Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology最新文献

{"title":"Boric acid protects against glyphosate-induced neurotoxicity by modulating oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and autophagy pathways in the rat brain","authors":"Tuba Dogan ,&nbsp;Burak Cinar ,&nbsp;Merve Bolat ,&nbsp;İsmail Bolat ,&nbsp;Esra Aktas Senocak ,&nbsp;Omercan Alat ,&nbsp;Samet Tekin ,&nbsp;Burak Batuhan Lacin ,&nbsp;Ahmet Hacimuftuogli ,&nbsp;Mesut Bunyami Halici","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127785","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127785","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Glyphosate (GLY) is a widely used herbicide with increasing evidence of neurotoxic effects. Boric acid (BA), a trace element, has shown potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but its role in GLY-induced neurotoxicity remains unexplored.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of boric acid against glyphosate-induced brain toxicity in rats through behavioral, biochemical, molecular, and histological evaluations.</div></div><div><h3>Materials and methods</h3><div>Twenty-eight adult rats were divided into four groups (n = 7): Control, BA (100 mg/kg), GLY (150 mg/kg), and GLY+BA. All treatments were given orally for 7 days. Behavioral assessments were performed using the Elevated Plus Maze and Locomotor Activity Test. Oxidative stress markers (MDA, GSH, SOD, CAT, GPx), apoptotic markers (Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase-3), and inflammatory proteins (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, COX-2, TLR-4, NF-κB) were analyzed. Iba-1 and GFAP were assessed by Western blot, while histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluations included 8-OHdG, TLR2, and LC3A/B.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>GLY exposure led to significant behavioral deficits, oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and neuronal damage. BA co-treatment significantly improved behavioral performance, restored antioxidant balance, downregulated pro-inflammatory and apoptotic markers, and reduced glial activation and histological damage.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Boric acid exerts neuroprotective effects against GLY-induced neurotoxicity, likely via modulation of oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and autophagy pathways, supporting its therapeutic potential in chemical-induced brain injury.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 127785"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145363572","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trivalent chromium interacts directly with acetylated lysine","authors":"Rachel M. Wise ,&nbsp;Ting Jiang ,&nbsp;Idoia Meaza ,&nbsp;Changjian Feng ,&nbsp;John Pierce Wise Sr. ,&nbsp;Ke Jian Liu ,&nbsp;Xixi Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127782","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127782","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Hexavalent chromium Cr(VI), a well-established human carcinogen, induces systemic toxicity affecting reproductive, neurological, hepatic, and immune systems. The broad spectrum of its toxicity implies mechanisms of action that transcend organ-specific or cell type-restricted pathways. Protein interactions have been proposed as a mechanism underlying Cr(VI) toxicity and carcinogenicity.</div></div><div><h3>Objective and methods</h3><div>To address gaps in understanding the molecular effect of Cr(VI), particularly the distinct roles of its two stable oxidation states—Cr(VI) and the trivalent form Cr(III) —we employed high-resolution mass spectrometry to identify the protein targets, compare valence-state-specific interactions (Cr(VI) vs. Cr(III)), and map the specific amino acid residues involved.</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusions</h3><div>In synthesized histone peptides, we demonstrated that it is Cr(III), rather than Cr(VI), that directly binds to acetylated lysine residues. Further, in cellular models exposed to Cr(VI), we identified 15 Cr-binding proteins, all of which were acetylated, with site-specific information of interacting amino acids. Collectively, these findings provide new evidence that Cr(III), generated via intracellular reduction of Cr(VI), directly binds to post-translationally modified proteins on acetylated lysine residues. This work advances a molecular mechanism wherein Cr(VI) exerts toxicity via its reduced trivalent form, Cr(III), highlighting the critical putative role of protein acetylation in mediating Cr-induced damage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 127782"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145357416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"DIA proteomic analysis revealed the molecular characteristics of aluminum-induced hippocampal injury in rats","authors":"Congying Liu ,&nbsp;Yue Shi ,&nbsp;Qian Hu ,&nbsp;Yafen Chu ,&nbsp;Yue Guo ,&nbsp;Chaoran Song ,&nbsp;Jingjing Jia ,&nbsp;Chanting He","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127779","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127779","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Aluminum is widely used in production and daily life due to its excellent properties. However, aluminum can damage neurons and cause cognitive impairment. Therefore, studying the neurotoxic mechanism of aluminum is of great significance.