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Molecular Insights into Metal Toxicity and Tolerance

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Toxicology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 3987

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Rosanna Mallamaci

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Guest Editor

Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70125 Bari, Italy
Interests: sex gender physiology; neurological diseases; bioactive compounds; drug delivery system; in vitro toxicology; metal toxicity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metal exposure from the environment is bad for everyone's health. There are increasing amounts of allegations that metal exposure, which is also employed in industry, can lead to sickness in both humans and animals even at low quantities. Once single or combined metals have accumulated in the brain, liver, pancreas, and other organs, oxidative stress, mitochondrial malfunction, and protein misfolding are the most frequently observed deficits associated with metal-induced toxicity. In this Special Issue, we seek to comprehend the mechanisms through which heavy metal exposure results in disease or toxicity, as well as possible treatments or interventions. We encourage contributions of comprehensive reviews, original research papers, viewpoint pieces, and short messages on the following subjects:

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of disorders brought on by heavy metals;
Mechanisms of disease following exposure to heavy metals (in vitro or in vivo);
Defense mechanisms against heavy metal toxicity;
Therapies or treatments to enhance or block the impacts of heavy metals;
Human exposure to heavy metals and health effects;
Research that does not fall within the above topics, but which can contribute to them, is also welcome.

Dr. Rosanna Mallamaci
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

heavy metals
metal-induced toxicity
oxidative stress
therapies or treatments
physiological and molecular pathways of cellular toxicology

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 11833 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cadmium Induces Kidney Iron Deficiency and Chronic Kidney Injury by Interfering with the Iron Metabolism in Rats

by Kanglei Zhang, Mengfei Long, Wenxuan Dong, Jiahui Li, Xueru Wang, Wenjing Liu, Qing Huang, Yuyu Ping, Hui Zou, Ruilong Song, Gang Liu, Di Ran and Zongping Liu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(2), 763; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25020763 - 07 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1026

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) is a common environmental pollutant and occupational toxicant that seriously affects various mammalian organs, especially the kidney. Iron ion is an essential trace element in the body, and the disorder of iron metabolism is involved in the development of multiple pathological processes. An iron overload can induce a new type of cell death, defined as ferroptosis. However, whether iron metabolism is abnormal in Cd-induced nephrotoxicity and the role of ferroptosis in Cd-induced nephrotoxicity need to be further elucidated. Sprague Dawley male rats were randomly assigned into three groups: a control group, a 50 mg/L CdCl2-treated group, and a 75 mg/L CdCl2-treated group by drinking water for 1 month and 6 months, respectively. The results showed that Cd could induce renal histopathological abnormalities and dysfunction, disrupt the mitochondria’s ultrastructure, and increase the ROS and MDA content. Next, Cd exposure caused GSH/GPX4 axis blockade, increased FTH1 and COX2 expression, decreased ACSL4 expression, and significantly decreased the iron content in proximal tubular cells or kidney tissues. Further study showed that the expression of iron absorption-related genes SLC11A2, CUBN, LRP2, SLC39A14, and SLC39A8 decreased in proximal tubular cells or kidneys after Cd exposure, while TFRC and iron export-related gene SLC40A1 did not change significantly. Moreover, Cd exposure increased SLC11A2 gene expression and decreased SLC40A1 gene expression in the duodenum. Finally, NAC or Fer-1 partially alleviated Cd-induced proximal tubular cell damage, while DFO and Erastin further aggravated Cd-induced cell damage. In conclusion, our results indicated that Cd could cause iron deficiency and chronic kidney injury by interfering with the iron metabolism rather than typical ferroptosis. Our findings suggest that an abnormal iron metabolism may contribute to Cd-induced nephrotoxicity, providing a novel approach to preventing kidney disease in clinical practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Insights into Metal Toxicity and Tolerance)

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13 pages, 3009 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential Protective Effects of Spirulina (Spirulina platensis) against In Vitro Toxicity Induced by Heavy Metals (Cadmium, Mercury, and Lead) on SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells

by Rosanna Mallamaci, Maria Maddalena Storelli, Alexia Barbarossa, Giovanni Messina, Anna Valenzano and Daniela Meleleo

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(23), 17076; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242317076 - 03 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1153

Abstract

Spirulina, a filamentous microalga, is used all over the world as a nutraceutical dietary supplement. Recent studies have focused on examining its chelating activity and antioxidant properties, especially as a candidate for protection against neurotoxicity caused by heavy metals. The MTT test and LDH assay were used to examine the viability of the SH-SY5Y cells for 24, 48, and 72 h, to Cd, Hg, and Pb, individually or in combination with Spirulina, and the effects of necrotic cell death. In comparison to the control group, the viability of SH-SY5Y cells decreased after 24 h of exposure, with Cd being more toxic than Hg and Pb being less lethal. The effects of heavy metal toxicity on cell survival were ranked in order after 72 h under identical experimental circumstances as follows: Hg, Pb, and Cd. The viability of the cells was then tested after being exposed to Spirulina at doses of 5 at 50 (%v/v) for 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. SH-SY5Y cells that had been treated with mixtures of heavy metals and Spirulina underwent the same assay. Cell viability is considerably increased by using Spirulina treatments at the prescribed periods and doses. Instead, the same procedure, when applied to SH-SY5Y cells, caused the release of LDH, which is consistent with the reduction in cell viability. We demonstrated for the first time, considering all the available data, that Spirulina 5, 25, and 50 (%v/v) enhanced the number of viable SH-SY5Y cells utilized as a model system for brain cells. Overall, the data from the present study provide a first insight into the promising positive role of Spirulina against the potentially toxic effects of metals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Insights into Metal Toxicity and Tolerance)

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Review

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21 pages, 1665 KiB

Open AccessReview

Toxicity Tolerance in the Carcinogenesis of Environmental Cadmium

by Aleksandar Cirovic and Soisungwan Satarug

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(3), 1851; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25031851 - 03 Feb 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1214

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental toxicant of worldwide public health significance. Diet is the main non-workplace Cd exposure source other than passive and active smoking. The intestinal absorption of Cd involves transporters for essential metals, notably iron and zinc. These transporters determine the Cd body burden because only a minuscule amount of Cd can be excreted each day. The International Agency for Research on Cancer listed Cd as a human lung carcinogen, but the current evidence suggests that the effects of Cd on cancer risk extend beyond the lung. A two-year bioassay demonstrated that Cd caused neoplasms in multiple tissues of mice. Also, several non-tumorigenic human cells transformed to malignant cells when they were exposed to a sublethal dose of Cd for a prolonged time. Cd does not directly damage DNA, but it influences gene expression through interactions with essential metals and various proteins. The present review highlights the epidemiological studies that connect an enhanced risk of various neoplastic diseases to chronic exposure to environmental Cd. Special emphasis is given to the impact of body iron stores on the absorption of Cd, and its implications for breast cancer prevention in highly susceptible groups of women. Resistance to cell death and other cancer phenotypes acquired during Cd-induced cancer cell transformation, under in vitro conditions, are briefly discussed. The potential role for the ZnT1 efflux transporter in the cellular acquisition of tolerance to Cd cytotoxicity is highlighted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Insights into Metal Toxicity and Tolerance)

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