New insights into heavy metal cadmium-induced liver injury: Prominent role of programmed cell death mechanisms

The heavy metal cadmium (Cd) is an important environmental factor that induces liver injury and contributes to liver disease. Ongoing research aims to refine our understanding of the pathogenesis of cadmium-induced liver injury and the interactions between the various mechanisms. Oxidative stress, described as a pathophysiological basis of liver injury, is a process in which reactive oxygen species are generated, causing the destruction of hepatocyte structure and cellular dysfunction. Additionally, the activation of oxidative stress downstream signals regulates several forms of cell death, such as apoptosis, necroptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis, which significantly contributes to liver damage. Furthermore, the interplay between different types of programmed cell death highlights the complexity of liver injury mechanisms. This review summarizes the role of programmed cell death in Cd-induced liver injury and explores the relationships between different programmed cell death pathways, which is expected to provide new insights into the mechanisms of Cd-induced liver injury.