Vinyl chloride (VC), a common industrial organochlorine and environmental pollutant, has been shown to directly cause hepatic angiosarcoma and toxicant‐associated steatohepatitis at high exposure levels. However, the impact of lower concentrations of VC on the progression of underlying liver diseases (e.g., nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD]) is unclear. Given the high prevalence of NAFLD in the United States (and worldwide) population, this is an important concern. Recent studies by our group with VC metabolites suggest a potential interaction between VC exposure and underlying liver disease to cause enhanced damage. Here, a novel mouse model determined the effects of VC inhalation at levels below the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration limit (<1 ppm) in the context of NAFLD to better mimic human exposure and identify potential mechanisms of VC‐induced liver injury. VC exposure caused no overt liver injury in mice fed a low‐fat diet. However, in mice fed a high‐fat diet (HFD), VC significantly increased liver damage, steatosis, and increased neutrophil infiltration. Moreover, VC further enhanced HFD‐induced oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Importantly, VC exposure dysregulated energy homeostasis and impaired mitochondrial function, even in mice fed a low‐fat diet. In toto, the results indicate that VC exposure causes metabolic stress that sensitizes the liver to steatohepatitis caused by HFD. Conclusion: The hypothesis that low‐level (below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration limit) chronic exposure to VC by inhalation enhances liver injury caused by an HFD is supported. Importantly, our data raise concerns about the potential for overlap between fatty diets (i.e., Western diet) and exposure to VC and the health implications of this co‐exposure for humans. It also emphasizes that current safety restrictions may be insufficient to account for other factors that can influence hepatotoxicity. (Hepatology Communications 2018;2:270‐284)

This review focuses on synthetic strategies, characterizations and application explorations of rotaxane-based mechanically interlocked polymers, including linear polyrotaxanes, polyrotaxane networks, and rotaxane dendrimers.

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To promote the development of boron-containing purine analogues that exist in planar, non-zwitterionic dominant structural form in aqueous solution, rigorous solution and solid state structural analyses of 1-hydroxy-1H-2,3,1-benzoxazaborine (1), 1,2-dihydro-1-hydroxy-2,3,1-benzodiazaborine (2), and related 2,3,1-benzodiheteraborines were undertaken. With the aid of isotope-enriched compounds, a multisolvent 1 H, 13 C, 11 B, and 15 N NMR spectroscopic analysis of 1 and 2 was conducted, providing structurally-diagnostic chemical shift data for all nonoxygen atoms that constitute their heterocyclic peripheries. In addition, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses of 1 and 2 were performed. In stark contrast to their 2,4,1 isomeric counterparts, the 2,3,1-benzoxaza-and benzodiazaborines exist in planar structural form in protic solution and in the solid state and display proton dissociative and associative tendencies reflective of the predominant Brønsted, yet still Lewis acidic-capable character of the B-OH group together with the basic one at the C4-N3 imine group. In the solid state, 1 and 2 display intermolecular hydrogen-bonding patterns not too dissimilar from the motifs of certain natural nucleic acid bases. Diazaborine 2 was shown by VT-NMR to undergo a triple hydrogen-bonding solution association with a 2′,3′,5′-tri-O-protected cytidine in a demonstration of one biomimetic potential held by a 1-hydroxy-2,3,1-diheteraborine periphery. In general, 1, 2, and related 1-hydroxy-2,3,1-benzodiheteraborine heterocycles were found to be characterized by an environment-dependent O1fN3 Brønsted prototropy and B-OH group Brønsted/Lewis acid ambidency so sensitive and subtle that certain past difficulties encountered in attempts to delineate their physicochemical properties now become readily appreciated.

Vinyl chloride (VC), an abundant environmental contaminant causes steatohepatitis at high levels, but is considered safe at lower (i.e., sub-OSHA) levels. However, we have previously shown that even lower VC levels exacerbate experimental nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) caused by high-fat diet (HFD). Mitochondrial oxidative injury and subsequent metabolic dysfunction appeared to play key roles in mediating this interaction. Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) serves as a key line of defense against endogenous and exogenous reactive aldehydes. The current study therefore tests the hypothesis that allosteric activation of ALDH2 with Alda-1 will protect against VC-enhanced NAFLD. Mice were exposed to low VC concentrations (<1 ppm), or room air for 6 h/day, 5 days/week for 12 weeks, while on HFD or low-fat control diet (LFD). Some mice received Alda-1 (20 mg/kg i.p., 3 × /week) for the last 3 weeks of diet/VC exposure. Indices of liver injury, oxidative stress, metabolic and mitochondrial (dys)function were measured. As observed previously, low-dose VC did not cause liver injury in control mice; while liver injury caused by HFD was enhanced by VC. VC decreased hepatic ALDH2 activity of mice fed HFD. Alda-1 attenuated oxidative stress, liver injury, and dysmetabolism in mice exposed to HFD+VC under these conditions. Importantly, alterations in mitochondrial function caused by VC and HFD were diminished by Alda-1. Previous studies have indicated that liver injury caused by HFD is mediated, at least in part, by enhanced mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy). Here, Alda-1 suppressed PINK1/PARKIN-mediated mitophagy. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that ALDH2 is a critical defense against mitochondrial injury caused by VC in experimental NAFLD. The ALDH2 activator Alda-1 conferred protection against liver damage under these conditions, most likely via increasing clearance of aldehydes and preserving mitochondrial respiratory function.

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