Ceruloplasmin gene expression profile changes in the rat mammary gland during pregnancy, lactation and involution

Abnormalities in Copper Status Associated with an Elevated Risk of Parkinson's Phenotype Development

In the last 15 years, among the many reasons given for the development of idiopathic forms of Parkinson's disease (PD), copper imbalance has been identified as a factor, and PD is often referred to as a copper-mediated disorder. More than 640 papers have been devoted to the relationship between PD and copper status in the blood, which include the following markers: total copper concentration, enzymatic ceruloplasmin (Cp) concentration, Cp protein level, and non-ceruloplasmin copper level. Most studies measure only one of these markers. Therefore, the existence of a correlation between copper status and the development of PD is still debated. Based on data from the published literature, meta-analysis, and our own research, it is clear that there is a connection between the development of PD symptoms and the number of copper atoms, which are weakly associated with the ceruloplasmin molecule. In this work, the link between the risk of developing PD and various inborn errors related to copper metabolism, leading to decreased levels of oxidase ceruloplasmin in the circulation and cerebrospinal fluid, is discussed.

Chemical background of silver nanoparticles interfering with mammalian copper metabolism

The rapidly increasing application of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) boosts their release into the environment, which raises a reasonable alarm for ecologists and health specialists. This is manifested as increased research devoted to the influence of AgNPs on physiological and cellular processes in various model systems, including mammals. The topic of the present paper is the ability of silver to interfere with copper metabolism, the potential health effects of this interference, and the danger of low silver concentrations to humans. The chemical properties of ionic and nanoparticle silver, supporting the possibility of silver release by AgNPs in extracellular and intracellular compartments of mammals, are discussed. The possibility of justified use of silver for the treatment of some severe diseases, including tumors and viral infections, based on the specific molecular mechanisms of the decrease in copper status by silver ions released from AgNPs is also discussed.

Influence of Silver Nanoparticles on the Growth of Ascitic and Solid Ehrlich Adenocarcinoma: Focus on Copper Metabolism

The link between copper metabolism and tumor progression motivated us to use copper chelators for suppression of tumor growth. We assume that silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can be used for lowering bioavailable copper. Our assumption is based on the ability of Ag(I) ions released by AgNPs in biological media and interfere with Cu(I) transport. Intervention of Ag(I) into copper metabolism leads to the replacement of copper by silver in ceruloplasmin and the decrease in bioavailable copper in the bloodstream. To check this assumption, mice with ascitic or solid Ehrlich adenocarcinoma (EAC) were treated with AgNPs using different protocols. Copper status indexes (copper concentration, ceruloplasmin protein level, and oxidase activity) were monitored to assess copper metabolism. The expression of copper-related genes was determined by real-time PCR in the liver and tumors, and copper and silver levels were measured by FAAS. Intraperitoneal AgNPs treatment beginning on the day of tumor inoculation enhanced mice survival, reduced the proliferation of ascitic EAC cells, and suppressed the activity of HIF1α, TNF-α and VEGFa genes. Topical treatment by the AgNPs, which was started together with the implantation of EAC cells in the thigh, also enhanced mice survival, decreased tumor growth, and repressed genes responsible for neovascularization. The advantages of silver-induced copper deficiency over copper chelators are discussed.

Silver Ions as a Tool for Understanding Different Aspects of Copper Metabolism

In humans, copper is an important micronutrient because it is a cofactor of ubiquitous and brain-specific cuproenzymes, as well as a secondary messenger. Failure of the mechanisms supporting copper balance leads to the development of neurodegenerative, oncological, and other severe disorders, whose treatment requires a detailed understanding of copper metabolism. In the body, bioavailable copper exists in two stable oxidation states, Cu(I) and Cu(II), both of which are highly toxic. The toxicity of copper ions is usually overcome by coordinating them with a wide range of ligands. These include the active cuproenzyme centers, copper-binding protein motifs to ensure the safe delivery of copper to its physiological location, and participants in the Cu(I) ↔ Cu(II) redox cycle, in which cellular copper is stored. The use of modern experimental approaches has allowed the overall picture of copper turnover in the cells and the organism to be clarified. However, many aspects of this process remain poorly understood. Some of them can be found out using abiogenic silver ions (Ag(I)), which are isoelectronic to Cu(I). This review covers the physicochemical principles of the ability of Ag(I) to substitute for copper ions in transport proteins and cuproenzyme active sites, the effectiveness of using Ag(I) to study copper routes in the cells and the body, and the limitations associated with Ag(I) remaining stable in only one oxidation state. The use of Ag(I) to restrict copper transport to tumors and the consequences of large-scale use of silver nanoparticles for human health are also discussed.

Copper Metabolism of Newborns Is Adapted to Milk Ceruloplasmin as a Nutritive Source of Copper: Overview of the Current Data

Copper, which can potentially be a highly toxic agent, is an essential nutrient due to its role as a cofactor for cuproenzymes and its participation in signaling pathways. In mammals, the liver is a central organ that controls copper turnover throughout the body, including copper absorption, distribution, and excretion. In ontogenesis, there are two types of copper metabolism, embryonic and adult, which maintain the balance of copper in each of these periods of life, respectively. In the liver cells, these types of metabolism are characterized by the specific expression patterns and activity levels of the genes encoding ceruloplasmin, which is the main extracellular ferroxidase and copper transporter, and the proteins mediating ceruloplasmin metalation. In newborns, the molecular genetic mechanisms responsible for copper homeostasis and the ontogenetic switch from embryonic to adult copper metabolism are highly adapted to milk ceruloplasmin as a dietary source of copper. In the mammary gland cells, the level of ceruloplasmin gene expression and the alternative splicing of its pre-mRNA govern the amount of ceruloplasmin in the milk, and thus, the amount of copper absorbed by a newborn is controlled. In newborns, the absorption, distribution, and accumulation of copper are adapted to milk ceruloplasmin. If newborns are not breast-fed in the early stages of postnatal development, they do not have this natural control ensuring alimentary copper balance in the body. Although there is still much to be learned about the neonatal consequences of having an imbalance of copper in the mother/newborn system, the time to pay attention to this problem has arrived because the neonatal misbalance of copper may provoke the development of copper-related disorders.