Jesus Araujo

The main research interests of our ECVB (Environmental Cardiology and Vascular Biology) laboratory are focused on two areas of investigation: 1) Environmental Cardiology: We are studying the cardiovascular toxicology of air pollution and tobacco products by i) dissecting the mechanisms by which exposure to air particulate matter promotes atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease, ii) assessing cardiovascular, pulmonary and metabolic effects induced by tobacco products such as cigarette smoke, electronic cigarettes, hookah, and iii) evaluating gene-environment interactions of relevance in the development of cardiovascular disease. We have found that air pollutant chemicals such as those present in diesel exhaust particles synergize with oxidized phospholipids generated within oxidized LDL, in the promotion of proatherogenic genes in vascular endothelial cells. We have also determined that inhalation of ambient ultrafine particles lead to systemic prooxidant and proinflammatory effects that result in the development of dysfunctional HDL and enhancement of atherosclerotic lesions. 2) Biology of vascular oxidative stress: We are interested in genes and pathways of relevance in the oxidative stress generated in vascular inflammatory entities such as atherosclerosis and ischemia reperfusion. We have determined that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is an important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protective gene and together with its transcriptional regulator Nrf2, they play a central role in orchestrating the antioxidant defense of vascular cells. However, while HO-1 is an anti-atherogenic gene, Nrf2 promotes atherosclerosis instead partly due to the regulation of genes involved in lipid metabolism and cholesterol transport. This underscores t]he complexity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling in vascular cells. We are currently studying how HO-1 and Nrf2 expression modulates various inflammatory pathways via the use of genetic and biochemical approaches. There is an important cross-talk between our two areas of investigation as it appears that the generation of ROS in the vasculature and the expression of Nrf2-regulated antioxidant genes represent important elements in the systemic effects induced by air particulate pollutants and tobacco products.

Publications:

Garcia CA, Lin EY, Mobley EB, Louie A, Hartung KM, Araujo JA, Sletten EM. Trinuclear Heptamethine Dyes for Shortwave Infrared In Vivo Imaging. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2026 Mar 23; 65(13):e25311. view on PubMed

Gupta R, Chang C, Gonzalez DH, Srivastava P, Le C, Stefanko DP, Castellanos JA, Navab M, Reddy ST, Fishbein GA, Sioutas C, Jacobs JP, Hsiai T, Araujo JA. Ultrafine particulate matter exposure induces gut microbiota dysbiosis together with ER stress in the liver and worsened atherosclerosis. Environ Int. 2026 Jan; 207:109964. view on PubMed

Chang C, Gupta R, Sedighian F, Louie A, Gonzalez DM, Le C, Cho JM, Park SK, Castellanos J, Ting TW, Dong TS, Arias-Jayo N, Lagishetty V, Navab M, Reddy S, Sioutas C, Hsiai T, Jacobs JP, Araujo JA. Corrigendum to "Subchronic inhalation exposure to ultrafine particulate matter alters the intestinal microbiome in various mouse models" [Environ. Res. 248 (2024) 118242]. Environ Res. 2025 Dec 01; 286(Pt 3):122855. view on PubMed

Gonzalez DH, Kang EM, Nguyen EN, Castellanos JA, Louie A, Gupta R, Chen H, Zhu Y, Campbell SJ, Paulson SE, Jordan MC, Roos KP, Whitelegge J, Cho AK, Araujo JA. Inhalation of electrophilic and redox active electronic cigarette aerosol increases oxidative potential in the lung in an acute manner. Free Radic Biol Med. 2025 Dec 16; 241:707-716. view on PubMed

Gupta R, Chang C, Vergnes L, Sulaiman D, Yin F, Stewart JA, Mehrabian M, Kaufman JD, Jacobs JP, Lusis AJ, Reue K, Rosenfeld ME, Araujo JA. Diesel exhaust induces gut microbiome dysbiosis and reduced fecal acetate: Role of acetate supplementation. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2025 Sep 15; 303:118654. view on PubMed

