Shuang Yang

Mentor:

Xinxin Ding, PhD

Department: 

Pharmacology and Toxicology

Abstract: 

Effect of Chronic Arsenic Exposure in Drinking Water on Mouse Lung

Inorganic arsenic is highly toxic and naturally present in groundwater and mine-tailings. Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic, whether through ingestion or inhalation, increases the risk of a broad range of human illnesses, including lung cancer. Combined exposure to arsenic and other environmental pollutants is common among humans. While the interactions between environmental lung carcinogens and arsenic exposures have been reported, the molecular mechanism behind these interactions is not fully understood. Although inorganic arsenic is listed as a human lung carcinogen, it has proven difficult to induce tumors in rodents when they are exposed to arsenic alone. The objective of my study is to determine the effects of chronic arsenic exposure in drinking water on the pathogenesis of lung diseases in mice, including its role in the progression of lung tumorigenesis. We are employing omics tools to identify global changes in gene expression and metabolites after chronic arsenic exposure in drinking water, and to uncover the relationships among these alterations. Additionally, we are working with a novel mouse model of lung tumorigenesis induced by co-exposures of arsenic and a tobacco-specific lung carcinogen called NNK. Our aim is to investigate whether arsenic can promote lung tumorigenesis induced by NNK in mice and explore the mechanisms underlying these toxicities. The results of this research will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the health hazards posed by inorganic arsenic.