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Metabolism & Exposure Markers Group

Metabolic Activation of Environmental Chemicals

Burhan I. Ghanayem, Ph.D.
Burhan I. Ghanayem, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator



Tel (919) 541-3369
Fax (919) 541-4632
ghanayem@niehs.nih.gov

P.O. Box 12233
Mail Drop B3-10
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
Delivery Instructions

Research Summary

The Metabolism & Exposure Markers Group studies the metabolic activation of environmental chemicals with special emphasis on cytochromes P450 mediated epoxidation. This group also identifies chemical and biological markers of exposure to environmental chemicals that may be used to help the public assess exposure to chemicals. This group also investigates the effects of diet, age, gender, species, and diseases such as diabetes/obesity on host susceptibility to environmental chemicals.

Major areas of research:

  • Investigation of the metabolism of epoxide-forming environmental chemicals and the role of oxidative metabolism in chemical-induced toxicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity, with special emphasis on the role of cytochrome P4502E1 using Cyp2e1-/- mice
  • Use active Metabolism to understand the basic mechanisms of chemical-induced toxicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity
  • Identification and characterization of chemical and biological markers of exposure to epoxide-forming environmental chemicals
  • Assessment of the effects of animal species, age, gender and chemical structure on chemical metabolism and chemical-induced toxicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity
  • Assessment of the role of high fat diet on the pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes in mice and investigation of chemical metabolism, toxicity and carcinogenicity in diabetic/obese mice; with special emphasis on the assessment of changes in host susceptibility associated with high fat diet and diabetes/obesity
  • Assessment of the metabolic significance of cytochromes P450 polymorphisms

Current projects:

  • Using CYP knock out mice, to assess the role of metabolic oxidation in chemical-induced toxicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity
  • Using CYP knock out mice to investigate the molecular basis of chemical-induced toxicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity
  • Assessment of the effects of age, gender, and species on host susceptibility to environmental chemicals
  • Using mice in the assessment of the effects of diet on the pathogenesis of diabetes and obesity and the effects of diet and diabetes/obesity on host susceptibility to environmental chemicals

Burhan I. Ghanayem, Ph.D., heads the Metabolism & Exposures Markers Group within the Laboratory of Pharmacology. He received his Ph.D. in environmental pharmacology & toxicology from the University of Texas Medical Branch in 1983. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles in leading biomedical journals, as well as several book chapters.

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Last Reviewed: September 05, 2008