Increased plasma homocysteine levels in shift working bus drivers

Martins, Paulo S.; D’Almeida, Vânia; Vergani, Naja; Perez, Ana Beatriz Alvarez; Tufik, Sérgio

doi:10.1136/oem.60.9.662

Cited by 31 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 30 publications

(19 reference statements)

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“…Kang et al documented a significant relation between job strain and increased levels of tHcy (26). Martins et al reported that long-haul bus drivers showed significantly higher levels of tHcy in comparison to persons with regular, scheduled work (27). There have been studies of the influence of mental stress on tHcy levels (14,15), but the findings were inconsistent.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Influence of Mental Stress on the Plasma Homocysteine Level and Blood Pressure Change in Young Men

Sawai

Ohshige

Kura

et al. 2008

Clinical and Experimental Hypertension

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Objective. This study aimed to determine whether mental stress influences the plasma total homocysteine level or blood pressure in young men. Method. Twenty-seven male university students were assigned to a normal blood pressure group (24-h systolic blood pressure <125 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure <75 mmHg; 13 subjects) or a high blood pressure group (24-h systolic blood pressure > or =125 mmHg, or 24-h diastolic blood pressure > or =75 mmHg; 14 subjects). Wearing an ambulatory blood pressure monitoring device, subjects rested for 30 minutes, underwent an arithmetic test for 15 minutes, and rested again for 15 minutes. Blood samples were taken before and after the test. Plasma total homocysteine levels were measured. Heart rate, blood pressure, and sympathovagal balance were determined during the test. Results. The mean total homocysteine level at rest in the high blood pressure group was slightly, but not significantly, higher than that in the normal blood pressure group. The resting total homocysteine level was significantly higher in subjects with parental history of hypertension than in those without (p < 0.01). Blood pressure, heart rate, and the plasma total homocysteine level were increased significantly by mental stress (p < 0.05). The change in total homocysteine correlated significantly with the changes in systolic blood pressure and sympathovagal balance (p < 0.05). Conclusion. Resting total homocysteine level was significantly higher in male students with a parental history of hypertension than in those without. It was shown that mental stress elevates heart rate, blood pressure, sympathovagal activity, and the plasma total homocysteine level in young men.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Influence of Mental Stress on the Plasma Homocysteine Level and Blood Pressure Change in Young Men

Sawai

Ohshige

Kura

et al. 2008

Clinical and Experimental Hypertension

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“…Human epidemiological studies suggest that increased levels of plasma homocysteine increase the risk for atherosclerotic vascular disease, and rats demonstrate a direct correlation between liver homocysteine and plasma homocysteine levels (23,34,37).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Uteroplacental insufficiency alters DNA methylation, one-carbon metabolism, and histone acetylation in IUGR rats

MacLennan

James

Melnyk

et al. 2004

Physiological Genomics

194

138

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. Uteroplacental insufficiency alters DNA methylation, one-carbon metabolism, and histone acetylation in IUGR rats. Physiol Genomics 18: 43-50, 2004. First published April 13, 2004 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00042.2004.-Uteroplacental insufficiency leads to intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and increases the risk of insulin resistance and hypertriglyceridemia in both humans and rats. Postnatal changes in hepatic gene expression characterize the postnatal IUGR rat, despite the transient nature of the initial in utero insult. Phenomena such as DNA methylation and histone acetylation can induce a relatively static reprogramming of gene transcription by altering chromatin infrastructure. We therefore hypothesized that uteroplacental insufficiency persistently affects DNA methylation and histone acetylation in the IUGR rat liver. IUGR rat pups were created by inducing uteroplacental insufficiency through bilateral uterine artery ligation of the pregnant dam on day 19 of gestation. The SssI methyltransferase assay and two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography demonstrated genome-wide DNA hypomethylation in postnatal IUGR liver. To investigate a possible mechanism for this hypomethylation, levels of hepatic metabolites and enzyme mRNAs involved in one-carbon metabolism were measured using HPLC with coulometric electrochemical detection and real-time RT-PCR, respectively. Uteroplacental insufficiency increased IUGR levels of S-adenosylhomocysteine, homocysteine, and methionine in association with decreased mRNA levels of methionine adenosyltransferase and cystathionine-␤-synthase. Western blotting further demonstrated that increased quantities of acetylated histone H3 also characterized the IUGR liver. Increased hepatic levels of S-adenosylhomocysteine can promote DNA hypomethylation, which is often associated with histone hyperacetylation. We speculate that the altered intrauterine milieu associated with uteroplacental insufficiency affects hepatic one-carbon metabolism and subsequent DNA methylation, which thereby alters chromatin dynamics and leads to persistent changes in hepatic gene expression.intrauterine growth retardation; one-carbon metabolism; epigenetics; Barker's fetal origins of adult disease hypothesis BARKER'S "fetal origins of adult disease hypothesis" proposes that fetal adaptation to a deprived intrauterine milieu leads to permanent changes in cellular biology and systemic physiology. Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) predisposes affected newborns toward long-term morbidity from type 2 diabetes, as well as other components of the metabolic syndrome (2). Uteroplacental insufficiency, a morbidity associated with many common complications of pregnancy such as preeclampsia, induces low ponderal index or asymmetrical IUGR. In the rat, uteroplacental insufficiency induced through bilateral uterine artery ligation of the pregnant dam also results in asymmetrical IUGR and, similar to the human, causes fetal hypoinsulinemia, hypoglycemia, acidosis, and hypoxia (5,14,16,39,40). Juvenile IUGR rats demons...

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“…In rats, plasma homocysteine concentration varies spontaneously with ontogenic development and during the estrous cycle, and shows 24 h variation in young rats with lower levels during the night (Martins et al, 2005). The disruption of the circadian rhythm as found in shift workers is related to disturbances in homocysteine metabolism, with homocysteine levels being about twice as high as compared to day workers (Martins et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Daily Variations of Homocysteine Concentration May Influence Methylation of DNA in Normal Healthy Individuals

Bönsch

Hothorn

Krieglstein

et al. 2007

Chronobiology International

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The regulation of genetic expression is tightly controlled and well balanced in the organism by different epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone modifications. DNA methylation occurring after embryogenesis is seen mainly as an irreversible event. Even small changes in genomic DNA methylation might be of biological relevance, and several factors influencing DNA methylation have been identified so far, one being homocysteine. In this study, genomic DNA methylation was analyzed and homocysteine plasma levels were measured over a 24 h period in 30 healthy students (15 males and 15 females) exposed to a standard 24 h regime of daytime activity alternating with nighttime sleep. Plasma homocysteine concentrations were measured using HPLC detection. DNA was extracted from whole EDTA blood, and genomic DNA methylation was assessed by fluorescently labeled cytosine extension assay. Both homocysteine and DNA methylation showed 24 h variation. Homocysteine showed a significant daily rhythm with an evening peak and nocturnal nadir in all subjects (p<0.001). Males showed higher overall homocysteine levels compared to females (p=0.002). Genomic DNA methylation showed a significant rhythm with increased levels at night (p=0.021), which was inverse to plasma homocysteine levels.

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Increased plasma homocysteine levels in shift working bus drivers

Cited by 31 publications

References 30 publications

Influence of Mental Stress on the Plasma Homocysteine Level and Blood Pressure Change in Young Men

Influence of Mental Stress on the Plasma Homocysteine Level and Blood Pressure Change in Young Men

Uteroplacental insufficiency alters DNA methylation, one-carbon metabolism, and histone acetylation in IUGR rats

Daily Variations of Homocysteine Concentration May Influence Methylation of DNA in Normal Healthy Individuals

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