Abstract
AbstractBenzo(a)pyrene (BaP), the earliest and most significant carcinogen among polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), has been found in foods, tobacco smoke, and automobiles exhaust, etc. Exposure to BaP induced DNA damage directly, or oxidative stress-related damage, resulting in cell apoptosis and carcinogenesis in human respiratory system, digestive system, reproductive system, etc. Moreover, BaP triggered genome-wide epigenetic alterations by methylation, which might cause disturbances in regulation of gene expression, and thereby induced cancer. It has been proved that BaP reduced genome-wide DNA methylation, and activated proto-oncogene by hypomethylation in the promoter region, but silenced tumor suppressor genes by promoter hypermethylation, resulting in cancer initiation and progression. Here we summarized the changes in DNA methylation in BaP exposure, and revealed the methylation of DNA plays a role in cancer development.
Graphical Abstract
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
The Research Program of Inner Mongolia Medical University
Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia
Youth Innovation Talents Training Program of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region “Prairie excellence” Project
Scientific Research Project of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Colleges and Universities
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Environmental Science (miscellaneous),Genetics,Social Psychology