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Pyatha S, Kim H, Lee D, Kim K. Co-exposure to lead, mercury, and cadmium induces neurobehavioral impairments in mice by interfering with dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission in the striatum. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1265864. [PMID: 38026429 PMCID: PMC10662100 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1265864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans are exposed to lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and cadmium (Cd) through various routes, including drinking water, and such exposure can lead to a range of toxicological effects. However, few studies have investigated the toxic effects of exposure to mixtures of metals, particularly in relation to neurotoxicity. In this study, 7-week-old male mice were exposed to Pb, Hg, and Cd individually or in combination through their drinking water for 28 days. The mice exposed to the metal mixture exhibited significantly reduced motor coordination and impaired learning and memory abilities compared to the control group and each of the single metal exposure groups, indicating a higher level of neurotoxicity of the metal mixture. The dopamine content in the striatum was significantly lower in the metal mixture exposure group than in the single metal exposure groups and the control group. Furthermore, compared to the control group, the metal mixture exposure group showed a significantly lower expression level of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and significantly higher expression levels of dopamine transporter (DAT), tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1), and serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT). Notably, there were no significant differences in SERT expression between the single metal exposure groups and the control group, but SERT expression was significantly higher in the metal mixture exposure group than in the single metal and control groups. These findings suggest that the key proteins involved in the synthesis and reuptake of dopamine (TH and DAT, respectively), as well as in the synthesis and reuptake of serotonin (TPH1 and SERT, respectively), play crucial roles in the neurotoxic effects associated with exposure to metal mixtures. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that simultaneous exposure to different metals can impact key enzymes involved in dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission processes, leading to disruptions in dopamine and serotonin homeostasis and consequently a range of detrimental neurobehavioral effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kisok Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
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Guo H, Tang Y, Li Y, Tian H, Zhang T, Li Y, Liu L, He B, Hu L, Jiang G. Endocytosis-Mediated Transport of Pb in Rat Blood Cells. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:8514-8523. [PMID: 37252706 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c02182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Blood is an important reservoir for Pb storage in living organisms, and the storage of Pb in blood cells inhibits its discharge from blood. However, the mechanism and molecular targets of Pb entry and exit from blood cells have not been elucidated, which is the major barrier to reducing blood Pb levels in normal human beings. In this study, we explored the effect of Pb-binding proteins on blood Pb levels in rats at environmentally relevant concentrations (0.32 μg/g) by identifying the functions of Pb-binding proteins and validating them with inhibitors. The results showed that Pb-binding proteins in blood cells were mainly related to phagocytosis, while in plasma, they were mainly involved in the regulation of endopeptidase activity. Meanwhile, at the normal population Pb levels, endocytosis inhibitors, endopeptidase activity inhibitors, and coadministration of both can reduce the level of Pb in MEL (mouse erythroleukemia cells) cells by up to 50, 40, and 50%, respectively, while in rat blood, the reduction can reach up to 26, 13, and 32%, respectively. Collectively, these findings reveal that endocytosis increases blood Pb levels and provides a possible molecular target for Pb excretion at ambient concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Guo
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Yinyin Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Yu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Haozhong Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Tingting Zhang
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Yingying Li
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Lihong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Bin He
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Ligang Hu
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Guibin Jiang
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
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3
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Wang B, Zou L, Li M, Zhou L. Astrocyte: A Foe or a Friend in Intellectual Disability-Related Diseases. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2022; 14:877928. [PMID: 35812794 PMCID: PMC9259964 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2022.877928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Intellectual disabilities are a type of neurodevelopmental disease caused by neurological dysfunction. Their incidence is largely associated with neural development. Astrocytes are the most widely distributed cells in the mammalian brain. Previous studies have reported that astrocytes only supported and separated the neurons in the brain. However, recent studies have found that they also play an important role in neural development. Understanding the astrocyte mechanism in intellectual development disorder-related diseases will help provide new therapeutic targets for the treatment of intellectual disability-related diseases. This mini-review introduced the association between astrocyte and intellectual disabilities. Furthermore, recent advances in genetic and environmental factors causing intellectual disability and different pharmaceutical effects of intellectual disability-related drugs on astrocytes have been summarised. Finally, we discussed future perspectives of astrocyte-based therapy for intellectual disability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Liang Zhou
- *Correspondence: Liang Zhou, , orcid.org/0000-0003-0820-1520
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4
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Evaluation of Analytes Characterized with Potential Protective Action after Rat Exposure to Lead. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26082163. [PMID: 33918725 PMCID: PMC8069014 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26082163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Lead (Pb) was revealed for its role as a neurodevelopmental toxin. The determination of neurotransmitters (NTs) in particular brain regions could ameliorate the precise description and optimization of therapeutic protocols able to restore the harmony of signaling pathways in nervous and immune systems. The determination of selected analytes from the group of NTs based on the liquid chromatography (LC)-based method was carried out to illustrate the changes of amino acid (AA) and biogenic amine (BA) profiles observed in chosen immune and nervous systems rat tissues after Pb intoxication. Also, a protective combination of AA was proposed to correct the changes caused by Pb intoxication. After the administration of Pb, changes were observed in all organs studied and were characterized by a fluctuation of NT concentrations in immune and nervous systems (hypothalamus samples). Using a protective mixture of bioactive compounds prevented numerous changes in the balance of NT. The combined analysis of the immune and nervous system while the normalizing effect of curative agents on the level of differentially secreted NTs and AA is studied could present a new approach to the harmonization of those two essential systems after Pb intoxication.
