Safety and Health at Work

Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (산업안전보건연구원)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

The Effects of Long-Term, Low-Level Exposure to Monocyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons on Worker's Insulin Resistance

  • Won, Yong-Lim (Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency) ;
  • Ko, Yong (Division of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Korea University) ;
  • Heo, Kyung-Hwa (Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency) ;
  • Ko, Kyung-Sun (Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency) ;
  • Lee, Mi-Young (Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency) ;
  • Kim, Ki-Woong (Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency)
  • Received : 2011.04.18
  • Accepted : 2011.07.29
  • Published : 2011.12.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Objectives: This study was designed to investigate whether long-term, low-level exposure to monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs) induced insulin resistance. Methods: The subjects were 110 male workers who were occupationally exposed to styrene, toluene, and xylene. One hundred and ten age-matched male workers who had never been occupationally exposed to organic solvents were selected as a control group. Cytokines, which have played a key role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance, and oxidative stress indices were measured. Assessment of exposure to MAHs was performed by measuring their ambient levels and their urinary metabolites in exposed workers, and the resulting parameters between the exposed group and non-exposed control groups were compared. Results: There was no significant difference in general characteristics and anthropometric parameters between the two groups; however, total cholesterol, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance levels were significantly higher in the exposed group. Phenylglyoxylic acid levels showed significant association with tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, total oxidative status, and oxidative stress index via multiple linear regression analysis. Further, there was a negative correlation between methylhippuric acid levels and total anti-oxidative capacity, and there was a significant relationship between MAHs exposure and fasting glucose levels, as found by multiple logistic regression analysis (odds ratio = 3.95, 95% confidence interval = 1.074-14.530). Conclusion: This study indicated that MAHs increase fasting glucose level and insulin resistance. Furthermore, these results suggested that absorbing the organic solvent itself and active metabolic intermediates can increase oxidative stress and cytokine levels, resulting in the changes in glucose metabolism and the induction of insulin resistance.

