Work

Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and aging acceleration: Unraveling the underlying mechanisms and the role of AKT1 via integrative methods

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The exposure load of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is elevating especially in the elderly population, but their impacts on biological aging remains unclear. Herein, we assessed the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between PAHs exposure and aging acceleration via a repeated-measures study involving 7407 observations from the Wuhan-Zhuhai cohort, and explored the underlying mechanisms through network toxicology and a gene-environment interaction analysis. Urinary mono-hydroxylated PAHs (OH-PAHs) levels were measured, and the acceleration of clinical age calculated by Klemera-Doubal method (KDM_AA) and Phenotypic Age algorithm (PHE_AA) as well as methylated age proposed by Zhang et al. (Zhang_AA) and Levine et al. (Levine_AA) were constructed. Linear mixed models were used in the statistical analyses. Positive associations between several OH-PAHs and aging acceleration were observed. Each 1-unit increase in ln-transformed 3-OHPh and 1-OHPh was associated with an increase in KDM_AA of 0.456 (95% confidence interval 0.285, 0.627) and 0.198 (0.018, 0.377) years, and an annual rate of change in KDM_AA of 0.506 (0.136, 0.876) and 0.778 (0.416, 1.141) years/year, respectively. Similarly, each 1-unit increase in ln-transformed 9-OHPh and 1-OHP was associated with an increase in Zhang_AA of (0.026, 0.385) and 0.171 (0.054, 0.288) years, and an annual rate of change of 0.020 (0.003, 0.036) and 0.015 (0.002, 0.029) years/year, respectively. The reactive intermediate of phenanthrene showed binding affinity to AKT1 protein. AKT1 genetic variants exhibited interactions with OH-PAHs on aging acceleration, and individuals with high-risk genotypes and high OH-PAHs were susceptible to accelerated aging. Our study indicated that PAHs exposure was associated with aging acceleration, and AKT1 as a possible target molecule was involved.

Source: Environment International

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2026.110125