Metabolomics safety assessments of microcystin exposure via drinking water in rats

Drinking water exposure to microcystin-leucine-arginine (MC-LR), the most widely occurring cyanotoxins, poses a highly potential risk for human health. However, the health risk of MC-LR exposure at current guideline value in drinking water has not yet entirely evaluated. In the current study, we used H-1 NMR-based metabolomics combined with targeted metabolic profiling by GC/LC-MS to explore the toxic effects of MC-LR exposure at environmentally relevant concentrations via drinking water in rats. The results revealed that multiple biological consequences of MC-LR exposure on host metabolism in rats. Both relatively low and high doses of MC-LR used here induced hepatic lipogenesis and inflammation. While only relatively high dose MC-LR (10 mu g/L) in drinking water caused more metabolic disorders including inhibition of gluconeogenesis and promotion of beta-oxidation of fatty acid. Although the dose of 1.0 mu g/L MC-LR is extremely low for rats, alterations of metabolic profiles were unexpectedly found in rat liver and serum, alarming potential health risk of MC-LR at the WHO guideline level.

Automated summary

Exposure to MC-LR through drinking water can induce hepatic lipogenesis and inflammation in rats, with even low doses causing metabolic profile alterations that suggest a potential health risk at WHO guideline levels.