Early Life Stage Thyroid Hormone Disruption Causes Long-Term Impacts On Immune Cell Function And Transcriptional Responses To Pathogen In The Fathead Minnow (Pimephales Promelas)

Abstract Current evidence suggests thyroid hormones (THs) impact development of the immune system, but few studies have explored the connection between the thyroid and immune systems, especially in fish. This is important as some environmental contaminants disrupt TH homeostasis and may thus have negative impacts on the immune system. To determine the long-term consequences of early life stage (ELS) hypothyroidism on immune function, fathead minnows were exposed to the model thyroid hormone suppressant propylthiouracil (PTU) from <1 to 30 days post hatch. Fish were transferred to clean water and raised to adulthood at which time, several aspects of immune function were evaluated. Ex vivo assessment of immune cell function revealed significant decreases in the phagocytic cell activity of PTU-treated fish relative to the controls. Fish were also injected with Yersinia ruckeri to evaluate their in vivo immune responses across a suite of endpoints (i.e., transcriptomic analysis, leukocyte counts, spleen index, hematocrit, bacterial load and pathogen resistance). The transcriptomic response to infection was significantly different between control and PTU-treated fish, though no differences in bacterial load nor pathogen resistance were noted. Overall, these results suggest that early life stage thyroid hormone suppression causes long-term impacts on immune function at the molecular and cellular levels suggesting a key role for TH signaling in normal immune system development. This study lays the foundation for further exploration into thyroid-immune crosstalk in fish. This is noteworthy as disruption of the thyroid system during development may have lasting effects on immune function in adulthood.

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Developmental thyroid disruption causes long-term impacts on immune cell function and transcriptional responses to pathogen in a small fish model

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-93929-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Leah M. Thornton Hampton ◽

Miranda G. Finch ◽

Christopher J. Martyniuk ◽

Barney J. Venables ◽

Marlo K. Sellin Jeffries

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Immune Function ◽

Cell Function ◽

Immune Cell ◽

Life Stage ◽

Bacterial Load ◽

Early Life Stage ◽

Pathogen Resistance ◽

Treated Fish

AbstractCurrent evidence suggests thyroid hormones (THs) impact development of the immune system, but few studies have explored the connection between the thyroid and immune systems, especially in fish. This is important as some environmental contaminants disrupt TH homeostasis and may thus have negative impacts on the immune system. To determine the long-term consequences of early life stage (ELS) hypothyroidism on immune function, fathead minnows were exposed to the model thyroid hormone suppressant propylthiouracil (PTU) from < 1 to 30 days post hatch. Fish were transferred to clean water and raised to adulthood (5–7 months post hatch) at which time, several aspects of immune function were evaluated. Ex vivo assessment of immune cell function revealed significant decreases (1.2-fold) in the phagocytic cell activity of PTU-treated fish relative to the controls. Fish were also injected with Yersinia ruckeri to evaluate their in vivo immune responses across a suite of endpoints (i.e., transcriptomic analysis, leukocyte counts, spleen index, hematocrit, bacterial load and pathogen resistance). The transcriptomic response to infection was significantly different between control and PTU-treated fish, though no differences in bacterial load or pathogen resistance were noted. Overall, these results suggest that early life stage TH suppression causes long-term impacts on immune function at the molecular and cellular levels suggesting a key role for TH signaling in normal immune system development. This study lays the foundation for further exploration into thyroid-immune crosstalk in fish. This is noteworthy as disruption of the thyroid system during development, which can occur in response to chemicals present in the environment, may have lasting effects on immune function in adulthood.

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Transcriptomic Responses of Bisphenol S Predict Involvement of Immune Function in the Cardiotoxicity of Early Life-Stage Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Environmental Science & Technology ◽

10.1021/acs.est.9b06213 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 54 (5) ◽

pp. 2869-2877 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Wenhui Qiu ◽

Bei Chen ◽

Justin B. Greer ◽

Jason T. Magnuson ◽

Ying Xiong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Function ◽

Danio Rerio ◽

Early Life ◽

Life Stage ◽

Early Life Stage ◽

Bisphenol S ◽

Transcriptomic Responses

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Changes of thyroid hormone levels and related gene expression in zebrafish on early life stage exposure to triadimefon

Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology ◽

10.1016/j.etap.2011.09.002 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 472-477 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

Shaoying Liu ◽

Juhua Chang ◽

Ying Zhao ◽

Guonian Zhu

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Thyroid Hormone ◽

Early Life ◽

Life Stage ◽

Early Life Stage ◽

Related Gene ◽

Hormone Levels ◽

Thyroid Hormone Levels

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Toxicity of innovative antifouling additives on an early life stage of the oyster Crassostrea gigas: short- and long-term exposure effects

Environmental Science and Pollution Research ◽

10.1007/s11356-021-17842-3 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Bruno Galvão de Campos ◽

Mariana Bruni Marques do Prado e Silva ◽

Francisco Avelelas ◽

Frederico Maia ◽

Susana Loureiro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Crassostrea Gigas ◽

Early Life ◽

Life Stage ◽

Early Life Stage ◽

Short And Long Term

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The Association Between Early-Life Gut Microbiota and Long-Term Health and Diseases

10.20944/preprints202011.0683.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Anujit Sarkar ◽

Ji Youn Yoo ◽

Samia Valeria Ozorio Dutra ◽

Katherine Hope Morgan ◽

Maureen Groer

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Early Life ◽

Life Stage ◽

Early Life Stage ◽

Microbial Colonization ◽

Delivery Mode ◽

Immune Functions ◽

Human Gut ◽

Human Gut Microbiota

Abstract: Early life gut microbiota have been increasingly recognized as major contributors to short and/or long-term human health and diseases. Numerous studies have demonstrated that human gut microbial colonization begins at birth but continues to develop a succession of taxonomic abundances for two to three years until the gut microbiota reaches adult-like diversity and proportions. Several factors, including gestational age (GA), delivery mode, birth weight, feeding types, antibiotic exposure, maternal microbiome and diet influence the diversity, abundance and function of the early life gut microbiota. Gut microbial life is essential for assisting with the digestion of food substances to release nutrients, exerting control over pathogens, stimulating or modulating the immune system and influencing many systems such as the liver, brain, and endocrine system. Microbial metabolites play multiple roles in these interactions. Furthermore, studies provide evidence supporting that imbalances of the gut microbiota in early life, referred to as dysbiosis, are associated with specific childhood or adult disease outcomes, such as asthma, atopic dermatitis, diabetes, allergic diseases, obesity, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and neurological disorders. These findings support that the human gut microbiota may play a fundamental role in the risk of acquiring diseases that may be programmed during the early life stage. In fact, it is critical to explore the role of the human gut microbiota in early life. In this review, we summarize the general understanding of the colonization and development of the gut microbiota in early life, highlighting the recent findings regarding the relationship between the gut microbiota composition and their metabolites, and immune functions, which could significantly influence long-term health and disease. We then review known pathophysiological interactions of the early gut microbiome with a number of well characterized diseases and pose potential etiological mechanisms.

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