Translational research : the journal of laboratory and clinical medicine
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Review
Bisphenol A, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus: genuine concern or unnecessary preoccupation?
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a ubiquitous industrial chemical found in a variety of plastic containers intended for food storage and in the epoxy resin linings of metal food and beverage cans, where it is used to prevent corrosion, food contamination, and spoilage. BPA has been linked recently to a wide variety of medical disorders and is known to have estrogenic activity with genomic as well as nongenomic estrogen receptor-mediated effects. ⋯ Typical levels of exposure to BPA in daily life are discussed, and both epidemiologic human data and mechanistic preclinical studies that have tested associations between BPA and obesity and diabetes are analyzed. Last, current policies and views of national and international regulatory agencies regarding the safety of BPA use are summarized.
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Epimorphin (Epim), a member of the syntaxin family of membrane-bound, intracellular vesicle-docking proteins, is expressed in intestinal myofibroblasts and macrophages. We demonstrated previously that Epimorphin(-/-)(Epim(-/-)) mice are protected, in part, from dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. Although interleukin (IL)-6/p-Stat3 signaling has been implicated in the pathogenesis of colitis, the myofibroblast contribution to IL-6 signaling in colitis remains unexplored. ⋯ Epim deletion inhibits IL-6 secretion most profoundly from colonic myofibroblasts. Distribution of Stat3 activation is altered in DSS-treated Epim(-/-) mice. Our findings support the notion that myofibroblasts modulate IL-6/p-Stat3 signaling in DSS-treated Epim(-/-) mice.