Effect of methylmercury on fetal neurobehavioral development: an overview of the possible mechanisms of toxicity and the neuroprotective effect of phytochemicals

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a global environmental pollutant with neurotoxic effects. Exposure to MeHg via consumption of seafood and fish can severely impact fetal neurobehavioral development even when MeHg levels in maternal blood are as low as about 5 μg/L, which the mother tolerates well. Persistent...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of toxicology 2022-12, Vol.96 (12), p.3175-3199
Main Authors: Bjørklund, Geir, Antonyak, Halyna, Polishchuk, Alexandr, Semenova, Yuliya, Lesiv, Marta, Lysiuk, Roman, Peana, Massimiliano
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Archives & records
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Brain research
Cell adhesion & migration
Cerebellum
Cognitive ability
Councils
Cytoskeleton
Dimethylmercury
Disasters
Environmental Health
Enzymes
Fetuses
Mercury (metal)
Methylmercury
Microorganisms
Mitochondria
Motor ability
Nervous system
Neuroprotection
Neurotoxicity
Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine
Pharmacology/Toxicology
Phytochemicals
Poisoning
Pollutants
Purkinje cells
Review Article
Seafood
Toxicity
Toxicology
Transfer RNA
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Summary:Methylmercury (MeHg) is a global environmental pollutant with neurotoxic effects. Exposure to MeHg via consumption of seafood and fish can severely impact fetal neurobehavioral development even when MeHg levels in maternal blood are as low as about 5 μg/L, which the mother tolerates well. Persistent motor dysfunctions and cognitive deficits may result from trans-placental exposure. The present review summarizes current knowledge on the mechanisms of MeHg toxicity during the period of nervous system development. Although cerebellar Purkinje cells are MeHg targets, the actions of MeHg on thiol components in the neuronal cytoskeleton as well as on mitochondrial enzymes and induction of disturbances of glutamate signaling can impair extra-cerebellar functions, also at levels well tolerated by adult individuals. Numerous herbal substances possess neuroprotective effects, predominantly represented by natural polyphenolic molecules that might be utilized to develop natural drugs to alleviate neurotoxicity symptoms caused by MeHg or other Hg compounds.
ISSN:0340-5761
1432-0738
DOI:10.1007/s00204-022-03366-3