The association between heavy metals co-exposures and depression: a convergence of network toxicology and epidemiology

Abstract

As neurotoxic agents, heavy metals have been implicated in depression pathogenesis, yet epidemiological evidence on metal mixture associations remain limited. This study examined associations between cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), selenium (Se), manganese (Mn), and their mixtures with depression in US adults. Using 2011-2018 NHANES data from 8565 participants (≥20 years), we applied logistic regression, weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to evaluate individual and mixture associations. Subgroup analyses by age/sex, mediation analysis, and network toxicology for molecular mechanisms were conducted. The logistic regression revealed significant Cd-depression associations [OR (95 %CI): 1.46 (1.32, 1.61)]. Mixture analyses demonstrated positive exposure-response relationships, with Cd contributing 75.4 % to the WQS mixture index and exhibiting the strongest association in BKMR. Network toxicology identified CASP3, TNF, ALB, AKT1, and JUN as core genes, with oxidative stress, transcription factor Ap-1 complex and protein serine/threonine kinase inhibitor activity emerging as key mechanistic components. Our findings highlight heavy metal mixtures, particularly Cd-dominated combinations, exhibit significant depression associations, and reveal the neurotoxic synergy in metal mixtures and identify molecular targets for intervention.

Keywords: Cadmium; Depression; Heavy metals; Molecular mechanism; NHANES.