Keywords

References

  1. Xiao JQ, Levin SM. The diagnosis and management of solvent-related disorders. Am J Ind Med 2000;37:44-61. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0274(200001)37:1<44::AID-AJIM5>3.0.CO;2-K
  2. Warnes TW, Jain SK, Smith A. Hepatotoxic effects of workplace exposures. In: Baxter PJ, Adams PH, Tar-Ching A, Cockcroft A, Harrington JM, ed. Hunter's diseases of occupations. 9th ed. London (UK): Hodder Arnold; 1999. p. 881- 900.
  3. Brautbar N, Williams J 2nd. Industrial solvents and liver toxicity: risk assessment, risk factors and mechanisms. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2002;205:479-91. https://doi.org/10.1078/1438-4639-00175
  4. Natelson EA. Benzene-induced acute myeloid leukemia: a clinician's perspective. Am J Hematol 2007;82:826-30. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajh.20934
  5. White RF, Proctor SP. Solvents and neurotoxicity. Lancet 1997;349:1239-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(96)07218-2
  6. Wichmann G, Muhlenberg J, Fischader G, Kulla C, Rehwagen M, Herbarth O, Lehmann I. An experimental model for the determination of immunomodulating effects by volatile compounds. Toxicol In Vitro 2005;19:685-93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tiv.2005.03.012
  7. Merker GH, Metzner G, Raabe F. T(H1)-directed modulation of in vitro cytokine production in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells by styrene-7.8-oxide. Toxicol Lett 2006;160:105-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2005.06.014
  8. Kaukiainen A, Vehmas T, Rantala K, Nurminen M, Martikainen R, Taskinen H. Results of common laboratory tests in solvent-exposed workers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2004;77:39-46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-003-0476-z
  9. Hong YC, Park EY, Park MS, Ko JA, Oh SY, Kim H, Lee KH, Leem JH, Ha EH. Community level exposure to chemicals and oxidative stress in adult population. Toxicol Lett 2009;184:139-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2008.11.001
  10. Roder-Stolinski C, Fischäder G, Oostingh GJ, Feltens R, Kohse F, von Bergen M, Mörbt N, Eder K, Duschl A, Lehmann I. Styrene induces an inflammatory response in human lung epithelial cells via oxidative stress and NF-kappaB activation. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2008;231:241-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2008.04.010
  11. Kappus H. Oxidative stress in chemical toxicity. Arch Toxicol 1987;60:144-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00296968
  12. Hussein AS, Abdalla MS, Hussein JS, Shousha WG, Mohame AH. Antioxidants in of shoe-makers exposed to organic solvents. J Appl Sci Res 2008;4:1107-17.
  13. Rotter V, Nagaev I, Smith U. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) induces insulin resistance in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and is, like IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, overexpressed in human fat cells from insulin-resistant subjects. J Biol Chem 2003;278:45777-84. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M301977200
  14. Jager J, Gremeaux T, Cormont M, Le Marchand-Brustel Y, Tanti JF. Interleukin-1beta-induced insulin resistance in adipocytes through down-regulation of insulin receptor substrate-1 expression. Endocrinology 2007;148:241-51.
  15. Yuan M, Lee J, Konstantopoulos N, Hansen L, Shoelson SE. Salicylate inhibition of IKK (IkB kinase) reverses insulin resistance in Zucker (fa/fa) rats. Diabetes 2000;49(Suppl 1):A292.
  16. Hirosumi J, Tuncman G, Chang L, Gorgun CZ, Uysal KT, Maeda K, Karin M, Hotamisligil GS. A central role for JNK in obesity and insulin resistance. Nature 2002;420:333-6. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01137
  17. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Method 1501. In: Eller PM, Cassinelli ME, eds. NIOSH manual of analytical methods. 4th ed. Cincinnati (OH): National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health; 1994.
  18. de Carvalho D, Lanchote VL, Bonato PS, Queiroz RH, Santos AC, Dreossi SA. A new derivatization procedure for the analysis of hippuric acid and m-methyl-hippuric acid by gas chromatography. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 1991;63:33- 7. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00406195
  19. Ogata M, Taguchi T. Simultaneous determination of urinary creatinine and metabolites of toluene, xylene, styrene, ethylbenzene and phenol by automated high performance liquid chromatography. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 1988;61: 131-40. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381617
  20. Expert Committee on the Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes Mellitus. Report of the expert committee on the diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care 2003;26(Suppl 1):S5-20. https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.26.2007.S5
  21. Pardee PE, Norman GJ, Lustig RH, Preud'homme D, Schwimmer JB. Television viewing and hypertension in obese children. Am J Prev Med 2007;33:439-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2007.07.036
  22. Henderson VR. Longitudinal associations between television viewing and body mass index among white and black girls. J Adolesc Health 2007;41:544-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.04.018
  23. Mummery WK, Schofield GM, Steele R, Eakin EG, Brown WJ. Occupational sitting time and overweight and obesity in Australian workers. Am J Prev Med 2005;29:91-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2005.04.003
  24. Cabrera de Leon A, Rodriguez-Perez Mdel C, Rodríguez- Benjumeda LM, Anía-Lafuente B, Brito-Díaz B, Muros de Fuentes M, Almeida-González D, Batista-Medina M, Aguirre-Jaime A. Sedentary lifestyle: physical activity duration versus percentage of energy expenditure. Rev Esp Cardiol 2007;60:244-50.
  25. Mokuda O, Ubukata E, Sakamoto Y. Impaired glucose uptake and intact gluconeogenesis in perfused rat liver after carbon tetrachloride injury. Biochem Mol Med 1995;54:38-42. https://doi.org/10.1006/bmme.1995.1006
  26. Kim KW, Lee MY, Ryu HW, Ko KS, Kim TG, Won YL, Heo KH, Kim MG. Exposure of hazardous chemicals and metabolic syndrome (I). Incheon (Korea): Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute; 2008. Report No.: OSHRI 2008-25- 36. 49 p. Korean.
  27. Hotamisligil GS, Shargill NS, Spiegelman BM. Adipose expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha: direct role in obesitylinked insulin resistance. Science 1993;259:87-91. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.7678183
  28. Shapiro L, Scherer PE. The crystal structure of a complement- 1q family protein suggests an evolutionary link to tumor necrosis factor. Curr Biol 1998;8:335-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0960-9822(98)70133-2
  29. Ruan H, Lodish HF. Insulin resistance in adipose tissue: direct and indirect effects of tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2003;14:447-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1359-6101(03)00052-2
  30. Boden G, Shulman GI. Free fatty acids in obesity and type 2 diabetes: defining their role in the development of insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction. Eur J Clin Invest 2002;32(Suppl 3):14-23. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2362.32.s3.3.x
  31. Arner P. Insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes -- role of the adipokines. Curr Mol Med 2005;5:333-9. https://doi.org/10.2174/1566524053766022
  32. Hinson JA, Pumford NR, Roberts DW. Mechanisms of acetaminophen toxicity: immunochemical detection of drugprotein adducts. Drug Metab Rev 1995;27:73-92. https://doi.org/10.3109/03602539509029816
  33. Erdamar H, Demirci H, Yaman H, Erbil MK, Yakar T, Sancak B, Elbeg S, Biberoglu G, Yetkin I. The effect of hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and their treatment on parameters of oxidative stress and antioxidant status. Clin Chem Lab Med 2008;46:1004-10. https://doi.org/10.1515/CCLM.2008.183
  34. Karagozler AA, Mehmet N, Batcioglu K. Effects of long-term solvent exposure on blood cytokine levels and antioxidant enzyme activities in house painters. J Toxicol Environ Health A 2002;65:1237-46. https://doi.org/10.1080/152873902760125723
  35. Carlson GP, Turner M, Mantick NA. Effects of styrene and styrene oxide on glutathione-related antioxidant enzymes. Toxicology 2006;227:217-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tox.2006.08.006
  36. van den Berg R, Haenen GR, van den Berg H, Bast A. Transcription factor NF-kappaB as a potential biomarker for oxidative stress. Br J Nutr 2001;86(Suppl 1):S121-7. https://doi.org/10.1079/BJN2001340
  37. Eriksson JW. Metabolic stress in insulin's target cells leads to ROS accumulation - a hypothetical common pathway causing insulin resistance. FEBS Lett 2007;581:3734-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2007.06.044
  38. Grattagliano I, Palmieri VO, Portincasa P, Moschetta A, Palasciano G. Oxidative stress-induced risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome: a unifying hypothesis. J Nutr Biochem 2008;19:491-504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2007.06.011

Cited by

  1. The Effects of Hazardous Chemical Exposure on Cardiovascular Disease in Chemical Products Manufacturing Workers vol.28, pp.4, 2012, https://doi.org/10.5487/TR.2012.28.4.269
  2. Occupational Styrene Exposure Induces Stress-Responsive Genes Involved in Cytoprotective and Cytotoxic Activities vol.8, pp.9, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0075401
  3. Chronic intermittent toluene inhalation in adolescent rats results in metabolic dysfunction with altered glucose homeostasis vol.172, pp.21, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.13284
  4. Occupational Exposures and Metabolic Syndrome Among Hispanics/Latinos vol.59, pp.11, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000001115