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Clinical Toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.) Jan 2024
Topics: Humans; Succimer; Mercury; Chelating Agents; Mercury Poisoning; Chelation Therapy
PubMed: 38214213
DOI: 10.1080/15563650.2023.2298883 -
Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine... May 2024This review provides information about heavy metal occurrence in the environment, destructive mechanisms, and lethal effects on fish. (Review)
Review
AIM
This review provides information about heavy metal occurrence in the environment, destructive mechanisms, and lethal effects on fish.
SUMMARY
Heavy metals (HMs) are one of the major causes of environmental contamination globally. The advancement of industries has led to the emanation of toxic substances into the environment. HMs are stable, imperishable compounds and can accumulate in different fish organs when they reach the aquatic regimes. The most ubiquitous HMs are chromium, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, lead, copper, and nickel which can pollute the environment and affect the physiology of fishes. Accumulation of metals in the fish organs causes structural lesions and functional disturbances. Contamination of heavy metals induces oxidative stress, histopathological manifestations, and altered transcriptional gene regulation in the exposed fishes.
CONCLUSION
Heavy metal bioaccumulation leads to different anomalies in the non-target species. Metal toxicity may cause aquatic organisms to exhibit cellular dysfunction and disturb ecological equilibrium.
Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Bioaccumulation; Environmental Monitoring; Metals, Heavy; Cadmium; Heavy Metal Poisoning; Fishes; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 38183919
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2023.127377 -
The International Journal of Artificial... Jan 2024The study aims to present a case of acute mercuric chloride poisoning treated successfully with continuous renal replacement therapy using the CytoSorb filter.
INTRODUCTION
The study aims to present a case of acute mercuric chloride poisoning treated successfully with continuous renal replacement therapy using the CytoSorb filter.
CASE DESCRIPTION
A 21-year-old female patient after a suicide attempt by intentional ingestion of mercuric chloride, was admitted to the hospital with features of multiple organ damage for specific treatment. The performed laboratory tests confirmed high levels of mercury in the blood (1051 μg/L) and urine (22,960 μg/L). Due to acute renal failure, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) CVVHD Ci-Ca was initiated; the procedure was then converted to CVVHDF Ci-Ca with ultrafiltration to optimise therapy, and CytoSorb was added to the artificial kidney system on day 3. Specific antidote therapy (DMPS) was administered concurrently. The ongoing treatment resulted in a reduction in subjective complaints, a decrease in blood mercury levels to 580 μg/L, and an improvement in parenchymal organ function.
CONCLUSION
In the event of poisoning with inorganic mercury compounds (mercuric chloride), continuous renal replacement therapy using the CytoSorb filter as an extracorporeal blood purification method may be considered.
Topics: Female; Humans; Young Adult; Adult; Mercuric Chloride; Chlorides; Mercury Poisoning; Mercury; Acute Kidney Injury
PubMed: 38142295
DOI: 10.1177/03913988231215631 -
The Science of the Total Environment Feb 2024Mercury (Hg) is one of the major pollutants in the environment, which requires effective countermeasures to manage its risk to both human health and the ecosystem. The...
