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Khoshakhlagh AH, Mohammadzadeh M, Bamel U, Gruszecka-Kosowska A. Human exposure to heavy metals and related cancer development: a bibliometric analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:109867-109888. [PMID: 37792180 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29939-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
As notifications on carcinogenicity of heavy metals increase, more and more attention is paid recently to heavy metals exposure. In our study, the human exposure to heavy metals and cancer knowledge epistemology was investigated using bibliometric analysis. The bibliometric data of the research articles were retrieved using following keywords: "heavy metal," "trace element", "cancer", "carcinogen", and "tumor" in the Scopus database. Specifically, 2118 articles published between 1972 and 2023 were found, covering a total of 1473 authors, 252 sources, and 2797 keywords. Retrospective data obtained from 251 documents and 145 journals were further analyzed by performance analysis and techniques of science mapping. The number of studies conducted in this field increased from one article published in 1972 to 18 articles published in 2022 in the study of Michael P Waalkes. The most impactful author regarding the number of published papers was Masoudreza Sohrabi with 7 publications. In the majority of the published papers, the most popular keywords were "cadmium" and "carcinogenicity". However, in recent 4 years, the emphasis has been placed more on epidemiology studies. Our study provides general knowledge about the trend of publication on the role of heavy metals in causing cancer. The leading researchers in the field of the effects of heavy metals on the development of cancer were identified in our studies. Our results might also create a better understanding of new and emerging issues and can be used as a comprehensive road map for future researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Hossein Khoshakhlagh
- Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Mahdiyeh Mohammadzadeh
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
| | - Umesh Bamel
- OB & HRM Group, International Management Institute New Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Agnieszka Gruszecka-Kosowska
- Faculty of Geology, Geophysics, and Environmental Protection, Department of Environmental Protection, AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059, Krakow, Poland
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Pamphlett R, Bishop DP. The toxic metal hypothesis for neurological disorders. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1173779. [PMID: 37426441 PMCID: PMC10328356 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1173779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis and the major sporadic neurogenerative disorders, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson disease, and Alzheimer disease are considered to have both genetic and environmental components. Advances have been made in finding genetic predispositions to these disorders, but it has been difficult to pin down environmental agents that trigger them. Environmental toxic metals have been implicated in neurological disorders, since human exposure to toxic metals is common from anthropogenic and natural sources, and toxic metals have damaging properties that are suspected to underlie many of these disorders. Questions remain, however, as to how toxic metals enter the nervous system, if one or combinations of metals are sufficient to precipitate disease, and how toxic metal exposure results in different patterns of neuronal and white matter loss. The hypothesis presented here is that damage to selective locus ceruleus neurons from toxic metals causes dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier. This allows circulating toxicants to enter astrocytes, from where they are transferred to, and damage, oligodendrocytes, and neurons. The type of neurological disorder that arises depends on (i) which locus ceruleus neurons are damaged, (ii) genetic variants that give rise to susceptibility to toxic metal uptake, cytotoxicity, or clearance, (iii) the age, frequency, and duration of toxicant exposure, and (iv) the uptake of various mixtures of toxic metals. Evidence supporting this hypothesis is presented, concentrating on studies that have examined the distribution of toxic metals in the human nervous system. Clinicopathological features shared between neurological disorders are listed that can be linked to toxic metals. Details are provided on how the hypothesis applies to multiple sclerosis and the major neurodegenerative disorders. Further avenues to explore the toxic metal hypothesis for neurological disorders are suggested. In conclusion, environmental toxic metals may play a part in several common neurological disorders. While further evidence to support this hypothesis is needed, to protect the nervous system it would be prudent to take steps to reduce environmental toxic metal pollution from industrial, mining, and manufacturing sources, and from the burning of fossil fuels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Pamphlett
- Department of Pathology, Brain and Mind Centre, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Neuropathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
- Hyphenated Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - David P. Bishop
- Hyphenated Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Firth G, Georgiadou E, Griffiths A, Amrahli M, Kim J, Yu Z, Hu M, Stewart TJ, Leclerc I, Okamoto H, Gomez D, Blower PJ, Rutter GA. Impact of an SLC30A8 loss-of-function variant on the pancreatic distribution of zinc and manganese: laser ablation-ICP-MS and positron emission tomography studies in mice. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1171933. [PMID: 37396167 PMCID: PMC10313231 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1171933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Common variants in the SLC30A8 gene, encoding the secretory granule zinc transporter ZnT8 (expressed largely in pancreatic islet alpha and beta cells), are associated with altered risk of type 2 diabetes. Unexpectedly, rare loss-of-function (LoF) variants in the gene, described in heterozygous individuals only, are protective against the disease, even though knockout of the homologous SLC30A8 gene in mice leads to unchanged or impaired glucose tolerance. Here, we aimed to determine how one or two copies of the mutant R138X allele in the mouse SLC30A8 gene impacts the homeostasis of zinc at a whole-body (using non-invasive 62Zn PET imaging to assess the acute dynamics of zinc handling) and tissue/cell level [using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to map the long-term distribution of zinc and manganese in the pancreas]. Methods Following intravenous administration of [62Zn]Zn-citrate (~7 MBq, 150 μl) in wild-type (WT), heterozygous (R138X+/-), and homozygous (R138X+/+) mutant mice (14-15 weeks old, n = 4 per genotype), zinc dynamics were measured over 60 min using PET. Histological, islet hormone immunohistochemistry, and elemental analysis with LA-ICP-MS (Zn, Mn, P) were performed on sequential pancreas sections. Bulk Zn and Mn concentration in the pancreas was determined by solution ICP-MS. Results Our findings reveal that whereas uptake into organs, assessed using PET imaging of 62Zn, is largely unaffected by the R138X variant, mice homozygous of the mutant allele show a substantial lowering (to 40% of WT) of total islet zinc, as anticipated. In contrast, mice heterozygous for this allele, thus mimicking human carriers of LoF alleles, show markedly increased endocrine and exocrine zinc content (1.6-fold increase for both compared to WT), as measured by LA-ICP-MS. Both endocrine and exocrine manganese contents were also sharply increased in R138X+/- mice, with smaller increases observed in R138X+/+ mice. Discussion These data challenge the view that zinc depletion from the beta cell is the likely underlying driver for protection from type 2 diabetes development in carriers of LoF alleles. Instead, they suggest that heterozygous LoF may paradoxically increase pancreatic β-cell zinc and manganese content and impact the levels of these metals in the exocrine pancreas to improve insulin secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Firth
