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Review
. 2022 Feb 11;23(4):1992.
doi: 10.3390/ijms23041992.

Comprehensive Review Regarding Mercury Poisoning and Its Complex Involvement in Alzheimer's Disease

Emanuela Paduraru  1 , Diana Iacob  1 , Viorica Rarinca  1 , Angelica Rusu  1 , Roxana Jijie  2 , Ovidiu-Dumitru Ilie  3 , Alin Ciobica  3   4   5 , Mircea Nicoara  3 , Bogdan Doroftei  6
Affiliations
Review

Comprehensive Review Regarding Mercury Poisoning and Its Complex Involvement in Alzheimer's Disease

Emanuela Paduraru et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Mercury (Hg) is considered one of the most widespread toxic environmental pollutants, which seems to have multiple effects on organisms even at low concentrations. It has a critical role in many health problems with harmful consequences, with Hg primarily targeting the brain and its components, such as the central nervous system (CNS). Hg exposure was associated with numerous CNS disorders that frequently trigger Alzheimer's disease (AD). Patients with AD have higher concentrations of Hg in blood and brain tissue. This paper aims to emphasize a correlation between Hg and AD based on the known literature in the occupational field. The outcome shows that all these concerning elements could get attributed to Hg. However, recent studies did not investigate the molecular level of Hg exposure in AD. The present review highlights the interactions between Hg and AD in neuronal degenerations, apoptosis, autophagy, oxidative stress (OS), mitochondrial malfunctions, gastrointestinal (GI) microflora, infertility and altering gene expression.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; apoptosis; autophagy; fertility; gut microbiota; mercury poisoning; neurological toxicity; oxidative stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Symptoms associated with Hg poisoning of organ systems (data modified from Zahir et al. [3]).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mechanism of Hg toxicity and its effects at the cellular level.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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