Morin mitigates cadmium-induced testicular impairment by stimulating testosterone secretion and germ cell proliferation in mice.

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the heavy metal pollutants present in the environment due to human intervention. It is well known that Cd causes toxicological effects on various organs, including the testes. Morin hydrate is a plant-derived bioflavonoid with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-stress properties. Thus, the question can be raised as to whether Morin has an effect on Cd-intoxication-induced testicular impairment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of Morin on Cd-mediated disruption of testicular activity. Mice were divided into three groups: group 1 served as the control group, group 2 was given Cd (10 mg/kg) orally for 35 days, and group 3 was given Cd and Morin hydrate (100 mg/kg) for 35 days. To validate the in vivo findings, an in vitro study on testicular explants was also performed. The results of the in vivo study showed that Cd-intoxicated mice had testicular disorganization, reduced circulating testosterone levels, decreased sperm density, and elevated oxidative stress and sperm abnormality. The expression of the germ cell proliferation marker, germ cell nuclear acidic protein (GCNA), and adipocytokine visfatin were also downregulated. It was observed that Morin hydrate upregulated testicular visfatin and GCNA expression in Cd-intoxicated mice, along with improvement in circulating testosterone, testicular histology, and sperm parameters. Furthermore, the in vitro study showed that Cd-mediated downregulation of testicular visfatin and GCNA expression, along with the suppressed secretion of testosterone from testicular explants, was normalized by Morin treatment, whereas visfatin expression was not. Overall, these data indicate that environmental cadmium exposure impairs testicular activity through downregulation of visfatin and GCNA expression, and Morin might play a protective role against Cd-induced testicular toxicity.

An Assessment of Metallothionein-Cadmium Binding in Rat Uterus after Subchronic Exposure Using a Long-Term Observation Model.

Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental pollutant known to pose a public health issue. The mechanism of Cd toxicity on the uterus, including the protective role of metallothionein (MT), is still not fully understood. The aim of the study was to evaluate the degree of MT-Cd binding in the uterus of rats exposed per os to Cd at daily doses of 0.09, 0.9, 1.8 and 4.5 mg Cd/kg b.w. for 90 days. To assess the permanence of the bond, the rats were observed over long observation periods: 90 and 180 days after termination of exposure. Additionally, uterine concentration of Zn, Cu, Ca, Mg was determined. Cd leads immediately after exposure to a max. 30-fold increase in the concentration of Cd in the uterus, with only small amounts being bound to MT. After 90 days following termination of exposure, and especially after 180 days, an increase in MT-Cd concentration was noted for the three highest doses; even so, the degree of Cd binding by MT was still small. Additionally, the accumulation of Cd in the uterus disturbs the homeostasis of determined essential elements, manifested by a significant increase in Cu concentration and a decrease in Zn, Mg and Ca, especially 180 days after termination of exposure. The obtained results indicate that MT has only a slight protective role in the uterus and that Cd ions may have harmful effects not related to MT: directly on the uterine tissue, and indirectly by disturbing the homeostasis of its essential elements.

Cadmium Toxicity Is Regulated by Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor δ in Human Proximal Tubular Cells.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that is widely present in the environment. Renal proximal tubule disorder is the main symptom of Cd chronic poisoning. Our previous study demonstrated that Cd inhibits the total activities of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) transcription factors in human and rat proximal tubular cells. In this study, we investigated the involvement of PPAR in Cd renal toxicity using the HK-2 human proximal tubular cell line. Among PPAR isoform genes, only PPARD knockdown significantly showed resistance to Cd toxicity in HK-2 cells. The transcriptional activity of PPARδ was decreased not only by PPARD knockdown but also by Cd treatment. DNA microarray analysis showed that PPARD knockdown changed the expression of apoptosis-related genes in HK-2 cells. PPARD knockdown decreased apoptosis signals and caspase-3 activity induced by Cd treatment. PPARD knockdown did not affect the intracellular Cd level after Cd treatment. These results suggest that PPARδ plays a critical role in the modification of susceptibility to Cd renal toxicity and that the apoptosis pathway may be involved in PPARδ-related Cd toxicity.

