Research Awards Recipients

Co-Applicant(s):  Aimee Ryan, Jenna Haverfield, Koren Mann

Lay Abstract

Background: Arsenic is a toxic substance found in nature and it’s dangerous to our health. We can come into contact with arsenic through the air we breathe, the water we drink, or the food we eat. The scary part is that you can’t see, taste, or smell arsenic, so you might not even know if you’ve been exposed. Over time, if you are exposed to arsenic it can slowly damage your kidneys and increase your chance of getting kidney disease when you’re older. But one thing we don’t fully understand is how arsenic affects a baby’s kidney growth during pregnancy. During this time, the baby’s kidneys are like sponges - they soak up everything, good and bad. This is important because arsenic can pass from the mother’s blood into the baby’s blood, so unborn babies are directly exposed. Any damage to their kidneys at this stage can have long-term effects, putting future generations at a disadvantage before they’re even born.
Purpose: In this study, we want to find out if babies born to moms who were exposed to arsenic during pregnancy have problems with their kidneys. We also want to know if these problems can lead to kidney disease later in life. Another goal is to figure out exactly how arsenic stops kidneys from growing properly and whether changing the mother’s diet can help prevent this.
Methods: To study how arsenic affects kidney growth during pregnancy, we use a special type of mouse in our lab that processes arsenic like humans do. We call these “humanized” mice. Since mice are different from humans, it’s important to use the right kind of mouse so our results will apply to humans too. First, to find out if arsenic can harm kidney growth during pregnancy, we will give our “humanised” mice different amounts of arsenic in their drinking water at different times during pregnancy. Then, we’ll study the kidneys of the baby mice and compare those that had regular tap water with those that were exposed to arsenic. We’ll check the size of the kidneys and how well they developed, looking for any differences that might show how arsenic affects kidney growth. Next, to see if kidney damage during pregnancy can lead to kidney disease later in life, we’ll give our “humanized” mice arsenic in their drinking water and let the baby mice grow into adults. We know that certain signs of kidney disease in humans can also appear in mice, so we will look for these signs in our mice as they age. Finally, we’ll test whether adding a vitamin to the mother’s diet while she drinks water with arsenic can reduce its harmful effects on kidney growth and prevent kidney disease. This vitamin may help the body eliminate arsenic more quickly, potentially protecting the kidneys from damage. Since this vitamin is available over the counter in Canada, it could be an option for those planning to become pregnant. Anticipated outcomes: We expect to find that even small amounts of arsenic during pregnancy can harm a baby’s kidneys. We think these effects will last a long time and could cause kidney disease later in life. However, we believe we can prevent these problems by changing the mother’s diet, which is important because it’s not always possible to avoid arsenic in the environment. Patient engagement: Since we are only working with mice right now, we won’t be involving patients directly. However, we will share our results with parents and the public, helping them understand the risks and what they can do to keep their babies safe.
Relevance to Patients/Community: Our work will inform pregnant women and those thinking of starting a family about the risks of arsenic and provide strategies to reduce these risks, helping to ensure healthier outcomes for mothers and babies across Canada.
Conclusion: Our research will figure out when during pregnancy the baby is most at risk from arsenic, understand how this exposure can cause kidney disease later in life, and find ways to protect against these harmful effects.