title: Epigenetics, obesity and early-life cadmium or lead exposure.
abstract: Obesity is a complex and multifactorial disease, which likely comprises multiple subtypes. Emerging data have linked chemical exposures to obesity. As organismal response to environmental exposures includes altered gene expression, identifying the regulatory epigenetic changes involved would be key to understanding the path from exposure to phenotype and provide new tools for exposure detection and risk assessment. In this report, we summarize published data linking early-life exposure to the heavy metals, cadmium and lead, to obesity. We also discuss potential mechanisms, as well as the need for complete coverage in epigenetic screening to fully identify alterations. The keys to understanding how metal exposure contributes to obesity are improved assessment of exposure and comprehensive establishment of epigenetic profiles that may serve as markers for exposures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Human Health & the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA.
authors.forename: Sarah S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Human Health & the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Skaar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Human Health & the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA.|Department of Oncology, McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.|Department of Sport & Exercise Sciences, Institute of Sport & Physical Activity Research, University of Bedfordshire, Bedford, Bedfordshire, UK.
authors.forename: Randy L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Jirtle
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Human Health & the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA.
authors.forename: Cathrine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hoyo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002105:Cadmium Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology
keywords: DNA methylation; cadmium; epigenetics; lead; obesity