Selenium attenuates the cadmium-induced placenta glucocorticoid barrier damage by up-regulating the expression of specificity protein 1.

Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental pollutant and pregnant women are especially susceptible to the effects of exposure to Cd. Our previous study found Cd can be accumulated in the placenta and causes fetal growth restriction (FGR) through damage the placental glucocorticoid barrier. Selenium (Se), as an essential micronutrient, can allivate Cd-induced toxicity. In this study, we aim to explore the protective mechanism of Se against Cd-induced the placental glucocorticoid barrier damage and FGR. Pregnant Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were exposed to CdCl2 (1 mg/kg/day) and Na2 SeO3 (0.1-0.2-0.3 mg/kg/day) by gavage from gestational day (GD) 0 to GD 19. The results showed that reduced fetal weight, increased corticosterone concentrations in the maternal and fetal serum, and impaired placental labyrinth layer blood vessel development, appeared in pregnant rats after Cd exposure and improved after treated with Se. In cell experiments, we confirmed that Se reduces Cd-induced apoptosis. Moreover, Se can abolish Cd-induced 11ß-HSD2 and specificity protein 1 (Sp1) decreasing in vivo and vitro. In human JEG-3 cells, the knockdown of Sp1 expression by small interfering RNA can suppressed the protective effect of Se on Cd-induced 11ß-HSD2 decreasing. In general, our results demonstrated that Se is resistant to Cd-induced FGR through upregulating the placenta barrier via activation of the transcription factor Sp1.

Exploration of the optimal strategy for dietary calcium intervention against the toxicity of liver and kidney induced by cadmium in mice: An in vivo diet intervention study.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic non-essential element, while calcium (Ca) is an essential element with high chemical similarity to Cd. Dietary intake is the major Cd exposure pathway for non-smokers. A multi-concentration dietary intervention experiment was designed to explore the optimum concentration of Ca in diet with obvious protective effects against the toxicity of livers and kidneys induced by Cd in mice. The mice were divided into six groups with different concentrations of Cd and Ca in their food: control-group (no Cd or Ca), Ca-group (100 g/kg Ca, without Cd), Cd-group (2 mg/kg Cd, without Ca), CaL+Cd-group (2 mg/kg Cd, 2 g/kg Ca), CaM+Cd-group (2 mg/kg Cd, 20 g/kg Ca) and CaH+Cd-group (2 mg/kg Cd, 100 g/kg Ca). The organ indexes, oxidative stress biomarkers, lesions and Cd concentrations were detected after a 30-day exposure period. Results showed that serum Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) level in CaH+Cd-group was significantly lower than that in Cd-group, while close to that in control-group. The contents of Serum Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) in different groups showed the same trend. Concentrations of all oxidative stress biomarkers (GSH-Px, SOD, CAT, GSH and MDA) in CaH+Cd-group were close to the normal levels of control-group while significantly different from those in Cd-group. The only exception was the Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in kidneys. This study suggests that Ca plays a protective role in relieving the Cd-induced toxicity of livers and kidneys and a concentration of 100 g/kg for Ca in diet showed the best protective effects. These findings could provide a clue for further studies concerning human diet intervention for Cd control.

Enhanced Zinc Intake Protects against Oxidative Stress and Its Consequences in the Brain: A Study in an In Vivo Rat Model of Cadmium Exposure.

We examined, in a rat model of moderate environmental human exposure to cadmium (Cd), whether the enhanced intake of zinc (Zn) may protect against Cd-caused destroying the oxidative/antioxidative balance and its consequences in the brain. The intoxication with Cd (5 mg/L, 6 months) weakened the enzymatic (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase) and non-enzymatic (total thiol groups, reduced glutathione) antioxidative barrier decreasing the total antioxidative status and increased the concentrations of pro-oxidants (hydrogen peroxide, myeloperoxidase) in this organ and its total oxidative status. These resulted in the development of oxidative stress and oxidative modifications of lipids and proteins. The co-administration of Zn (30 and 60 mg/L enhancing this element intake by 79% and 151%, respectively) importantly protected against Cd accumulation in the brain tissue and this xenobiotic-induced development of oxidative stress and oxidative damage to lipids and proteins. Moreover, this bioelement also prevented Cd-mediated oxidative stress evaluated in the serum. The favorable effect of Zn was caused by its independent action and interaction with Cd. Concluding, the enhancement of Zn intake under oral exposure to Cd may prevent the oxidative/antioxidative imbalance and oxidative stress in the brain and thus protect against injury of cellular macromolecules in the nervous system.

