Several cardiovascular diseases (CVD) observed in adulthood have been associated with environmental influences during fetal growth. Here, we show that maternal exposure to cadmium, a ubiquitously distributed heavy metal and main component of cigarette smoke is able to induce cardiovascular morpho-functional changes in the offspring at adult age. Heart morphology and vascular reactivity were evaluated in the adult offspring of rats exposed to 30ppm of cadmium during pregnancy. Echocardiographic examination shows altered heart morphology characterized by a concentric left ventricular hypertrophy. Also, we observed a reduced endothelium-dependent reactivity in isolated aortic rings of adult offspring, while endothelium-independent reactivity remained unaltered. These effects were associated with an increase of hem-oxygenase 1 (HO-1) expression in the aortas of adult offspring. The expression of HO-1 was higher in females than males, a finding likely related to the sex-dependent expression of the vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), which was lower in the adult female. All these long-term consequences were observed along with normal birth weights and absence of detectable levels of cadmium in fetal and adult tissues of the offspring. In placental tissues however, cadmium levels were detected and correlated with increased NF-κB expression--a transcription factor sensitive to inflammation and oxidative stress--suggesting a placentary mechanism that affect genes related to the development of the cardiovascular system. Our results provide, for the first time, direct experimental evidence supporting that exposure to cadmium during pregnancy reprograms cardiovascular development of the offspring which in turn may conduce to a long term increased risk of CVD.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2011.01.001 | DOI Listing |
Sci Total Environ
January 2025
Institute of Plant Nutrition, Resources and Environment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China. Electronic address:
Composting urban and rural wastes into organic fertilizers for land application is considered the best way to dispose of and recycle waste resources. However, there are some concerns about the long-term effects of applying various organic fertilizers on soils, food safety, and health risks derived from heavy metal(loid)s (HMs). A long-term field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of continuous application of chicken manure compost (CM), sewage sludge compost (SSC), and domestic waste compost (DWC) for wheat on the accumulation, transfer, and health risks of HMs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTher Clin Risk Manag
January 2025
Department of Nephrology and Clinical Poison Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Background: The negative impacts of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM) are well known. Patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (HD) have significantly higher blood cadmium levels (BCLs) than healthy individuals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, China.
Background: Environmental metal exposure has been implicated in the development of digestive tract cancers, although the specific associations remain poorly defined. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between blood metal levels and the risk of digestive tract cancers among U.S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Health Prev Med
January 2025
Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Kanazawa Medical University.
Background: As research progresses, there is a growing body of evidence indicating that urinary metallothionein (MT) levels may be elevated in individuals exposed to cadmium (Cd). This study aimed to investigate the potential association between urinary MT levels and causes of mortality among residents of the Kakehashi River Basin who have been exposed to Cd.
Method: The study involved a total of 1,398 men and 1,731 women were conducted between 1981 and 1982, with follow-up until November 2016.
Toxicology
January 2025
School of Life Science, Liaoning University, Shenyang, 110036, China. Electronic address:
Observational studies have shown that cadmium exposure increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Atherosclerotic plaque can cause vascular obstruction, which is important for the death from cardiovascular disease. Cell damage and monocyte adhesion are two early events in atherosclerotic plaque formation that can be induced by cadmium exposure, but the mechanism remains to be determined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!