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study established a subchronic aluminum exposure model in Sprague Dawley rats and systematically investigated the neurotoxic effects and molecular mechanisms of aluminum.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The experimental animals were randomly divided into a control group (0.9 % saline) and an aluminum exposure group ﹛20 μmol/kg maltol aluminum [Al(mal)₃]﹜. Both groups were given intraperitoneal injections every other day for 90 days. After the administration, the rats received a series of behavioral tests. Subsequently, the rat hippocampus was subjected to data independent acquisition proteomic sequencing.</div></div><div><h3>Result</h3><div>Through Morris water maze and electron microscopy analysis of hippocampal tissue, it was confirmed that rats exposed to aluminum exhibited significant learning and memory impairments, accompanied by hippocampal neuron damage. The bioinformatics results showed that 188 differentially expressed proteins were screened out. And aluminum exposure mainly damages mitochondrial function (such as oxidative phosphorylation and ATP synthesis). It is worth noting that pathway enrichment analysis suggests a common pathogenic mechanism between aluminum induced neurotoxicity and Alzheimer's disease.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study confirms that subchronic aluminum exposure leads to cognitive decline by mediating a large amount of protein expression dysregulation. The core mechanism is to impair mitochondrial energy metabolism and synaptic plasticity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 127779"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145305103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Zinc adjuvant treatment in SARS-CoV-2: A randomized clinical trial","authors":"Silvia Gómez-Zorrilla ,&nbsp;Elena Sendra ,&nbsp;Juan Du ,&nbsp;Mercé Espona ,&nbsp;Alejandro Fierro-Villegas ,&nbsp;Ana Siverio ,&nbsp;Alicia Rodriguez-Alarcón ,&nbsp;Silvia Castañeda ,&nbsp;Inmaculada López Montesinos ,&nbsp;Cristina Plata ,&nbsp;Itziar Arrieta-Aldea ,&nbsp;Jade Soldado-Folgado ,&nbsp;Natalia García-Giralt ,&nbsp;Rubén Vicente ,&nbsp;Robert Güerri-Fernández","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127778","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127778","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Zinc is a trace element with a key role in immune function and has demonstrated antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Low plasma zinc levels have been associated with poor outcomes in COVID-19. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of zinc supplementation as an adjuvant therapy in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A single-center, randomized, open-label clinical trial between May and December 2021. Adults hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 requiring hospitalization were randomized 1:1 to receive standard of care (SoC) with or without oral zinc acetate (90 mg/day) for 14 days. The primary endpoint was disease progression, defined as critical care requirement (ICU admission) or death. Secondary outcomes included time to clinical recovery, hospital length of stay, WHO clinical scale improvement, inflammatory markers, antibody response, and safety.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Seventy-one patients were randomized (35 zinc versus 34 SoC). Disease progression occurred in 5.7 % of the zinc group versus 23.5 % in the SoC group (OR 0.21, 95 %CI = 0.03–0.96,). Mean recovery time was significantly shorter in the zinc group (7.4 ± 6.1 versus 13.1 ± 9.7 days, p = 0.006) and a trend to a faster recovery was observed in the Cox proportional hazards model in the intervention group HR of 1.670 (95 % CI: 0.948–2.942), p = 0.076. WHO scale improvement attaining a &lt; 1 points at day 14 was greater in the zinc group (74.3 % versus 42.4 %, p = 0.009). Antibody levels were higher in the SoC group at days 14 and 28. No adverse events were attributed to zinc.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Adjunctive zinc supplementation to standard of care reduced disease progression and showed a trend to accelerated clinical recovery in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, supporting the potential role of zinc in managing viral respiratory infections.</div></div><div><h3>Trial registration</h3><div>ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT05778383.