Protective effects of metallothionein and vitamin E in the trunk kidney and blood of cadmium poisoned Ctenopharyngodon idellus.

Cadmium (Cd), a substance with one of the most critical health hazard indices, can cause damage to both the blood and kidneys and accumulates in the body at last. The present work studied the toxicological effects of Cd and the therapeutic effects of metallothionein (MT) and vitamin E (VE) on the trunk kidney and blood of freshwater grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). Grass carp were divided into three groups: Cd + phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) group, Cd + VE group, and the Cd + MT group. Fish were injected with CdCl2 on the first day and then VE, MT, or PBS was administered 4 days post-injection. Fish not injected with Cd were used as a negative control. The blood and trunk kidney amassed Cd and suffered severe damage in the forms of organ toxicity cytotoxicity, and immunotoxicity. However, the MT reduced the Cd content in the trunk kidney and blood and partially stabilized the damaged organs. Treatment with VE, however, only demonstrated weaker protection against on Cd-induced toxicity. The results indicate that exogenous MT may play an essential role in restoring homeostasis of the Cd-poisoned urinary and circulatory system and that it may help eliminate Cd in aquatic animals.

Liver changes induced by cadmium poisoning distinguished by confocal Raman imaging.

Heavy metal pollution has become an important issue threatening human health and the liver is a very important metabolic organ. Here, we use label-free Raman confocal imaging to study the alterations of the liver tissue after cadmium pollution. Raman imaging has been performed on 100µmx100µm liver tissues to study the distribution of important macromolecules and the average Raman spectrum of the entire region has been used to characterize and quantize the change of biochemical compositions in liver tissue. The poisoned livers displayed a significant decrease in the intensity of 748 cm-1, 1128 cm-1 and 1585 cm-1 bands of cytochrome C, in comparison to the control. The collagen peak at 1082 cm-1 is significantly higher than that of control, suggesting the increasing fibrosis of Cd liver tissues. To confirm the results, we selected a 30µmx15µm liver cell area for high-resolution Raman imaging. We observed a substantial increase of lipids and proteins at specific points of hepatocytes. The confocal Raman imaging of liver tissues provided a unique tool to better understand disease-induced changes in the biochemical phenotype of primary liver tissues. Our study provides valuable references as in vitro models for studying Cd accumulation and toxicity in human liver.

ACETYLATION PHENOTYPE AS A SUSCEPTIBILITY MARKER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NITRATE-CADMIUM INTOXICATION IN YOUNG RATS.

The article solves a current task concerning a substantiated use of acetylation phenotype as susceptibility biomarker to unfavourable effect of chemical substances in scientific studies. Objective: to study a combined effect of sodium nitrate and cadmium chloride on the prooxidant-antioxidant balance of the blood, liver and functional state of the central nervous system in young rats with different acetylation type. The experimental studies were performed on immature male rats 1,5-month of age. The experimental animals were divided into two groups according to the amount of general sulfadimine excreted with urine: "rapid" and "slow" acetylators. 2 subgroups were differentiated in every group: I - control animals, II - animals subjected to administration of cadmium chloride and sodium nitrate. Administration of sodium nitrate and cadmium chloride to animals in the doses 1/15 DL50 and 1/150 DL50 respectively during 14 days found that at the young age "slow" acetylation type is susceptibility marker, and the criteria of a harmful effect in them are the following: 25% increase protein peroxide oxidation in the blood plasma, 34% and 30% increase of average molecular peptides and ceruloplasmin respectively, and 6,7 times increase of methemoglobin (hemiglobin) concentration. Nitrate-cadmium intoxication caused inhibition of the integral behavioural activity both in slow and rapid acetylators. Disturbed behavioural activity in young animals with "slow" acetylation type under conditions of subacute effect of sodium nitrate and cadmium chloride is caused mainly by an increased content of liver lipoperoxidation secondary products and less - by the levels of average molecular peptides and ceruloplasmin in the blood plasma, and in "rapid" acetylators - by increased products of oxidation-modification proteins.