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, St Thomas’ Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eleni Georgiadou
- Section of Cell Biology and Functional Genomics, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Maral Amrahli
- London Metallomics Facility, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jana Kim
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, St Thomas’ Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Zilin Yu
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, St Thomas’ Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ming Hu
- Section of Cell Biology and Functional Genomics, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Isabelle Leclerc
- Section of Cell Biology and Functional Genomics, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) Research Center and Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Haruka Okamoto
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY, United States
| | - Daniel Gomez
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY, United States
| | - Philip J. Blower
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, St Thomas’ Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Guy A. Rutter
- Section of Cell Biology and Functional Genomics, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) Research Center and Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological, University, Singapore, Singapore
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Impact of Microplastics on the Ocular Surface. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043928. [PMID: 36835339 PMCID: PMC9962686 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Plastics are synthetic materials made from organic polymers that are ubiquitous in daily living and are especially important in the healthcare setting. However, recent advances have revealed the pervasive nature of microplastics, which are formed by degradation of existing plastic products. Although the impact on human health has yet to be fully characterised, there is increasing evidence that microplastics can trigger inflammatory damage, microbial dysbiosis, and oxidative stress in humans. Although there are limited studies investigating their effect on the ocular surface, studies of microplastics on other organs provide some insights. The prevalence of plastic waste has also triggered public outcry, culminating in the development of legislation aimed at reducing microplastics in commercial products. We present a review outlining the possible sources of microplastics leading to ocular exposure, and analyse the possible mechanisms of ocular surface damage. Finally, we examine the utility and consequences of current legislation surrounding microplastic regulation.
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Mercury and cancer: Where are we now after two decades of research? Food Chem Toxicol 2022; 164:113001. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2022.113001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Ge P, Luo Y, Chen H, Liu J, Guo H, Xu C, Qu J, Zhang G, Chen H. Application of Mass Spectrometry in Pancreatic Cancer Translational Research. Front Oncol 2021; 11:667427. [PMID: 34707986 PMCID: PMC8544753 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.667427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the digestive tract worldwide, with increased morbidity and mortality. In recent years, with the development of surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, and the change of the medical thinking model, remarkable progress has been made in researching comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of PC. However, the present situation of diagnostic and treatment of PC is still unsatisfactory. There is an urgent need for academia to fully integrate the basic research and clinical data from PC to form a research model conducive to clinical translation and promote the proper treatment of PC. This paper summarized the translation progress of mass spectrometry (MS) in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, prognosis, and PC treatment to promote the basic research results of PC into clinical diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Ge
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Yalan Luo
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Haiyang Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Jiayue Liu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Haoya Guo
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Caiming Xu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Jialin Qu
- Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Guixin Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Hailong Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
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The prevalence of inorganic mercury in human cells increases during aging but decreases in the very old. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16714. [PMID: 34408264 PMCID: PMC8373952 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96359-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful aging is likely to involve both genetic and environmental factors, but environmental toxicants that accelerate aging are not known. Human exposure to mercury is common, and mercury has genotoxic, autoimmune, and free radical effects which could contribute to age-related disorders. The presence of inorganic mercury was therefore assessed in the organs of 170 people aged 1-104 years to determine the prevalence of mercury in human tissues at different ages. Mercury was found commonly in cells of the brain, kidney, thyroid, anterior pituitary, adrenal medulla and pancreas. The prevalence of mercury in these organs increased during aging but decreased in people aged over 80 years. People with mercury in one organ usually also had mercury in several others. In conclusion, the prevalence of inorganic mercury in human organs increases with age. The relative lack of tissue mercury in the very old could account for the flattened mortality rate and reduced incidence of cancer in this advanced age group. Since mercury may accelerate aging, efforts to reduce atmospheric mercury pollution could improve the chances of future successful aging.