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Liu X, Wei F, Cheng Y, Zhang Y, Jia G, Zhou J, Zhu M, Shan Y, Sun X, Yu L, Merzenich MM, Lurie DI, Zheng Q, Zhou X. Auditory Training Reverses Lead (Pb)-Toxicity-Induced Changes in Sound-Azimuth Selectivity of Cortical Neurons. Cereb Cortex 2019; 29:3294-3304. [PMID: 30137254 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Lead (Pb) causes significant adverse effects on the developing brain, resulting in cognitive and learning disabilities in children. The process by which lead produces these negative changes is largely unknown. The fact that children with these syndromes also show deficits in central auditory processing, however, indicates a speculative but disturbing relationship between lead-exposure, impaired auditory processing, and behavioral dysfunction. Here we studied in rats the changes in cortical spatial tuning impacted by early lead-exposure and their potential restoration to normal by auditory training. We found animals that were exposed to lead early in life displayed significant behavioral impairments compared with naïve controls while conducting the sound-azimuth discrimination task. Lead-exposure also degraded the sound-azimuth selectivity of neurons in the primary auditory cortex. Subsequent sound-azimuth discrimination training, however, restored to nearly normal the lead-degraded cortical azimuth selectivity. This reversal of cortical spatial fidelity was paralleled by changes in cortical expression of certain excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter receptor subunits. These results in a rodent model demonstrate the persisting neurotoxic effects of early lead-exposure on behavioral and cortical neuronal processing of spatial information of sound. They also indicate that attention-demanding auditory training may remediate lead-induced cortical neurological deficits even after these deficits have occurred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Liu
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fanfan Wei
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,New York University-East China Normal University Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, New York University-Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Yifan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,New York University-East China Normal University Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, New York University-Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Guoqiang Jia
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,New York University-East China Normal University Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, New York University-Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,New York University-East China Normal University Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, New York University-Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,New York University-East China Normal University Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, New York University-Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Ye Shan
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinde Sun
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liping Yu
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Diana I Lurie
- Center for Structural and Functional Neuroscience, Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Qingyin Zheng
- Transformative Otology and Neuroscience Center, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Xiaoming Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,New York University-East China Normal University Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, New York University-Shanghai, Shanghai, China
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6
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Cai H, Xu X, Zhang Y, Cong X, Lu X, Huo X. Elevated lead levels from e-waste exposure are linked to sensory integration difficulties in preschool children. Neurotoxicology 2019; 71:150-158. [PMID: 30664973 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2019.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to lead is associated with adverse effects on neurodevelopment. However, studies of the effects of lead on sensory integration are few. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of lead exposure on child sensory integration by correlating the blood lead levels of children with sensory processing measures. A total of 574 children, from 3 to 6 years of age, 358 from an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling town named Guiyu, and 216 from Haojiang, a nearby town with no e-waste recycling activity, were recruited in this study. The median blood lead level in Guiyu children was 4.88 μg/dL, higher than the 3.47 μg/dL blood lead level in Haojiang children (P < 0.001). 47.2% of Guiyu children had blood lead levels exceeding 5 μg/dL. The median concentration of serum cortisol, an HPA-axis biomarker, in Guiyu children was significantly lower than in Haojiang, and was negatively correlated with blood lead levels. All subscale scores and the total score of the Sensory Processing Measure (Hong Kong Chinese version, SPM-HKC) in Guiyu children were higher than Haojiang children, indicating greater difficulties, especially for touch, body awareness, balance and motion, and total sensory systems. Sensory processing scores were positively correlated with blood lead, except for touch, which was negatively correlated with serum cortisol levels. Simultaneously, all subscale scores and the total SPM-HKC scores for children with high blood lead levels (blood lead > 5 μg/dL) were higher than those in the low blood lead level group (blood lead < 5 μg/dL), especially for hearing, touch, body awareness, balance and motion, and total sensory systems. Our findings suggest that lead exposure in e-waste recycling areas may result in a decrease in serum cortisol levels and an increase in child sensory integration difficulties. Cortisol may be involved in touch-related sensory integration difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoxing Cai
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - Xijin Xu
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China; Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China; Immunoendocrinology, Division of Medical Biology, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Xiaowei Cong
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - Xueling Lu
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China; Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Xia Huo
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, 855 East Xingye Avenue, Guangzhou 511486, Guangdong, China.
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