Extracellular vesicles from human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells repair organ damage caused by cadmium poisoning in a medaka model.

Treatment modalities for kidney disease caused by long-term exposure to heavy metals, such as cadmium (Cd), are limited. Often, chronic, long-term environmental exposure to heavy metal is not recognized in the early stages; therefore, chelation therapy is not an effective option. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from stem cells have been demonstrated to reduce disease pathology in both acute and chronic kidney disease models. To test the ability of EVs derived from human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) to treat Cd damage, we generated a Cd-exposed medaka model. This model develops heavy metal-induced cell damage in various organs and tissues, and shows decreased overall survival. Intravenous injection of highly purified EVs from hBM-MSCs repaired the damage to apical and basolateral membranes and mitochondria of kidney proximal tubules, glomerular podocytes, bone deformation, and improved survival. Our system also serves as a model with which to study age- and sex-dependent cell injuries of organs caused by various agents and diseases. The beneficial effects of EVs on the tissue repair process, as shown in our novel Cd-exposed medaka model, may open new broad avenues for interventional strategies.

Zn Supplement-Antagonized Cadmium-Induced Cytotoxicity in Macrophages In Vitro: Involvement of Cadmium Bioaccumulation and Metallothioneins Regulation.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal leading to multiple forms of organ damage. Zinc (Zn) was reported as a potential antagonist against Cd toxicity. The present study investigates the antagonistic effect of Zn (20 µM) on Cd (20 or 50 µM) cytotoxicity in macrophages in vitro. The results shows that Cd exposure caused dose-dependent morphologic and ultrastructural alterations in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Zn supplement significantly inhibited Cd cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 or HD-11 macrophages by mitigating cell apoptosis, excessive ROS output, and mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Notably, Zn supplement for 12 h remarkably prevented intracellular Cd2+ accumulation in 20 µM (95.99 ± 9.93 vs 29.64 ± 5.08 ng/106 cells; P = 0.0008) or 50 µM Cd (179.78 ± 28.66 vs 141.62 ± 22.15 ng/106 cells; P = 0.003) exposed RAW 264.7 cells. Further investigation found that Cd promoted metallothioneins (MTs) and metal regulatory transcription factor 1 (MTF-1) expression in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Twenty µM Zn supplement dramatically enhanced MTs and MTF-1 levels in Cd-exposed RAW 264.7 macrophages. Intracellular Zn2+ chelation or MTF-1 gene silencing inhibited MTs synthesis in Cd-exposed RAW 264.7 macrophages, which was accompanied by the declined expression of MTF-1, indicating that regulation of Zn on MTs was partially achieved by MTF-1 mobilization. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the antagonism of Zn against Cd cytotoxicity in macrophages and reveals its antagonistic mechanism by preventing Cd2+ bioaccumulation and promoting MTs expression.

Oleic Acid Alleviates Cadmium-Induced Oxidative Damage in Rat by Its Radicals Scavenging Activity.

Toxic heavy metal cadmium wildly pollutes the environment and threats the human health. Effective treatment of cadmium-induced toxicity and organ damage is an important issue. Cadmium causes organ damage through inducing oxidative stress. Our previous study also found oleic acid (OA) synthesis-related gene can confer resistance to cadmium and alleviate cadmium-induced stress in yeast. However, its alleviation mechanism on cadmium stress especially in animals is still unclear. In this study, the alleviative effects of OA on cadmium and cadmium-induced oxidative stress in rats were investigated. Oral administration of 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg/day OA can significantly increase the survival rate of rats intraperitoneally injected with 30 mg/kg/day cadmium continuously for 7 days. Similar to ascorbic acid (AA), OA can significantly reduce the cadmium-induced lipid peroxidation in multiple organs of rats. The investigation of OA on superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity showed that OA increased the SOD activity of cadmium-treated rat organs. More important, OA reduced the level of superoxide radical O2- of cadmium-treated rat organs. And OA exhibited a strong DPPH radicals scavenging activity at dose of 10, 20 and 30 mg/mL, which may contributed to alleviating cadmium-induced oxidative stress. This study revealed that OA could significantly alleviate cadmium stress via reducing cadmium-induced lipid peroxidation and SOD activity inhibition through its radicals scavenging activity.

