<br />

transplacental carcinogenic activity in mice and probably humans. In mice, fetal arsenic<br />

exposure causes tumors and oncogenic lesions throughout the urogenital system<br />

much later in life. This greatly delayed response suggests that arsenic targets a<br />

stem cell population, possibly producing quiescent cancer stem cells that then induce<br />

cancer upon stimulation much later in life. This presentation will first discuss<br />

arsenic-induced transformation <strong>of</strong> human and rodent stem/progenitor cells, followed<br />

by a description <strong>of</strong> primary events and genetic alterations involved in this initiation<br />

<strong>of</strong> cancer stem cells. <strong>The</strong>se alterations include an early loss <strong>of</strong> stem cell selfrenewal<br />

gene expression (p63, ABCG2, BMI-1, SHH, OCT-4, NOTCH-1) that is<br />

subsequently reversed as the tumor suppressor gene PTEN is progressively suppressed<br />

and cancer stem cell phenotype acquired. This phenotype appears to be associated<br />

with aberrant expression <strong>of</strong> at least some imprinted genes. This indicates<br />

that arsenic, a ubiquitous environmental contaminant and known human carcinogen,<br />

can directly transform stem/progenitor cells into a pluripotent cancer stem cell<br />

phenotype. A comparison <strong>of</strong> acquired cancer stem cell characteristics in isogenic arsenic-,<br />

cadmium, and N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-transformed cell lines indicates that<br />

arsenic is much more prone to modifying stem cell populations and precipitating<br />

cancer stem cell formation. Thus, arsenic-induced carcinogenic initiation appears<br />

to be at the stem cell level.<br />

1433 EPIGENETIC SIGNALING AS A TARGET FOR<br />

CHEMICAL TOXICITY AND CARCINOGENESIS.<br />

D. A. Delker 1 and W. O. Ward 2 . 1 University <strong>of</strong> Utah School <strong>of</strong> Medicine, Salt Lake<br />

City, UT and 2 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC.<br />

Epigenetic regulation <strong>of</strong> cell differentiation and organ development is a natural<br />

process targeted in disease and chemical toxicity. Stem cells and their progenitors<br />

are essential for the development and maintenance <strong>of</strong> normal tissue function. <strong>The</strong>se<br />

cells are characterized by specific gene methylation patterns and RNA pr<strong>of</strong>iles including<br />

microRNAs and alternative RNA splicing not observed in differentiated<br />

cells. Recent studies suggest that the disruption <strong>of</strong> epigenetic signaling occurs very<br />

early in the cancer process and that epigenetic abnormalities are more widespread<br />

SOT 2010 ANNUAL MEETING 303

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