Mercury (Hg) is one of the major pollutants in the environment, which requires effective countermeasures to manage its risk to both human health and the ecosystem. The antagonistic effect of selenium (Se) against methyl mercury (MeHg) and HgCl was evaluated using parent and offspring Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) in this study. Through designated acute exposure of 24 h, our results showed that both MeHg and HgCl induced dose-dependent reproductive toxicity, including increased germ cell apoptosis, decrease in the number of oocytes, brood size, and sperm activation. The increased germ cell apoptosis was even higher in F1 and F2 generations, but returned to control level in F3 generation. Pretreatment with Se significantly suppressed the reproductive toxicity caused by Hg in both parental worms and their offspring, but had little influence on Hg accumulation. The protective role of Se was found closely related to the chemical forms of Hg: mtl-1 and mtl-2 genes participated in reducing the toxicity of HgCl, while the gst-4 gene was involved in the reduced toxicity of MeHg. The formation of Se-Hg complex and the antioxidant function of Se were considered as possible antagonistic mechanisms. Our data indicated that pretreatment with Se could effectively protect C. elegans and their offspring against the reproductive toxicity of Hg in different chemical forms, which provided a reference for the prevention of Hg poisoning and essential information for better understanding the detoxification potential of Se on heavy metals.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Male; Mercury; Selenium; Caenorhabditis elegans; Ecosystem; Semen; Methylmercury Compounds
PubMed: 38141982
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169461 -
Toxics Nov 2023Human intoxication to mercury is a worldwide health problem. In addition to the type and length of exposure, the genetic background plays an important role in mercury... (Review)
Review
Human intoxication to mercury is a worldwide health problem. In addition to the type and length of exposure, the genetic background plays an important role in mercury poisoning. However, reviews on the genetic influence in mercury toxicity are scarce and not systematic. Therefore, this review aimed to systematically overview the most recent evidence on the genetic influence (using single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs) on human mercury poisoning. Three different databases (PubMed/Medline, Web of Science and Scopus) were searched, and 380 studies were found that were published from 2015 to 2022. After applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, 29 studies were selected and data on characteristics (year, country, profile of participants) and results (mercury biomarkers and quantitation, SNPs, main findings) were extracted and analyzed. The largest number of studies was performed in Brazil, mainly involving traditional populations of the Tapajós River basin. Most studies evaluated the influence of the SNPs related to genes of the glutathione system (GST, GPx, etc.), the ATP-binding cassette transporters and the metallothionein proteins. The recent findings regarding other SNPs, such as those of apolipoprotein E and brain-derived neurotrophic factor genes, are also highlighted. The importance of the exposure level is discussed considering the possible biphasic behavior of the genetic modulation phenomena that could explain some SNP associations. Overall, recommendations are provided for future studies based on the analysis obtained in this scoping review.
PubMed: 38133368
DOI: 10.3390/toxics11120967 -
Neurotoxicology Jan 2024The insidious and deadly nature of mercury's organometallic compounds is informed by two large scale poisonings due to industrial mercury pollution that occurred decades...
The insidious and deadly nature of mercury's organometallic compounds is informed by two large scale poisonings due to industrial mercury pollution that occurred decades ago in Minamata and Niigata, Japan. The present study examined chemical speciation for both mercury and selenium in a historic umbilical cord sample from a child born to a mother who lived near the Agano River in Niigata. The mother had experienced mercury exposure leading to more than 50 ppm mercury measured in her hair and was symptomatic 9 years prior to the birth. We sought to determine the mercury and selenium speciation in the child's cord using Hg Lα1 and Se Kα1 high-energy resolution fluorescence detected X-ray absorption spectroscopy, the chemical speciation of mercury was found to be predominantly organometallic and coordinated to a thiolate. The selenium was found to be primarily in an organic form and at levels higher than those of mercury, with no evidence of mercury-selenium chemical species. Our results are consistent with mercury exposure at Niigata being due to exposure to organometallic mercury species.
Topics: Humans; Child; Female; Mercury; Selenium; Synchrotrons; Environmental Exposure; Mercury Poisoning; Methylmercury Compounds
PubMed: 38128735
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2023.12.011 -
BMJ Global Health Dec 2023Social determinants of health, such as living and working conditions, economical and environmental context and access to care, combine to impact the health of...
INTRODUCTION
Social determinants of health, such as living and working conditions, economical and environmental context and access to care, combine to impact the health of individuals and communities. In French Guiana (FG), the persons working in informal artisanal and small-scale gold mining in the rainforest are a particularly vulnerable population which lives in precarious conditions and far from the health system. Previous studies have demonstrated their high morbidity due to infectious diseases. This study aims to describe the social determinants of health in this specific population.
METHODS
This international multicentre cross-sectional survey included people working on the informal FG gold mines at the crossing points located at both borders with Suriname and Brazil. After collecting written informed consent, a structured questionnaire was administered.
RESULTS
From September to December 2022, 539 gold miners were included. These poorly educated migrants, mainly from Brazil (99.1%) did not have access to drinkable water (95.4%), lived in close contact with wild fauna by hunting, eating bushmeat or being bitten and were exposed to mercury by inhalation (58.8%) or ingestion (80.5%). They report frequent accidents (13.5%) and chronic treatment interruptions (26.6% of the 11.9% reporting chronic treatment). Half of them considered themselves in good health (56.4%).
CONCLUSION
This study shows a singular combination of adverse exposures of gold miners working in FG such as zoonoses, heavy metal poisoning, aggression of wild fauna. For ethical as well as public health reasons, actions towards health equity must be considered at different levels: individual, community, environmental, systemic and global level. As end users of minerals, we must assume our responsibilities for the well-being of the extractors by including health in political decisions to engage together in global health.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
NCT05540470.
