Characterizing the Low-Dose Effects of Methylmercury on the Early Stages of Embryo Development Using Cultured Human Embryonic Stem Cells.

Background: Global concerns of methylmercury (MeHg) exposure have been raised, especially on its effects on pregnant women. Recent epidemiological studies have revealed associations between maternal blood/hair MeHg concentrations, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and developmental deficits. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

Objectives: In this study, we characterized the effects of MeHg exposure on undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and extrapolated the effects to human embryonic development.

Methods: hESCs were exposed to 0, 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 or MeHg for 24 h or 6 d. Cell adherence and colony formation and expansion were examined under the microscope. Cell attachment, viability/proliferation, apoptosis, stress response, cell cycle, autophagy, and expression of cell lineage marker genes and proteins were measured at the end of exposures.

Results: Our results indicated that exposure to nanomolar concentrations of MeHg was associated with ) higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1), suggesting increased stress and adaptive responses; ) lower cellular adhesion, viability/proliferation, and colony formation and expansion; ) higher levels of apoptosis, reflected by higher cleaved caspase-3 expression and Annexin V binding; ) higher levels of cytoskeleton protein expression; ) higher rates of G1/S phase cell cycle arrest; and ) autophagy inhibition, as shown by a lower LC3BII/LC3BI ratio and accumulation of SQSTM1 (p62). These outcomes were accompanied by higher expressions of self-renewal genes or proteins or both, including OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, and cytokine receptor IL6ST, as well as pluripotency and the cell fate regulator cyclin D1.

Discussion: These results revealed that under the selection pressure of exposure to low doses of MeHg, some hESCs underwent apoptosis, whereas others adapted and survived with enhanced self-renewal gene expression and specific morphological phenotypes. Findings from the present study provide evidence that low doses of MeHg adversely affect hESCs when exposed during a period of time that models embryonic pre-, during, and early postimplantation stages. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7349.