The aryl hydrocarbon receptor as a target of environmental stressors – Implications for pollution mediated stress and inflammatory responses

Redox Biology

Laura S. Van Winkle¹  Thomas Haarmann-Stemmann²  Christoph F.A. Vogel³  Charlotte Esser³ 

[1] Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA;School of Veterinary Medicine Department of Anatomy, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 5616, USA;Center for Health and the Environment, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA;

关键词: Aryl hydrocarbon receptor;    Air pollution;    Inflammation;    Oxidative stress;    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons;    Particulate matter;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor regulating the expression of genes, for instance encoding the monooxygenases cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 and CYP1A2, which are important enzymes in metabolism of xenobiotics. The AHR is activated upon binding of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and related ubiquitous environmental chemicals, to mediate their biological and toxic effects. In addition, several endogenous and natural compounds can bind to AHR, thereby modulating a variety of physiological processes. In recent years, ambient particulate matter (PM) associated with traffic related air pollution (TRAP) has been found to contain significant amounts of PAHs. PM containing PAHs are of increasing concern as a class of agonists, which can activate the AHR. Several reports show that PM and AHR-mediated induction of CYP1A1 results in excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing oxidative stress. Furthermore, exposure to PM and PAHs induce inflammatory responses and may lead to chronic inflammatory diseases, including asthma, cardiovascular diseases, and increased cancer risk. In this review, we summarize findings showing the critical role that the AHR plays in mediating effects of environmental pollutants and stressors, which pose a risk of impacting the environment and human health.

【 授权许可】

Unknown