A recent study from Wayne State University has uncovered a significant link between air pollution exposure, specifically benzene, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Published in the journal Diabetes, the research sheds new light on how airborne toxicants may trigger metabolic disturbances, contributing to the onset of insulin resistance and diabetes in humans.
Lead author Marianna Sadagurski, Ph.D., associate professor at the university’s Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, spearheaded the study titled Microglia Mediate Metabolic Dysfunction From Common Air Pollutants Through NF-κB Signaling. The study conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of data from diverse populations, ranging from young adults to the elderly, and found a strong association between the presence of benzene metabolites in urine and elevated insulin resistance.
“We observed a clear correlation between benzene metabolites in urine and an increase in insulin resistance,” said Sadagurski. “Our findings suggest that the NF-κB pathway in microglia is crucial in mediating these chemical-induced metabolic disruptions, linking air pollution exposure to metabolic diseases.”
The study also included experiments with mice, where researchers exposed them to benzene and measured the effects on their blood glucose levels and energy expenditure. Within just seven days, the mice exhibited elevated blood glucose levels, an indicator of insulin resistance.
“The impact of benzene exposure was particularly notable in male mice, where we observed changes in energy regulation, insulin signaling, and immune responses,” said Sadagurski. The researchers identified a disruption in the hypothalamic transcriptome, which led to insulin resistance and an inflammatory shift driven by the NF-κB pathway in the microglia.
Interestingly, when the NF-κB pathway was genetically removed from the microglia of these mice, their metabolic disturbances were reversed, suggesting a potential target for future therapeutic interventions.
The research team, which included postdoctoral fellow Lukas Debarba and graduate students Hashan Jayarathne and Lucas Stilgenbauer, also collaborated with researchers from Wayne State University and the University of Texas at El Paso.
These findings could have significant implications for public health, as they highlight the potential role of environmental pollutants, like benzene, in the growing prevalence of metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
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