- 著者
- Natsumi Seki Masahiro Akiyama Hiroto Yamakawa Koji Hase Yoshito Kumagai Yun-Gi Kim
- 出版者
- The Japanese Society of Toxicology
- 雑誌
- The Journal of Toxicological Sciences (ISSN:03881350)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.46, no.2, pp.91-97, 2021 (Released:2021-02-02)
- 参考文献数
- 29
- 被引用文献数
- 5 12
Methylmercury (MeHg), an environmental electrophile, binds covalently to the cysteine residues of proteins in organs, altering protein function and causing cytotoxicity. MeHg has also been shown to alter the composition of gut microbes. The gut microbiota is a complex community, the disturbance of which has been linked to the development of certain diseases. However, the relationship between MeHg and gut bacteria remains poorly understood. In this study, we showed that MeHg binds covalently to gut bacterial proteins via cysteine residues. We examined the effects of MeHg on the growth of selected Lactobacillus species, namely, L. reuteri, L. gasseri, L. casei, and L. acidophilus, that are frequently either positively or negatively correlated with human diseases. The results revealed that MeHg inhibits the growth of Lactobacillus to varying degrees depending on the species. Furthermore, the growth of L. reuteri, which was inhibited by MeHg exposure, was restored by Na2S2 treatment. By comparing mice with and without gut microbiota colonization, we found that gut bacteria contribute to the production of reactive sulfur species such as hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen persulfide in the gut. We also discovered that the removal of gut bacteria accelerated accumulation of mercury in the cerebellum, liver, and lungs of mice subsequent to MeHg exposure. These results accordingly indicate that MeHg is captured and inactivated by the hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen persulfide produced by intestinal microbes, thereby providing evidence for the role played by gut microbiota in reducing MeHg toxicity.
- 著者
- Yo Shinoda Masahiro Akiyama Takashi Toyama
- 出版者
- The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
- 雑誌
- Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin (ISSN:09186158)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.46, no.9, pp.1162-1168, 2023-09-01 (Released:2023-09-01)
- 参考文献数
- 109
Methylmercury (MeHg) is the causal substrate of Minamata disease and a major environmental toxicant. MeHg is widely distributed, mainly in the ocean, meaning its bioaccumulation in seafood is a considerable problem for human health. MeHg has been intensively investigated and is known to induce inflammatory responses and neurodegeneration. However, the relationship between MeHg-induced inflammatory responses and neurodegeneration is not understood. In the present review, we first describe recent findings showing an association between inflammatory responses and certain MeHg-unrelated neurological diseases caused by neurodegeneration. In addition, cell-specific MeHg-induced inflammatory responses are summarized for the central nervous system including those of microglia, astrocytes, and neurons. We also describe MeHg-induced inflammatory responses in peripheral cells and tissue, such as macrophages and blood. These findings provide a concept of the relationship between MeHg-induced inflammatory responses and neurodegeneration, as well as direction for future research of MeHg-induced neurotoxicity.