Topics: Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Gold; French Guiana; Social Determinants of Health; Mining
PubMed: 38103896
DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-012991 -
Critical Care Nursing QuarterlyMercury poisoning is most frequently associated with multiorgan toxicity involving the brain, lungs, and kidneys. Cardiotoxic effects of mercury are rare and often... (Review)
Review
Mercury poisoning is most frequently associated with multiorgan toxicity involving the brain, lungs, and kidneys. Cardiotoxic effects of mercury are rare and often overlooked. We demonstrate mercury poisoning-induced cardiotoxicity through a case study and then provide a review of the incidence, pathophysiology, and associated management plans. This case illustrates the importance of thorough history-taking to promote early recognition of toxicity.
Topics: Humans; Mercury; Mercury Poisoning; Kidney; Heart Block
PubMed: 38031304
DOI: 10.1097/CNQ.0000000000000487 -
Journal of the Neurological Sciences Dec 2023We had an opportunity to perform a general autopsy of a case with chronic organic mercury toxicosis in 2017. He had been engaged in synthesizing a variety of organic...
We had an opportunity to perform a general autopsy of a case with chronic organic mercury toxicosis in 2017. He had been engaged in synthesizing a variety of organic mercury compounds throughout the four years from 1966 and developed chronic organic mercury poisoning in 1969. Almost forty years on, he still remained to complain of persistent paresthesia at finger tips and tongue, and of narrowed visual field. Neurological examinations clarified a rise of two-point discrimination thresholds, a systemic increase of touch thresholds, constriction of the visual field caused by general visual depression, and sensorineural hearing loss while primary modalities of his somatic, visual, and auditory sensations were preserved. These symptoms and signs are characteristic of human organic mercury poisoning. Furthermore, he had difficulty in processing a lot of visual and auditory information at a time. His two-point discrimination thresholds and systemic elevation of touch thresholds were comparable to those of mild organic mercury poisoning cases. He had slight sensory ataxia, but not cerebellar ataxia. Brain [F]-2-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography analysis exhibited marked hypometabolism at bilateral postcentral gyrus, striate cortex, and superior temporal gyrus, but not the cerebellum. Histopathological studies revealed considerable decrease of granular neurons and neuronal networks in bilateral primary somatosensory, visual, and auditory cortices. Those characteristic brain lesions fairly explain increase of thresholds of somatic, visual, and auditory sensations, and degradation of integrating sensory information. It is noted that damages to the peripheral nervous system and the cerebellum were not detected and that his intellectual faculties were preserved.
Topics: Male; Humans; Mercury Poisoning, Nervous System; Brain; Mercury Poisoning; Nervous System Diseases; Autopsy
PubMed: 38000298
DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2023.122802 -
Journal of Hazardous Materials Feb 2024Mercury ions (Hg) primarily target mitochondria in the cells. Therefore, the development of novel probes that specifically target mitochondria in the presence of Hg is...
Mercury ions (Hg) primarily target mitochondria in the cells. Therefore, the development of novel probes that specifically target mitochondria in the presence of Hg is of immense importance. Most previously reported probes that utilize the softness of S, Te, O, and/or N atoms for Hg binding often face problems such as fluorescence quenching and off-target signals. In this study, bromide-hydrocarbon pyridinium salts were designed to target the mitochondria and chelate Hg via Hg-Br coordination bonds. As a prototype, four aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorogens, namely TPP-Br, TPP-Cl, R1, and R2, with a similar D-π-A structure but slight differences in their halogen substituents, were designed. Among them, only TPP-Br achieved the highly selective and sensitive detection of Hg by triggering its AIE properties, resulting in remarkable emission enhancement (80-fold), colorimetry, and the Tyndall effect. TPP-Br exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity to Hg with a detection limit of 0.35 μM, rapid response time (<10 s), and large Stokes shift of 185 nm. Their interaction modes were studied using a combination of H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, fluorescent lifetime decay, and theoretical calculations. TPP-Br exhibited a low emission background in cells, whereas in the presence of Hg, mitochondria were lit up with wash-free staining. This study provides a powerful tool for accurately diagnosing mercury poisoning-related diseases in mitochondria.
Topics: Fluorescent Dyes; Bromides; Mercury; Mitochondria; Staining and Labeling; Spectrometry, Fluorescence
PubMed: 37988945
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132999