Ramanathan G, Zhao Y, Gupta R, Langmo S, Bhetraratana M, Yin F, Driscoll W, Ricks J, Louie A, Stewart JA, Gould TR, Larson TV, Kaufman J, Rosenfeld ME, Yang X, Araujo JA. Integrated hepatic transcriptomics and metabolomics identify Pck1 as a key factor in the broad dysregulation induced by vehicle pollutants. Part Fibre Toxicol. 2024 Dec 30; 21(1):55. view on PubMed

Castellanos JA, Cornett CG, Gonzalez DH, Li L, Luna K, Middlekauff HR, Gupta R, Jordan MC, Rünger D, Zhu Y, Shao XM, Roos KP, Araujo JA. Electronic cigarettes alter cardiac rhythm and heart rate variability hyperacutely in mice. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2025 Feb; 495:117174. view on PubMed

Lin Y, Shi X, Qiu X, Jiang X, Liu J, Zhong P, Ge Y, Tseng CH, Zhang JJ, Zhu T, Araujo JA, Zhu Y. Reduction in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure in Beijing following China's clean air actions. Sci Bull (Beijing). 2024 10 30; 69(20):3283-3290. view on PubMed

Chang C, Louie A, Zhou Y, Gupta R, Liang F, Xanthou G, Ereso J, Koletic C, Yang JC, Sedighian F, Lagishetty V, Arias-Jayo N, Altuwayjiri A, Tohidi R, Navab M, Reddy ST, Sioutas C, Hsiai T, Araujo JA, Jacobs JP. Ambient Particulate Matter Induces In Vitro Toxicity to Intestinal Epithelial Cells without Exacerbating Acute Colitis Induced by Dextran Sodium Sulfate or 2,4,6-Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Jun 29; 25(13). view on PubMed

Bhetraratana M, Orozco LD, Bennett BJ, Luna K, Yang X, Lusis AJ, Araujo JA. Diesel exhaust particle extract elicits an oxPAPC-like transcriptomic profile in macrophages across multiple mouse strains. Environ Pollut. 2024 Oct 01; 358:124415. view on PubMed

Chang C, Gupta R, Sedighian F, Louie A, Gonzalez DM, Le C, Cho JM, Park SK, Castellanos J, Ting TW, Dong TS, Arias-Jayo N, Lagishetty V, Navab M, Reddy S, Sioutas C, Hsiai T, Jacobs JP, Araujo JA. Subchronic inhalation exposure to ultrafine particulate matter alters the intestinal microbiome in various mouse models. Environ Res. 2024 May 01; 248:118242. view on PubMed

Kelesidis T, Sharma M, Satta S, Tran E, Gupta R, Araujo JA, Middlekauff HR. Ectodomain shedding of proteins important for SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis in plasma of tobacco cigarette smokers compared to electronic cigarette vapers: a cross-sectional study. J Mol Med (Berl). 2023 03; 101(3):327-335. view on PubMed

Lin Y, Zhu Y, Qiu X, Lu X, Yin F, Tseng CH, Araujo JA. Passive smoking and urinary oxidative biomarkers: A pilot study of healthy travelers from Los Angeles to Beijing. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2022 09; 246:114048. view on PubMed

Lin Y, Lu X, Qiu X, Yin F, Faull KF, Tseng CH, Zhang JJ, Fiehn O, Zhu T, Araujo JA, Zhu Y. Arachidonic acid metabolism and inflammatory biomarkers associated with exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Environ Res. 2022 09; 212(Pt D):113498. view on PubMed

Lu X, Lin Y, Qiu X, Liu J, Zhu T, Araujo JA, Fiehn O, Zhu Y. Triglyceride profiles are associated with subacute exposure to bisphenol A in healthy young adults. Sci Total Environ. 2022 Jun 15; 825:153991. view on PubMed

