Assessing mercury intoxication in isolated/remote populations: Increased S100B mRNA in blood in exposed riverine inhabitants of the Amazon

Towards Therapeutic Alternatives for Mercury Neurotoxicity in the Amazon: Unraveling the Pre-Clinical Effects of the Superfruit Açaí (Euterpe oleracea, Mart.) as Juice for Human Consumption

“…This is due to the characteristics of these populations (precarious health care system, low purchasing power, geographical isolation, etc.) [2,5,7,8,63,72], similar to those of other vulnerable populations in the world. Thus, the use of endemic plants is a more realistic alternative for these populations to protect themselves against MeHg-induced neurotoxicity.…”

“…In our work, the content of mercury in the brains of exposed mice was more than eight times that level, i.e., 8.63 µg/g (Figure 7), characterizing an acute exposure where the deleterious neurological effects of the metal would be totally established. This type of exposure is relevant for humans since it is common to find high levels of exposure in isolated/remote populations such as those of the Amazon [2,5,7,8]. In these populations, as many others around the world, the exposure is mainly through consumption of MeHg-contaminated fish [2,6].…”

“…In these populations, as many others around the world, the exposure is mainly through consumption of MeHg-contaminated fish [2,6]. Although partial demethylation of the MeHg can be performed by the gut bacteria, human studies demonstrated that more than 80% of hair mercury is in the form of MeHg [2,5,7,8]. This would be in agreement with in vivo studies confirming that even when animals are orally exposed to MeHg, they show predominant fractions of mercury as MeHg in all tissues [41].…”

“…In the Amazon, for example, contaminated fish for human consumption was already detected in both urban and riverine areas [2,6]. Amazonian populations are chronically exposed to this metal, presenting current levels as high as 75 µg/g of hair mercury [2,5,7,8]. To understand this exposure, the daily oral intake of MeHg recommended by the WHO and US EPA may be considered as approximately equivalent to 1.8 and 1.2 µg/g of hair mercury respectively, according to the conversion factors previously developed [9,10,11].…”

In the Heart of the Amazon: Noncommunicable Diseases and Apolipoprotein E4 Genotype in the Riverine Population

“…These fish show the highest levels of contamination [ 52 , 53 ]. A growing body of evidence suggests that mercury exposure can increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular impact in exposed populations [ 26 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 ]. Indeed, in Tapajós area blood pressure was significantly associated with the total mercury in hair, supporting mercury cardiovascular toxicity [ 26 ].…”