Organ and tissue-specific distribution of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ApoE-KO mouse

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the most prevalent classes of environmental pollutants resulting from the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. Exposure to PAHs is implicated in the pathogenesis of the cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, and even cancer. However, little is known about organ- and tissue-specific distribution patterns of PAHs in animals at macro-tissue and microscopic levels. Here, by combining GC-MS and single-molecule fluorescence microscopy (SMFM), we revealed the distribution characteristics of four different PAHs (phenanthrene (Phe), pyrene (Pyr), perylene (Per), and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)) in atherosclerosis model mice (ApoE-KO mice) at macro-tissue and micro-region level after long-term oral exposure. Average PAH concentrations detected by GC-MS in seven tissues ranged from 6.44 to 441 ng/g. The gastrointestinal tract, epididymal fat pat, and lung accumulated higher levels of PAHs, whereas relatively lower PAH residuals were found in the liver, brain, and kidney. Correlation analysis showed that PAHs with higher molecular weight (r: −0.972 to −0.746), Log Kow (r: −0.984 to −0.746) and lower water solubility (r: 0.720 to 0.994) were less prone to bioaccumulate. For the first time, SMFM demonstrated a distinct heterogeneous distribution of Per in the tissue slices. More interestingly, we observed many micro-cluster regions, namely hotspots, showed much higher Per fluorescent intensity than the other common regions. In the area of atherosclerotic plaque, the Per hotspots were colocalized with the micro-regions with the most severe inflammatory response. The hotspots with very high enrichment in PAHs were likely to stimulate the local inflammation and cause excessive damage of the aorta, which resulted in a significant increase of the relative area of atherosclerosis lesion and aggravated atherosclerosis, as observed in PAH exposed mice.