Lind L, Araujo JA, Barchowsky A, Belcher S, Berridge BR, Chiamvimonvat N, Chiu WA, Cogliano VJ, Elmore S, Farraj AK, Gomes AV, McHale CM, Meyer-Tamaki KB, Posnack NG, Vargas HM, Yang X, Zeise L, Zhou C, Smith MT. Key Characteristics of Cardiovascular Toxicants. Environ Health Perspect. 2021 09; 129(9):95001. view on PubMed

Rezk-Hanna M, Gupta R, Nettle CO, Dobrin D, Cheng CW, Means A, Brecht ML, Tashkin DP, Araujo JA. Differential Effects of Electronic Hookah Vaping and Traditional Combustible Hookah Smoking on Oxidation, Inflammation, and Arterial Stiffness. Chest. 2022 01; 161(1):208-218. view on PubMed

Gupta R, Lin Y, Luna K, Logue A, Yoon AJ, Haptonstall KP, Moheimani R, Choroomi Y, Nguyen K, Tran E, Zhu Y, Faull KF, Kelesidis T, Gornbein J, Middlekauff HR, Araujo JA. Electronic and Tobacco Cigarettes Alter Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Oxidative Biomarkers. Circ Res. 2021 08 20; 129(5):514-526. view on PubMed

Lu X, Lin Y, Qiu X, Liu J, Zhu T, Araujo JA, Zhang J, Zhu Y. Metabolomic Changes after Subacute Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: A Natural Experiment among Healthy Travelers from Los Angeles to Beijing. Environ Sci Technol. 2021 04 20; 55(8):5097-5105. view on PubMed

Rezk-Hanna M, Seals DR, Rossman MJ, Gupta R, Nettle CO, Means A, Dobrin D, Cheng CW, Brecht ML, Mosenifar Z, Araujo JA, Benowitz NL. Ascorbic Acid Prevents Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction Induced by Electronic Hookah (Waterpipe) Vaping. J Am Heart Assoc. 2021 02; 10(5):e019271. view on PubMed

Lin Y, Gao X, Qiu X, Liu J, Tseng CH, Zhang JJ, Araujo JA, Zhu Y. Urinary carboxylic acid metabolites as possible novel biomarkers of exposures to alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Environ Int. 2021 02; 147:106325. view on PubMed

Middlekauff HR, William KJ, Su B, Haptonstall K, Araujo JA, Wu X, Kim J, Sallam T. Changes in lipid composition associated with electronic cigarette use. J Transl Med. 2020 10 07; 18(1):379. view on PubMed

Barnhill LM, Khuansuwan S, Juarez D, Murata H, Araujo JA, Bronstein JM. Diesel Exhaust Extract Exposure Induces Neuronal Toxicity by Disrupting Autophagy. Toxicol Sci. 2020 07 01; 176(1):193-202. view on PubMed

Lin Y, Qiu X, Liu J, Tseng CH, Allard P, Araujo JA, Zhu Y. Different temporal trends of exposure to Bisphenol A among international travelers between Los Angeles and Beijing. Environ Int. 2020 08; 141:105758. view on PubMed

Lin Y, Ramanathan G, Zhu Y, Yin F, Rea ND, Lu X, Tseng CH, Faull KF, Yoon AJ, Jerrett M, Zhu T, Qiu X, Araujo JA. Pro-Oxidative and Proinflammatory Effects After Traveling From Los Angeles to Beijing: A Biomarker-Based Natural Experiment. Circulation. 2019 12 10; 140(24):1995-2004. view on PubMed

Bhetraratana M, Orozco LD, Hong J, Diamante G, Majid S, Bennett BJ, Ahn IS, Yang X, Lusis AJ, Araujo JA. Diesel exhaust particles dysregulate multiple immunological pathways in murine macrophages: Lessons from microarray and scRNA-seq technologies. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2019 12 15; 678:108116. view on PubMed