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 127778"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 may alleviate liver injury by regulating iron overload and lipid peroxidation induced by chronic fluorosis","authors":"Xiao Xiao ,&nbsp;Xi Tu ,&nbsp;Na Wei ,&nbsp;Wen-Wen He ,&nbsp;Xiao-Xiao Zeng ,&nbsp;Wei Liao ,&nbsp;Jie Deng ,&nbsp;Yang-Ting Dong ,&nbsp;Xiao-Lan Qi ,&nbsp;Yan Xiao ,&nbsp;Wei Hong ,&nbsp;Yan He ,&nbsp;Di-Dong Lou ,&nbsp;Zhi-Zhong Guan","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127775","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127775","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The aim of the study is to explore the regulatory effect of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) on iron overload and lipid peroxidation in pathogenesis of liver injury induced by fluorosis. METHODS Liver function of the individuals residing in endemic fluorosis area and the rats were examined by biochemical analysis. The histopathological changes of rat liver were observed under light and electron microscopes. The parameters relating iron overload and lipid peroxidation were determined by biochemical and molecular biological methods. HepG2-cells were treated with overexpressed plasmid or siRNA of Nrf2. RESULTS The results showed that the disfunction of liver was related to the severity of dental fluorosis in population of fluorosis area and the changed liver function and histopathology were observed in rats with chronic fluorosis. Fluoride exposure induced iron overload, exhibiting the high levels of Nrf2, total iron and ferrous ion, the changed protein and mRNA levels of FTL, FPN1, hepcidin and S100A9; and the stimulated lipid peroxidation, including the increased MDA and ROS, and the decreased GSH, GPX4 and SLC7A11 in rat liver and HepG2-cells. Interestingly, overexpression of Nrf2 attenuated the changes of iron overload and peroxidative injury of cultural cells exposed to fluoride, and while silencing Nrf2 enhanced these hepatic damages by fluoride. CONCLUSION Our results indicated that fluoride exposure caused iron overload and lipid oxidative injury in liver, which was involved in the impairment of liver function. Nrf2 may play a protective role in alleviating the liver injury by regulating iron overload and lipid peroxidation induced by chronic fluorosis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 127775"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Breast cancer immunophenotypes are associated with exposure to mixtures of organochlorine pesticides and trace elements among Northern Mexican women","authors":"Ángel Mérida-Ortega ,&nbsp;Rodrigo Ugalde-Resano ,&nbsp;Mariano E. Cebrián ,&nbsp;Lizbeth López-Carrillo","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127777","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127777","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>To evaluate the association between breast cancer (BC) immunophenotypes and mixtures of trace elements and organochlorine pesticides (OCP), as well as to identify their main contributors within the mixtures and their potential interactions.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We performed a secondary analysis including 386 population-based controls and 336 incident BC cases. Based on hormone receptor (HR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status, we defined three BC immunophenotypes: HR+ /HER2 −, HER2 + and triple negative (HR−/HER2 −). We evaluated 24 serum OCP and 10 urinary MM.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Through weighted quantile sum (WQS) regressions, we observed that mixtures containing hexachlorocyclohexane (α and β), and tin, were positively related to HR+ /HER2 − (OR = 6.03; 95 %CI 2.74,13.28), HER2 + (OR = 2.95; 95 %CI 0.43,19.97) and triple negative cases (OR = 3.56; 95 % CI 1.26,10.01). In contrast, we found that mixtures mainly constituted by p’p DDE, cis-nonachlor and molybdenum were negatively related to all BC immunophenotypes: HR+ /HER2 − (OR = 0.09; 95 %CI 0.05,0.18); HER2 + (OR = 0.14; 95 %CI 0.02,0.85) and triple negative (OR = 0.19; 95 %CI 0.05,0.70). We observed that almost all OCP, but none trace elements, interacted synergistically and significantly with each other on BC association.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study is among the first to demonstrate the complexity of combined exposures to organic and inorganic environmental contaminants and their associations with distinct BC immunophenotypes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 127777"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145305114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations of urine arsenic, blood manganese, and serum zinc with pterygium in Korean adults","authors":"Kyunghee Han ,&nbsp;Kyoung-Woong Kim ,&nbsp;Yoon-Hyeong Choi","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127776","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127776","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Pterygium, a fleshy growth of abnormal fibrovascular tissues on eye conjunctiva, is common in older adults. The mechanism underlying pterygium development is still unknown, but oxidative stress is considered one of the main causes. Arsenic (As), which is ubiquitous in nature, may adversely affect human health by inducing oxidative stress. On the other hand, manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) play an important role in enhancing the antioxidant system.