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Pamphlett R, Doble PA, Bishop DP. The Prevalence of Inorganic Mercury in Human Kidneys Suggests a Role for Toxic Metals in Essential Hypertension. TOXICS 2021; 9:67. [PMID: 33801008 PMCID: PMC8004013 DOI: 10.3390/toxics9030067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The kidney plays a dominant role in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension, but the initial pathogenic events in the kidney leading to hypertension are not known. Exposure to mercury has been linked to many diseases including hypertension in epidemiological and experimental studies, so we studied the distribution and prevalence of mercury in the human kidney. Paraffin sections of kidneys were available from 129 people ranging in age from 1 to 104 years who had forensic/coronial autopsies. One individual had injected himself with metallic mercury, the other 128 were from varied clinicopathological backgrounds without known exposure to mercury. Sections were stained for inorganic mercury using autometallography. Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used on six samples to confirm the presence of autometallography-detected mercury and to look for other toxic metals. In the 128 people without known mercury exposure, mercury was found in: (1) proximal tubules of the cortex and Henle thin loops of the medulla, in 25% of kidneys (and also in the man who injected himself with mercury), (2) proximal tubules only in 16% of kidneys, and (3) Henle thin loops only in 23% of kidneys. The age-related proportion of people who had any mercury in their kidney was 0% at 1-20 years, 66% at 21-40 years, 77% at 41-60 years, 84% at 61-80 years, and 64% at 81-104 years. LA-ICP-MS confirmed the presence of mercury in samples staining with autometallography and showed cadmium, lead, iron, nickel, and silver in some kidneys. In conclusion, mercury is found commonly in the adult human kidney, where it appears to accumulate in proximal tubules and Henle thin loops until an advanced age. Dysfunctions of both these cortical and medullary regions have been implicated in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension, so these findings suggest that further studies of the effects of mercury on blood pressure are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Pamphlett
- Discipline of Pathology, Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
- Department of Neuropathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney 2050, Australia
| | - Philip A. Doble
- Elemental Bio-Imaging Facility, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney 2007, Australia; (P.A.D.); (D.P.B.)
| | - David P. Bishop
- Elemental Bio-Imaging Facility, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney 2007, Australia; (P.A.D.); (D.P.B.)
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Pamphlett R, Doble PA, Bishop DP. Mercury in the human thyroid gland: Potential implications for thyroid cancer, autoimmune thyroiditis, and hypothyroidism. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0246748. [PMID: 33561145 PMCID: PMC7872292 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Mercury and other toxic metals have been suggested to be involved in thyroid disorders, but the distribution and prevalence of mercury in the human thyroid gland is not known. We therefore used two elemental bio-imaging techniques to look at the distribution of mercury and other toxic metals in the thyroid glands of people over a wide range of ages. Materials and methods Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded thyroid tissue blocks were obtained from 115 people aged 1–104 years old, with varied clinicopathological conditions, who had thyroid samples removed during forensic/coronial autopsies. Seven-micron sections from these tissue blocks were used to detect intracellular inorganic mercury using autometallography. The presence of mercury was confirmed using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry which can detect multiple elements. Results Mercury was found on autometallography in the thyroid follicular cells of 4% of people aged 1–29 years, 9% aged 30–59 years, and 38% aged 60–104 years. Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry confirmed the presence of mercury in samples staining with autometallography, and detected cadmium, lead, iron, nickel and silver in selected samples. Conclusions The proportion of people with mercury in their thyroid follicular cells increases with age, until it is present in over one-third of people aged 60 years and over. Other toxic metals in thyroid cells could enhance mercury toxicity. Mercury can trigger genotoxicity, autoimmune reactions, and oxidative damage, which raises the possibility that mercury could play a role in the pathogenesis of thyroid cancers, autoimmune thyroiditis, and hypothyroidism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Pamphlett
- Discipline of Pathology, Sydney Medical School, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Neuropathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Philip A. Doble
- Elemental Bio-Imaging Facility, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David P. Bishop
- Elemental Bio-Imaging Facility, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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