Woodward NC, Crow AL, Zhang Y, Epstein S, Hartiala J, Johnson R, Kocalis H, Saffari A, Sankaranarayanan I, Akbari O, Ramanathan G, Araujo JA, Finch CE, Bouret SG, Sioutas C, Morgan TE, Allayee H. Exposure to Nanoscale Particulate Matter from Gestation to Adulthood Impairs Metabolic Homeostasis in Mice. Sci Rep. 2019 02 12; 9(1):1816. view on PubMed

Zhang M, Nakamura K, Kageyama S, Lawal AO, Gong KW, Bhetraratana M, Fujii T, Sulaiman D, Hirao H, Bolisetty S, Kupiec-Weglinski JW, Araujo JA. Myeloid HO-1 modulates macrophage polarization and protects against ischemia-reperfusion injury. JCI Insight. 2018 10 04; 3(19). view on PubMed

Kageyama S, Hirao H, Nakamura K, Ke B, Zhang M, Ito T, Aziz A, Oncel D, Kaldas FM, Busuttil RW, Sosa RA, Reed EF, Araujo JA, Kupiec-Weglinski JW. Recipient HO-1 inducibility is essential for posttransplant hepatic HO-1 expression and graft protection: From bench-to-bedside. Am J Transplant. 2019 02; 19(2):356-367. view on PubMed

Nakamura K, Zhang M, Kageyama S, Ke B, Araujo JA, Kupiec-Weglinski JW. Reply to: "Protective effects of heme oxygenase 1 during ischemia-reperfusion injury: Hepatocytes or non parenchymal cells?" J Hepatol. 2018 09; 69(3):753-755. view on PubMed

Middlekauff HR, Araujo JA. Increased Cardiovascular Risk Associated With E-Cigarette Use-Reply. JAMA Cardiol. 2017 10 01; 2(10):1166-1167. view on PubMed

Moheimani RS, Bhetraratana M, Peters KM, Yang BK, Yin F, Gornbein J, Araujo JA, Middlekauff HR. Sympathomimetic Effects of Acute E-Cigarette Use: Role of Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Constituents. J Am Heart Assoc. 2017 Sep 20; 6(9). view on PubMed

Boas Z, Gupta P, Moheimani RS, Bhetraratana M, Yin F, Peters KM, Gornbein J, Araujo JA, Czernin J, Middlekauff HR. Activation of the "Splenocardiac Axis" by electronic and tobacco cigarettes in otherwise healthy young adults. Physiol Rep. 2017 Sep; 5(17). view on PubMed

Nakamura K, Zhang M, Kageyama S, Ke B, Fujii T, Sosa RA, Reed EF, Datta N, Zarrinpar A, Busuttil RW, Araujo JA, Kupiec-Weglinski JW. Macrophage heme oxygenase-1-SIRT1-p53 axis regulates sterile inflammation in liver ischemia-reperfusion injury. J Hepatol. 2017 12; 67(6):1232-1242. view on PubMed

Moheimani RS, Bhetraratana M, Yin F, Peters KM, Gornbein J, Araujo JA, Middlekauff HR. Increased Cardiac Sympathetic Activity and Oxidative Stress in Habitual Electronic Cigarette Users: Implications for Cardiovascular Risk. JAMA Cardiol. 2017 03 01; 2(3):278-284. view on PubMed

Ramanathan G, Yin F, Speck M, Tseng CH, Brook JR, Silverman F, Urch B, Brook RD, Araujo JA. Effects of urban fine particulate matter and ozone on HDL functionality. Part Fibre Toxicol. 2016 05 24; 13(1):26. view on PubMed

Lin Y, Qiu X, Yu N, Yang Q, Araujo JA, Zhu Y. Urinary Metabolites of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and the Association with Lipid Peroxidation: A Biomarker-Based Study between Los Angeles and Beijing. Environ Sci Technol. 2016 Apr 05; 50(7):3738-45. view on PubMed

Lawal A, Zhang M, Dittmar M, Lulla A, Araujo JA. Heme oxygenase-1 protects endothelial cells from the toxicity of air pollutant chemicals. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2015 May 01; 284(3):281-291. view on PubMed