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>We aimed to investigate the associations of As, Mn, and Zn with pterygium in general Korean adults using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2008–2010.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The study population included 2832 adults from KNHANES 2008–2009 for As and Mn analyses and 1872 adults from KNHANES 2010 for Zn analyses (the only year for which serum zinc was measured). Pterygium was diagnosed as a wing-shaped fibrovascular growth using a slit-lamp. Environmental exposure levels of total As and As species were estimated by measuring their concentrations in urine. Mn and Zn were estimated by measuring in blood and serum, respectively.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The prevalence of pterygium was 4.9–5.6 %. After adjusting for confounding factors, the odds ratio (OR) for pterygium in the highest tertile (vs. the lowest) of total As levels in urine was 1.84 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.09–3.09). Total As levels had a dose-dependent association with pterygium (<em>p</em>-trend = 0.021). Urinary arsenobetaine levels were further adjusted to exclude the contribution of organic As from seafood intake, and the OR for pterygium became stronger but less significant (6.54 (95 % CI: 0.82–51.92)) in the subset with As species measured (n = 280). The OR for pterygium in the second tertile of Mn levels in blood was 0.53 (95 % CI: 0.34–0.84). There was no significant association between serum Zn and pterygium.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our findings provide epidemiological evidence that excess As and deficient Mn may be associated with pterygium in Korean adults.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 127776"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145318872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neuroprotective effects of sodium molybdate in a beta-amyloid–induced rat model of Alzheimer’s disease: An In Vivo preclinical study","authors":"Fatemeh Shahsavari,&nbsp;Akram Eidi,&nbsp;Fattah Sotoodehnejadnematalahi","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127774","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127774","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Molybdenum, as a trace element, exhibits various pharmacological properties<strong>,</strong> including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and free radical-scavenging activities. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of sodium molybdate on neurotoxicity induced by beta-amyloid (Aβ) in adult male Wistar rats.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into eight groups: Healthy control group, Experimental groups receiving sodium molybdate (0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 mg/kg intragastrically daily), Alzheimer's control group (intrahippocampal injection of Aβ bilaterally), and Alzheimer's experimental groups receiving sodium molybdate (0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 mg/kg intragastrically daily) for 30 consecutive days following Aβ injection. Histopathological changes in the hippocampus were assessed using Hematoxylin and Eosin staining, and amyloid plaques were evaluated via Congo Red staining. The expression levels of GFAP and S100 proteins were investigated by immunohistochemistry, and changes in the expression level of <em>Bax/Bcl2</em> ratio were evaluated by Real-time PCR in the hippocampus.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>Our results revealed a dose-dependent attenuation of neuronal degeneration, and reduced amyloid plaque formation in the Alzheimer's experimental groups following sodium molybdate administration. Treatment with sodium molybdate at doses of 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg significantly reduced the levels of both S100 and GFAP proteins (P &lt; 0.05 and P &lt; 0.001 respectively) compared to the Alzheimer's control group. Furthermore, sodium molybdate administration at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg significantly reduced the <em>Bax/Bcl2</em> expression ratio (P &lt; 0.05), with greater reductions observed at 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg doses (P &lt; 0.01).