[Effects of occupational cadmium exposure on workers' cardiovascular system].

Objective: To investigate the effects of cadmium exposure on cardiovascular system of occupational workers. Methods: Cross-sectional study was applied to 992 workers in a nickel-cadmium battery plant in November, 2011, of which 749 were cadmium exposed workers and 243 were controls without cadmium and other expose. Urinary cadmium、electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood pressure were examined simultaneously among 992 workers. The risk factors of ECG abnormality rate and hypertension rate were analyzed by Logistic regression. Results: The level of urinary cadmium in cadmium exposed workers was significantly higher than controls (8.89±4.00 vs 1.34±1.18 µg/g creatinine, P<0.01) . Urinary cadmium level in women was significantly higher than men in both exposure and control group (P<0.05) . According to the group of working years, Urinary cadmium level raised with the increase of working years (F=28.272, P<0.001) . The ECG abnormality rate and hypertension rate of cadmium exposed workers were higher than that of control group, the differences were all statistically significant (P<0.01) . The abnormal rate of ECG and the hypertension rate increased with the prolonging of working years and demonstrated dose-response relationship. With the increase of urinary cadmium level, the abnormal rate of ECG and hypertension rate raised (OR=1.11, P<0.01) and (OR=1.15, P<0.01) respectively. Conclusion: Occupational cadmium exposure increased the abnormal rate of ECG and blood pressure and therefore damaged cardiovascular system of workers. This study provided base data for protecting health of cadmium exposed workers.

Synthesis, characterization and in vivo evaluation of cadmium telluride quantum dots toxicity in mice by toxicometabolomics approach.

Quantum dots (QDs) have widespread application in many fields such as medicine and electronics. The need for understanding the potentially harmful side effects of these materials becomes clear. In this study, the toxicity of cadmium telluride quantum dots (CdTe-QDs) and bulk Cd2+ has been investigated and compared by applying metabolomics methods. The datasets were 1H-NMR data from mice plasma which had been taken from four groups of mice in different time intervals. Then, the data were analyzed by applying chemometrics methods and the metabolites were found from Human Metabolome Database (HMDB). The results showed the significant change in the level of some metabolites especially estrogenic steroids in different groups with different amounts of received Cd. The findings also indicated that steroid hormone biosynthesis, lysine biosynthesis and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism are the most affected pathways by CdTe-QDs especially in estrogenic steroids. The over-representation analysis indicated that endoplasmic reticulum, gonads, and hepatocytes are most affected. Since the pattern of metabolite alteration of CdTe-QDs with equivalent Cd2+ was similar to those of CdCl2, it was postulated that beside Cd2+ effects, the toxicity of CdTe-QDs is associated with other factors.

Alleviation of cadmium-induced oxidative stress by trehalose via inhibiting the Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway in primary rat proximal tubular cells.

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that regulates a cluster of oxidative stress-inducible genes in cells. Here, we aimed to investigate whether trehalose (Tre) protects primary rat proximal tubular (rPT) cells against cadmium (Cd)-induced oxidative stress via Nrf2 antioxidant pathway. Data showed that Tre treatment inhibited Nrf2 nuclear translocation and restored the decline in Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) protein level in Cd-exposed rPT cells. Moreover, Cd-activated Nrf2 target genes, including phase II detoxifying enzymes, that is, NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 and heme oxygenase-1, direct antioxidant proteins, that is, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione biosynthesis-related proteins, that is, glutamatecysteine ligase catalytic subunit, glutamate cysteine ligase modifier subunit, and glutathione reductase, were all downregulated by co-treatment with Tre. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that Tre treatment alleviates Cd-induced oxidative stress in rPT cells by inhibiting the Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway.

