Cadmium-induced neurotoxicity: still much ado

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic heavy metal that accumulates in living system and as such is currently one of the most important occupational and environmental pollutants. Cd reaches into the environment by anthropogenic mobilization and it is absorbed from tobacco consumption or ingestion of contaminated substances. Its extremely long biological half-life (approximately 20–30 years in humans) and low rate of excretion from the body cause cadmium storage predominantly in soft tissues (primarily, liver and kidneys) with a diversity of toxic effects such as nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, endocrine and reproductive toxicities. Moreover, a Cd-dependent neurotoxicity has been also related to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and multiple sclerosis. At the cellular level, Cd affects cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and other cellular activities. Among all these mechanisms, the Cd-dependent interference in DNA repair mechanisms as well as the generation of reactive oxygen species, seem to be the most important causes of its cellular toxicity. Nevertheless, there is still much to find out about its mechanisms of action and ways to reduce health risks. This article gives a brief review of the relevant mechanisms that it would be worth investigating in order to deep inside cadmium toxicity.

Histological changes, lipid metabolism, and oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress in the liver of laying hens exposed to cadmium concentrations

“…Cd pollution in animal production has been a problem for several countries, and in some situations, the concentration of Cd in manure and animal feed can reach up to even 130 mg/kg ( Li et al., 2010 ). Chronic exposure to Cd can induce hepatotoxicity, renal dysfunction, and neurotoxicity ( Branca et al., 2018 , Rong et al., 2018 ).…”

Cannabidiol Protects Dopaminergic Neuronal Cells from Cadmium

“…Exposure to Cd also severely affects the function of the nervous system [8,9,10,11], with symptoms including headache and vertigo, olfactory and motor dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy, decreased equilibrium and ability to concentrate, and learning disabilities [12,13,14,15]. Although studies on the central nervous system (CNS) Cd distribution demonstrated that this metal could not easily get into the brain due to the presence of the blood brain barrier (BBB) [16,17], a Cd-induced BBB dysfunction and permeability increase has been demonstrated in in vivo models [18].…”

Disruption of essential metal homeostasis in the brain by cadmium and high-fat diet

“…It has been hypothesized that environmental toxicant-induced elevation of ROS in the brain may contribute to cognitive dysfunction [ 56 , 57 ]. Both obesity and cadmium exposure are associated with increased levels of ROS and several human diseases [ [58] , [59] , [60] ].…”