Methylmercury neurotoxicity & antioxidant defenses.
Neurotoxicity induced by methylmercury (MeHg) increases the formation of reactive radicals and accelerates free radical reactions. This review summarizes recent findings in the MeHg-induced formation of free radicals and the role of oxidative stress in its neurotoxicity. Oxidative stress on CNS can produce damage by several interacting mechanisms, including mitochondrial damage with increase in intracellular free Ca(2+), activation and inhibition of enzymes, release of excitatory amino acids, metallothioneins expression, and microtubule disassembly. The nature of antioxidants is discussed and it is suggested that antioxidant enzymes and others antioxidants molecules may protect the central nervous system against neurotoxicity caused by MeHg.
do Nascimento
José Luiz M
JL
Lab. Neuroquímica Molecular e Celular, Dep. Fisiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil. jlmn@ufpa.br
Oliveira
Karen Renata M
KR
Crespo-Lopez
Maria Elena
ME
Macchi
Barbarella M
BM
Maués
Luís Antônio L
LA
Pinheiro
Maria da Conceição N
Mda C
Silveira
Luiz Carlos L
LC
Herculano
Anderson Manoel
AM
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D009420:Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress
D000975:Antioxidants; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds