Methylmercury-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines activation and its preventive strategy using anti-inflammation N-acetyl-l-cysteine: a mini-review
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Muflihatul Muniroh
Abstract
The exposure of methylmercury (MeHg) has become a public health concern because of its neurotoxic effect. Various neurological symptoms were detected in Minamata disease patients, who got intoxicated by MeHg, including paresthesia, ataxia, gait disturbance, sensory disturbances, tremors, visual, and hearing impairments, indicating that MeHg could pass the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and cause impairment of neurons and other brain cells. Previous studies have reported some expected mechanisms of MeHg-induced neurotoxicity including the neuroinflammation pathway. It was characterized by the up-regulation of numerous pro-inflammatory cytokines expression. Therefore, the use of anti-inflammatories such as N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) may act as a preventive compound to protect the brain from MeHg harmful effects. This mini-review will explain detailed information on MeHg-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines activation as well as possible preventive strategies using anti-inflammation NAC to protect brain cells, particularly in in vivo and in vitro studies.
Research funding: None declared.
Conflict of interest: The author has declared no conflict of interest.
Author contributions: Author has accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Informed consent: Not applicable.
Ethical approval: Not applicable.
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© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Assessing and mitigating environmental exposures in early life
- Mini Reviews
- Impact of pesticide exposure in childhood
- Risk of Mercury exposure during childhood: a review of Sri Lankan situation
- Methylmercury-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines activation and its preventive strategy using anti-inflammation N-acetyl-l-cysteine: a mini-review
- Multi-level analysis of symptoms of poison exposure reported to the Japanese Poison Information Center
- Review Article
- Chemical mixtures and neurobehavior: a review of epidemiologic findings and future directions
- Original Articles
- Human health risk assessment of heavy metals via consumption of fish from Kao Bay
- The relationship of mercury exposure with neurological problems in artisanal gold in Makassar city
- Contribution of house dust contamination towards lead exposure among children in Karachi, Pakistan
- Concentration of folic acid (FA) in serum of Japanese pregnant women
- Introducing the ORIGINS project: a community-based interventional birth cohort
- Effect of particulate matter 2.5 exposure to urinary malondialdehyde levels of public transport drivers in Jakarta
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Assessing and mitigating environmental exposures in early life
- Mini Reviews
- Impact of pesticide exposure in childhood
- Risk of Mercury exposure during childhood: a review of Sri Lankan situation
- Methylmercury-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines activation and its preventive strategy using anti-inflammation N-acetyl-l-cysteine: a mini-review
- Multi-level analysis of symptoms of poison exposure reported to the Japanese Poison Information Center
- Review Article
- Chemical mixtures and neurobehavior: a review of epidemiologic findings and future directions
- Original Articles
- Human health risk assessment of heavy metals via consumption of fish from Kao Bay
- The relationship of mercury exposure with neurological problems in artisanal gold in Makassar city
- Contribution of house dust contamination towards lead exposure among children in Karachi, Pakistan
- Concentration of folic acid (FA) in serum of Japanese pregnant women
- Introducing the ORIGINS project: a community-based interventional birth cohort
- Effect of particulate matter 2.5 exposure to urinary malondialdehyde levels of public transport drivers in Jakarta
