Genotoxic effects of aluminum, iron and manganese in human cells and experimental systems: A review of the literature

Abstract

<jats:p> There is considerable evidence indicating an increase in neurodegenerative disorders in industrialized countries. The clinical symptoms and the possible mutagenic effects produced by acute poisoning and by chronic exposure to metals are of major interest. This study is a review of the data found concerning the genotoxic potential of three metals: aluminum (Al), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn), with emphasis on their action on human cells. </jats:p>

<b>Influence of natural radon and metal contamination on surface water quality from a Brazilian Semiarid Region

“…A variety of studies indicate the presence of heavy metals in complex environmental mixtures such as water samples from different natural sources as inducers of mutations in the genetic material (Patel, Lynch, Ruff, & Reynolds, 2012). Al, Cd, Ni and Pb have been widely linked with genotoxic and mutagenic effect (Bal, Protas, & Kasprzak, 2011;Lima et al, 2011). The Lead levels found in this work were seven fold the guideline value considered.…”

Flooding modifies the genotoxic effects of pollution on a worm, a mussel and two fish species from the Sava River

“…Manganese can disrupt DNA integrity and DNA replication, but only in relatively high concentrations ( Van de Sande et al, 1982;Beckman et al, 1985;De Meo et al, 1991;Lima et al, 2011) while the data on boron genotoxicity are currently lacking. We assume that the detected correlation between the level of DNA damage and concentrations of these elements occurred indirectly.…”

10 Algal cell biology – important tools to understand metal and herbicide toxicity

“…Cellular mechanisms for metal toxicity are relatively well studied. In general, many metals in particular lead have been shown to elicit genotoxic effects , through either replacing zinc or other essential cofactors in important proteins or through directly intercalating with DNA causing DNA-defects and bulging for recent review see (Lima et al 2011). However, genotoxic effects, although demonstrated for Pyrocystis lunula for lead and nickel, as mechanically-inducible bioluminescence did not recover within 72 h (Heimann et al 2002), cannot explain the immediate and dramatic increase in spontaneous bioluminescent fl ashes, as shown here, as DNA damage is a function of metal exposure and time.…”