Hydroquinone, an Environmental Pollutant, Affects Cartilage Homeostasis through the Activation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Pathway
Exposure to environmental pollutants has a proven detrimental impact on different aspects of human health. Increasing evidence has linked pollution to the degeneration of tissues in the joints, although through vastly uncharacterised mechanisms. We have previously shown that exposure to hydroquinone...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-02-01
|
| Series: | Cells |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/12/5/690 |
| _version_ | 1797615607603003392 |
|---|---|
| author | Cintia Scucuglia Heluany Anna De Palma Nicholas James Day Sandra Helena Poliselli Farsky Giovanna Nalesso |
| author_facet | Cintia Scucuglia Heluany Anna De Palma Nicholas James Day Sandra Helena Poliselli Farsky Giovanna Nalesso |
| author_sort | Cintia Scucuglia Heluany |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Exposure to environmental pollutants has a proven detrimental impact on different aspects of human health. Increasing evidence has linked pollution to the degeneration of tissues in the joints, although through vastly uncharacterised mechanisms. We have previously shown that exposure to hydroquinone (HQ), a benzene metabolite that can be found in motor fuels and cigarette smoke, exacerbates synovial hypertrophy and oxidative stress in the synovium. To further understand the impact of the pollutant on joint health, here we investigated the effect of HQ on the articular cartilage. HQ exposure aggravated cartilage damage in rats in which inflammatory arthritis was induced by injection of Collagen type II. Cell viability, cell phenotypic changes and oxidative stress were quantified in primary bovine articular chondrocytes exposed to HQ in the presence or absence of IL-1β. HQ stimulation downregulated phenotypic markers genes SOX-9 and Col2a1, whereas it upregulated the expression of the catabolic enzymes MMP-3 and ADAMTS5 at the mRNA level. HQ also reduced proteoglycan content and promoted oxidative stress alone and in synergy with IL-1β. Finally, we showed that HQ-degenerative effects were mediated by the activation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor. Together, our findings describe the harmful effects of HQ on articular cartilage health, providing novel evidence surrounding the toxic mechanisms of environmental pollutants underlying the onset of articular diseases. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:29:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bbbf6328396242ddbfb4d24db95bb494 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4409 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:29:05Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cells |
| spelling | doaj.art-bbbf6328396242ddbfb4d24db95bb4942023-11-17T07:26:52ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092023-02-0112569010.3390/cells12050690Hydroquinone, an Environmental Pollutant, Affects Cartilage Homeostasis through the Activation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor PathwayCintia Scucuglia Heluany0Anna De Palma1Nicholas James Day2Sandra Helena Poliselli Farsky3Giovanna Nalesso4Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7AL, UKDepartment of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7AL, UKDepartment of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7AL, UKDepartment of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 015508-000, BrazilDepartment of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7AL, UKExposure to environmental pollutants has a proven detrimental impact on different aspects of human health. Increasing evidence has linked pollution to the degeneration of tissues in the joints, although through vastly uncharacterised mechanisms. We have previously shown that exposure to hydroquinone (HQ), a benzene metabolite that can be found in motor fuels and cigarette smoke, exacerbates synovial hypertrophy and oxidative stress in the synovium. To further understand the impact of the pollutant on joint health, here we investigated the effect of HQ on the articular cartilage. HQ exposure aggravated cartilage damage in rats in which inflammatory arthritis was induced by injection of Collagen type II. Cell viability, cell phenotypic changes and oxidative stress were quantified in primary bovine articular chondrocytes exposed to HQ in the presence or absence of IL-1β. HQ stimulation downregulated phenotypic markers genes SOX-9 and Col2a1, whereas it upregulated the expression of the catabolic enzymes MMP-3 and ADAMTS5 at the mRNA level. HQ also reduced proteoglycan content and promoted oxidative stress alone and in synergy with IL-1β. Finally, we showed that HQ-degenerative effects were mediated by the activation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor. Together, our findings describe the harmful effects of HQ on articular cartilage health, providing novel evidence surrounding the toxic mechanisms of environmental pollutants underlying the onset of articular diseases.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/12/5/690environmental pollutantsmokingchondrocytecartilageoxidative stressIL-1β |
| spellingShingle | Cintia Scucuglia Heluany Anna De Palma Nicholas James Day Sandra Helena Poliselli Farsky Giovanna Nalesso Hydroquinone, an Environmental Pollutant, Affects Cartilage Homeostasis through the Activation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Pathway Cells environmental pollutant smoking chondrocyte cartilage oxidative stress IL-1β |
| title | Hydroquinone, an Environmental Pollutant, Affects Cartilage Homeostasis through the Activation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Pathway |
| title_full | Hydroquinone, an Environmental Pollutant, Affects Cartilage Homeostasis through the Activation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Pathway |
| title_fullStr | Hydroquinone, an Environmental Pollutant, Affects Cartilage Homeostasis through the Activation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Pathway |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hydroquinone, an Environmental Pollutant, Affects Cartilage Homeostasis through the Activation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Pathway |
| title_short | Hydroquinone, an Environmental Pollutant, Affects Cartilage Homeostasis through the Activation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Pathway |
| title_sort | hydroquinone an environmental pollutant affects cartilage homeostasis through the activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor pathway |
| topic | environmental pollutant smoking chondrocyte cartilage oxidative stress IL-1β |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/12/5/690 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT cintiascucugliaheluany hydroquinoneanenvironmentalpollutantaffectscartilagehomeostasisthroughtheactivationofthearylhydrocarbonreceptorpathway AT annadepalma hydroquinoneanenvironmentalpollutantaffectscartilagehomeostasisthroughtheactivationofthearylhydrocarbonreceptorpathway AT nicholasjamesday hydroquinoneanenvironmentalpollutantaffectscartilagehomeostasisthroughtheactivationofthearylhydrocarbonreceptorpathway AT sandrahelenapolisellifarsky hydroquinoneanenvironmentalpollutantaffectscartilagehomeostasisthroughtheactivationofthearylhydrocarbonreceptorpathway AT giovannanalesso hydroquinoneanenvironmentalpollutantaffectscartilagehomeostasisthroughtheactivationofthearylhydrocarbonreceptorpathway |