Identification of ARNT-regulated BIRC3 as the target factor in cadmium renal toxicity.

Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental contaminant that exhibits renal toxicity. The target transcription factors involved in Cd renal toxicity are still unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that Cd decreased the activity of the ARNT transcription factor, and knockdown of ARNT significantly decreased the viability of human proximal tubular HK-2 cells. Microarray analysis in ARNT knockdown cells revealed a decrease in the expression of a number of genes, including a known apoptosis inhibitor, BIRC3, whose gene and protein expression level was also decreased by Cd treatment. Although the BIRC family consists of 8 members, Cd suppressed only BIRC3 gene expression. BIRC3 is known to suppress apoptosis through the inhibition effect on caspase-3. Knockdown of BIRC3 by siRNA as well as Cd treatment increased the level of active caspase-3. Moreover, knockdown of BIRC3 not only triggered cell toxicity and apoptosis but also strengthened Cd toxicity in HK-2 cells. Meanwhile, the activation of caspase-3 by suppression of BIRC3 gene expression was mostly specific to Cd and to proximal tubular cells. These results suggest that Cd induces apoptosis through the inhibition of ARNT-regulated BIRC3 in human proximal tubular cells.

Cadmium accumulation and metallothionein gene expression in the liver of swamp eel (Monopterus albus) collected from the Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand.

Cadmium (Cd) is produced mainly as a by-product of zinc mining. In Thailand, the largest zinc mine is located in the Mae Sot district, Tak Province. Samples of Monopterus albus were collected from paddy fields in 4 sites, three downstream and one upstream from the zinc mine. The upstream site was considered to be uncontaminated while the three downstream sites were considered to be contaminated with Cd. Studies on the accumulation level of cadmium were conducted on the liver of the fish using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer technique. The metallothionein (MT) gene expression level in the liver, as a potential biomarker for long-term Cd exposure in their natural habitat, was also assessed. The level of hepatic MT gene expression was performed by quantitative real-time PCR. The result showed that Cd accumulation in the liver was much higher in swamp eels collected from the downstream sites when compared to those collected from the upstream site. The hepatic MT level in the upstream site was 0.75-fold, while the other three downstream sites were 0.36-, 4.44- and 0.94-fold. There is no parallel correlation between hepatic cadmium levels and hepatic MT gene expression. This study then suggests that MT gene expression biomarkers might be not suitable for swamp eels with prolonged exposure to Cd.

Neurotoxicity of Metal Mixtures.

Metals are the oldest toxins known to humans. Metals differ from other toxic substances in that they are neither created nor destroyed by humans (Casarett and Doull's, Toxicology: the basic science of poisons, 8th edn. McGraw-Hill, London, 2013). Metals are of great importance in our daily life and their frequent use makes their omnipresence and a constant source of human exposure. Metals such as arsenic [As], lead [Pb], mercury [Hg], aluminum [Al] and cadmium [Cd] do not have any specific role in an organism and can be toxic even at low levels. The Substance Priority List of Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ranked substances based on a combination of their frequency, toxicity, and potential for human exposure. In this list, As, Pb, Hg, and Cd occupy the first, second, third, and seventh positions, respectively (ATSDR, Priority list of hazardous substances. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Atlanta, 2016). Besides existing individually, these metals are also (or mainly) found as mixtures in various parts of the ecosystem (Cobbina SJ, Chen Y, Zhou Z, Wub X, Feng W, Wang W, Mao G, Xu H, Zhang Z, Wua X, Yang L, Chemosphere 132:79-86, 2015). Interactions among components of a mixture may change toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics (Spurgeon DJ, Jones OAH, Dorne J-L, Svendsen C, Swain S, Stürzenbaum SR, Sci Total Environ 408:3725-3734, 2010) and may result in greater (synergistic) toxicity (Lister LJ, Svendsen C, Wright J, Hooper HL, Spurgeon DJ, Environ Int 37:663-670, 2011). This is particularly worrisome when the components of the mixture individually attack the same organs. On the other hand, metals such as manganese [Mn], iron [Fe], copper [Cu], and zinc [Zn] are essential metals, and their presence in the body below or above homeostatic levels can also lead to disease states (Annangi B, Bonassi S, Marcos R, Hernández A, Mutat Res 770(Pt A):140-161, 2016). Pb, As, Cd, and Hg can induce Fe, Cu, and Zn dyshomeostasis, potentially triggering neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Additionally, changes in heme synthesis have been associated with neurodegeneration, supported by evidence that a decline in heme levels might explain the age-associated loss of Fe homeostasis (Atamna H, Killile DK, Killile NB, Ames BN, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 99(23):14807-14812, 2002).The sources, disposition, transport to the brain, mechanisms of toxicity, and effects in the central nervous system (CNS) and in the hematopoietic system of each one of these metals will be described. More detailed information on Pb, Mn, Al, Hg, Cu, and Zn is available in other chapters. A major focus of the chapter will be on Pb toxicity and its interaction with other metals.

