Selenium and zinc alleviate hepatotoxicity induced by heavy metal mixture (cadmium, mercury, lead and arsenic) via attenuation of inflammo‐oxidant pathways

Abstract

Heavy metals (HM) are believed to be injurious to humans. Man is exposed to them on daily basis unknowingly, with no acceptable protocol to manage its deleterious effects. These metals occur as mixture of chemicals with varying concentrations in our atmosphere. There are growing calls for the use of essential metals in mitigating the injurious effects induced by heavy metals exposure to man; therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of essential metals (Zinc and Selenium) in a mixture of heavy metal toxicity. In this study, except for negative controls, all other groups were treated with lead (PbCl2, 20 mg kg−1); cadmium (CdCl2, 1.61 mg kg−1); mercury (HgCl2, 0.40 mg kg−1), and arsenic (NaAsO3, 10 mg kg−1) that were formed in distilled water. Pb, Cd, As, and Hg were administered as mixtures to 35, 6 weeks old rats weighing between 80 to 100 g for 60 days. Group I served as normal control without treatment, group II positive control received HM mixture, while groups III to V received HMM with Zn, Se, and Zn + Se respectively. Animal and liver weights, HM accumulation in the liver, food intake (FI), water intake (WI), liver function test, malondialdehyde (MDA), and inflammatory/transcription factor/apoptosis markers were checked. Also, antioxidant enzymes, and histological studies were carried out. Metal mixture accumulated in the liver and caused toxicities which were ameliorated by Zn and Se administration. HM caused significant decrease in FI, WI and distorted the level of liver enzymes, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, antioxidants and architecture of the liver. Co administration with Zn or Se or both reversed the distortions. This study lays credence to the evolving research on the public health implications of low dose metal mixtures and the possible ameliorative properties of Zn and Se.

Joint associations among non-essential heavy metal mixtures and nutritional factors on glucose metabolism indexes in US adults: evidence from the NHANES 2011–2016

“…14 Additionally, consuming a combination of important nutrients such as zinc and selenium may help alleviate liver damage caused by a mixture of heavy metals such as Cd, mercury, Pb, and As, by reducing inflammation and oxidative pathways. 15 Furthermore, selenium has been found to mitigate oxidative stress induced by Cd. 16 Previous research has indicated that incorporating trace elements into one's diet could serve as an alternative approach for managing T2DM, and has the potential to alter the inflammatory profile.…”

Selenium Nanoparticles Attenuate Cobalt Nanoparticle-Induced Skeletal Muscle Injury: A Study Based on Myoblasts and Zebrafish

“…Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have emerged as a potential alternative to implantable coatings, as they promise to mitigate the toxicity of metallic biomaterials [ 22 , 23 ]. They exhibit low toxicity, although high doses may still hinder cell proliferation and function [ 24 ].…”