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The results of this study suggest that sodium molybdate may exert protective effects against neurological disorders caused by Aβ in a rat model of Alzheimer’s disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 127774"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145254242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Zinc levels in patients with lumbar disc herniation: A systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Ayman M. Zaroug ,&nbsp;Mustafa Alkhawam ,&nbsp;Monther M. Hroub ,&nbsp;Ahmed Mohammed Elamin ,&nbsp;Shrouk M. Elghazaly","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127773","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127773","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Zinc is the most important trace element regarding matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which are the primary enzymes responsible for degeneration of the lumbar disc. Despite this, no connections have been made between zinc levels and lumbar disc herniation (LDH).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A systematic search of Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was performed to identify studies that measure the levels of serum or intervertebral disc (IVD) zinc levels in LDH patients. Three meta-analyses were preformed: A single-arm meta-analysis was done for each of the serum and IVD zinc levels and a double-arm meta-analysis that compared serum zinc levels between LDH and healthy controls.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 11 studies were included: six evaluated serum zinc levels, and five assessed IVD zinc concentrations. Compared with healthy controls, serum zinc levels were significantly lower in patients with LDH (SMD = –1.02; 95 % CI: –1.91 to –0.12; P &lt; 0.0001). The pooled mean serum zinc concentration, from four studies, was 98.7 μg/dL (95 % CI: 79.8–117.7; P &lt; 0.001). In addition, four studies reporting IVD zinc concentrations yielded a pooled mean of 30.27 mg/kg (95 % CI: 18.1–42.4; P &lt; 0.001).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This review revealed that patients with LDH tend to have lower serum zinc concentrations compared to healthy controls. In certain studies, zinc levels within IVD appear to be more elevated than controls. These findings can be interpreted as a hypothesis about zinc allocation where zinc is redistributed from the bloodstream to degenerated disc tissue, possibly driven by increased demands from the upregulated MMP levels rather than reflecting a primary systemic deficiency. Future studies are needed to validate this relationship.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 127773"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental exposures to lead, mercury, cadmium, manganese, and arsenic and obesity in Korean adults: Korean National Environmental Health Survey 2009–2017","authors":"Jeongwon Ock ,&nbsp;Choong-Hee Park ,&nbsp;Yoon-Hyeong Choi","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127771","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127771","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Obesity in adults has substantially increased, and the proportion of obese adults worldwide is estimated to exceed 50 % by 2030.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aims to evaluate the association between heavy metal exposure and obesity in the general adult population in Korea.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We used data from 14832 general adults from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) 2009–2017 with measures of heavy metals in blood and urine samples. Survey linear regression or survey logistic regression models were performed to assess the associations of blood lead, cadmium, and mercury, and urine arsenic and manganese with body mass index or obesity.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>After adjustment for confounders, participants in the highest quintile of blood lead and mercury had significantly higher odds of obesity compared to those in the lowest quintile (OR: 1.22 (95 % CI: 1.07–1.44); 2.17 (95 % CI: 1.87–2.51)) with dose-response relationships (both <em>P</em> for trend &lt; 0.001). For blood manganese, participants in the third quintile had significantly higher odds of obesity (1.33 (95 % CI: 1.06–1.67)). There was a marginally significant increase in odds of underweight among those in the third quintile of urine arsenic compared to those in the lowest quintile (1.43 (95 % CI: 0.77–2.66)). There was no association between the quintiles of urine cadmium and arsenic levels and obesity.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>We provide evidence of a dose-response association between lead and mercury exposure and an increased risk of obesity in Korean adults. Exposure to manganese at moderate concentrations was associated with obesity. In addition, exposure to arsenic was marginally associated with an increased risk of underweight. Additional prospective studies are required to elucidate the effects of heavy metals on obesity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 127771"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145314490","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}