Effects of cadmium on the glial architecture in lizard brain.

The glial cells are positioned to be the first cells of the brain parenchyma to face molecules crossing the blood-brain barrier with a relevant neuroprotective role from cytotoxic action of heavy metals on the nervous system. Cadmium is a highly toxic metal and its levels in the environment are increasing due to industrial activities. This element can pass the blood-brain barrier and have neurotoxic activity. For this reason we have studied the effects of cadmium on the glial architecture in the lizard Podarcis siculus, a significant bioindicator of chemical exposure due to its persistence in a variety of habitats. The study was performed on two groups of lizards. The first group of P. siculus was exposed to an acute treatment by a single i.p. injection (2 mg/kg-BW) of CdCl2 and sacrificed after 2, 7 and 16 days. The second one was used as control. The histology of the brain was studied by Hematoxylin/Eosin and Cresyl/Violet stains while the glial structures were analyzed by immunodetection of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), the most widely accepted marker for astroglial cells. Evident morphological alterations of the brain were observed at 7 and 16 days from the injection, when we revealed also a decrease of the GFAP-immunopositive structures in particular in the rhombencephalic ventricle, telencephalon and optic tectum. These results show that in the lizards an acute exposure to cadmium provokes morphological cellular alterations in the brain but also a decrement of the expression of GFAP marker with possible consequent damage of glial cells functions.

Progressive silencing of the zinc transporter Zip8 (Slc39a8) in chronic cadmium-exposed lung epithelial cells.

Cadmium (Cd), a non-essential metal, stealthily enters the cells by utilizing the essential metal importing pathways. The zinc transporters Zip8, Zip14, and divalent metal transporter 1 (Dmt1) are now emerging as several important metal transporters involved in cellular Cd incorporation and their expressions have been shown to be down-regulated in several Cd-resistant (CdR) cell lines, however, the involvement of these transporters during the development of Cd-resistance in lung cells is unclear. In this study, we therefore check the expression of these metal transporters in our previously established rat lung epithelial cells (LECs) and show that the level of Zip8 is progressively silenced when LECs are adapted to increasing concentrations of CdCl2 (from 1 to 20 µM). Subsequent measurement of the cellular Cd content indicated that CdR LECs exhibit a marked decrease of Cd accumulation, possibly due to the loss of Zip8 expression. We investigate the possibility that epigenetic silencing of the Zip8 gene by DNA hypermethylation is involved in the down-regulation of Zip8 expression. CdR LECs show a higher mRNA level of DNA methyltransferase 3b (Dnmt3b) than parental cells. Treatment of CdR LECs with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine, an inhibitor of DNA methyltransferases, reverted the expression of Zip8 and sensitivity to Cd in these cells, indicating the critical role of Zip8 for Cd import. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the progressive silencing of Zip8 expression is involved in the acquisition of resistance against Cd in lung cells, representing an adaptive survival mechanism that resists Cd-induced cytotoxicity.