title: Aluminum toxicity and astrocyte dysfunction: a metabolic link to neurological disorders.
abstract: Aluminum (Al) has been implicated in a variety of neurological diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms that enable Al to be involved in these disorders have yet to be fully delineated. Using astrocytes as a model of the cerebral cellular system, we have uncovered the biochemical networks that are affected by Al toxicity. In this review, we reveal how the inhibitory influence of Al on ATP production and on mitochondrial functions help generate globular astrocytes that are fat producing machines. These biological events may be the contributing factors to Al-triggered brain disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada P3E 2C6.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lemire
authors.forename: Vasu D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Appanna
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000633:toxicity*; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018384:Oxidative Stress
chemical_list: D000535:Aluminum