Ramanathan G, Araujo JA, Gornbein J, Yin F, Middlekauff HR. Cigarette smoking is associated with dose-dependent adverse effects on paraoxonase activity and fibrinogen in young women. Inhal Toxicol. 2014 Dec; 26(14):861-5. view on PubMed

Li R, Navab K, Hough G, Daher N, Zhang M, Mittelstein D, Lee K, Pakbin P, Saffari A, Bhetraratana M, Sulaiman D, Beebe T, Wu L, Jen N, Wine E, Tseng CH, Araujo JA, Fogelman A, Sioutas C, Navab M, Hsiai TK. Effect of exposure to atmospheric ultrafine particles on production of free fatty acids and lipid metabolites in the mouse small intestine. Environ Health Perspect. 2015 Jan; 123(1):34-41. view on PubMed

Maiseyeu A, Yang HY, Ramanathan G, Yin F, Bard RL, Morishita M, Dvonch JT, Wang L, Spino C, Mukherjee B, Badgeley MA, Barajas-Espinosa A, Sun Q, Harkema J, Rajagopalan S, Araujo JA, Brook RD. No effect of acute exposure to coarse particulate matter air pollution in a rural location on high-density lipoprotein function. Inhal Toxicol. 2014 Jan; 26(1):23-9. view on PubMed

Miller MR, McLean SG, Duffin R, Lawal AO, Araujo JA, Shaw CA, Mills NL, Donaldson K, Newby DE, Hadoke PW. Diesel exhaust particulate increases the size and complexity of lesions in atherosclerotic mice. Part Fibre Toxicol. 2013 Dec 11; 10:61. view on PubMed

Breton CV, Yin F, Wang X, Avol E, Gilliland FD, Araujo JA. HDL anti-oxidant function associates with LDL level in young adults. Atherosclerosis. 2014 Jan; 232(1):165-70. view on PubMed

Araujo JA. HO-1 and CO: fighters vs sickle cell disease? Blood. 2013 Oct 10; 122(15):2535-6. view on PubMed

Li R, Navab M, Pakbin P, Ning Z, Navab K, Hough G, Morgan TE, Finch CE, Araujo JA, Fogelman AM, Sioutas C, Hsiai T. Ambient ultrafine particles alter lipid metabolism and HDL anti-oxidant capacity in LDLR-null mice. J Lipid Res. 2013 Jun; 54(6):1608-1615. view on PubMed

Yin F, Lawal A, Ricks J, Fox JR, Larson T, Navab M, Fogelman AM, Rosenfeld ME, Araujo JA. Diesel exhaust induces systemic lipid peroxidation and development of dysfunctional pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory high-density lipoprotein. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2013 Jun; 33(6):1153-61. view on PubMed

Yin F, Ramanathan G, Zhang M, Araujo JA. Prooxidative effects of ambient pollutant chemicals are inhibited by HDL. J Biochem Mol Toxicol. 2013 Feb; 27(2):172-83. view on PubMed

Araujo JA, Zhang M, Yin F. Heme oxygenase-1, oxidation, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. Front Pharmacol. 2012; 3:119. view on PubMed

Romanoski CE, Che N, Yin F, Mai N, Pouldar D, Civelek M, Pan C, Lee S, Vakili L, Yang WP, Kayne P, Mungrue IN, Araujo JA, Berliner JA, Lusis AJ. Network for activation of human endothelial cells by oxidized phospholipids: a critical role of heme oxygenase 1. Circ Res. 2011 Aug 19; 109(5):e27-41. view on PubMed

Araujo JA. Are ultrafine particles a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases? Rev Esp Cardiol. 2011 Aug; 64(8):642-5. view on PubMed

Araujo JA. Particulate air pollution, systemic oxidative stress, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. Air Qual Atmos Health. 2010 Nov 10; 4(1):79-93. view on PubMed

Barajas B, Che N, Yin F, Rowshanrad A, Orozco LD, Gong KW, Wang X, Castellani LW, Reue K, Lusis AJ, Araujo JA. NF-E2-related factor 2 promotes atherosclerosis by effects on plasma lipoproteins and cholesterol transport that overshadow antioxidant protection. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2011 Jan; 31(1):58-66. view on PubMed

Araujo JA, Nel AE. Particulate matter and atherosclerosis: role of particle size, composition and oxidative stress. Part Fibre Toxicol. 2009 Sep 18; 6:24. view on PubMed

Campbell A, Araujo JA, Li H, Sioutas C, Kleinman M. Particulate matter induced enhancement of inflammatory markers in the brains of apolipoprotein E knockout mice. J Nanosci Nanotechnol. 2009 Aug; 9(8):5099-104. view on PubMed

Orozco LD, Cokus SJ, Ghazalpour A, Ingram-Drake L, Wang S, van Nas A, Che N, Araujo JA, Pellegrini M, Lusis AJ. Copy number variation influences gene expression and metabolic traits in mice. Hum Mol Genet. 2009 Nov 01; 18(21):4118-29. view on PubMed

Araujo JA, Barajas B, Kleinman M, Wang X, Bennett BJ, Gong KW, Navab M, Harkema J, Sioutas C, Lusis AJ, Nel AE. Ambient particulate pollutants in the ultrafine range promote early atherosclerosis and systemic oxidative stress. Circ Res. 2008 Mar 14; 102(5):589-96. view on PubMed

Orozco LD, Kapturczak MH, Barajas B, Wang X, Weinstein MM, Wong J, Deshane J, Bolisetty S, Shaposhnik Z, Shih DM, Agarwal A, Lusis AJ, Araujo JA. Heme oxygenase-1 expression in macrophages plays a beneficial role in atherosclerosis. Circ Res. 2007 Jun 22; 100(12):1703-11. view on PubMed

Ke B, Shen XD, Tsuchihashi S, Gao F, Araujo JA, Busuttil RW, Ritter T, Kupiec-Weglinski JW. Viral interleukin-10 gene transfer prevents liver ischemia-reperfusion injury: Toll-like receptor-4 and heme oxygenase-1 signaling in innate and adaptive immunity. Hum Gene Ther. 2007 Apr; 18(4):355-66. view on PubMed

Gharavi NM, Gargalovic PS, Chang I, Araujo JA, Clark MJ, Szeto WL, Watson AD, Lusis AJ, Berliner JA. High-density lipoprotein modulates oxidized phospholipid signaling in human endothelial cells from proinflammatory to anti-inflammatory. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2007 Jun; 27(6):1346-53. view on PubMed

Gong KW, Zhao W, Li N, Barajas B, Kleinman M, Sioutas C, Horvath S, Lusis AJ, Nel A, Araujo JA. Air-pollutant chemicals and oxidized lipids exhibit genome-wide synergistic effects on endothelial cells. Genome Biol. 2007; 8(7):R149. view on PubMed

Tsuchihashi S, Livhits M, Zhai Y, Busuttil RW, Araujo JA, Kupiec-Weglinski JW. Basal rather than induced heme oxygenase-1 levels are crucial in the antioxidant cytoprotection. J Immunol. 2006 Oct 01; 177(7):4749-57. view on PubMed

Lai DW, Saver JL, Araujo JA, Reidl M, Tobis J. Pericarditis associated with nickel hypersensitivity to the Amplatzer occluder device: a case report. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2005 Nov; 66(3):424-6. view on PubMed

Araujo JA, Meng L, Tward AD, Hancock WW, Zhai Y, Lee A, Ishikawa K, Iyer S, Buelow R, Busuttil RW, Shih DM, Lusis AJ, Kupiec-Weglinski JW. Systemic rather than local heme oxygenase-1 overexpression improves cardiac allograft outcomes in a new transgenic mouse. J Immunol. 2003 Aug 01; 171(3):1572-80. view on PubMed