Toxicology and Diseases Group, The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran; Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Medicinal Plants Research Center, Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR, Karaj, Iran; Toxicology and Diseases Group, The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.
J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2019 Mar;52:37-47. doi: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2018.11.006. Epub 2018 Nov 14.
Exposure to the environmental toxicants poses a serious threat to human health. The extent of exposure and the development of diseases are interrelated with each other. Chronic exposure to mercury (Hg) increases the risk of developing serious human disorders from embryo to adulthood.
The purpose of this review is to highlight the most common human disorders induced by Hg exposure on the basis of epigenetic mechanisms. A growing body of evidence shows that Hg exposure leads to alterations in the epigenetic markers.
We performed an organized search of the available literature using PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline, Reaxys, EMBASE and Scopus databases. All the relevant citations, including research and review articles in English were evaluated. The search terms included mercury, Hg, epigenetics, epigenetic alterations, DNA methylation, histone modifications, microRNAs (miRNAs), and risk assessment.
Data on human toxicity due to Hg exposure shows broad variations in terms of chemical nature, doses, and the rate of exposure. Hg consumption either via foods or environmental sources may create deleterious health effects on various physiological systems at least partially through an epigenetic mechanism.
Hg exposure could trigger epigenetic alterations, hence leading to various human disorders including reduced newborn cerebellum size, adverse behavioral outcomes, atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction. Similarly, in adults, occupational Hg exposure has been associated with an increased risk of autoimmunity. It has been revealed that miRNAs in the woman's cervix are a novel responder to maternal Hg exposure during pregnancy. Hg-induced epigenetic alterations analysis of kidney tissues showed a significant interruption in renal function. DNA methylation and histone post-translation modifications are predominant types of Hg epigenetic alterations.
暴露于环境毒物对人类健康构成严重威胁。暴露程度和疾病的发展相互关联。慢性汞（Hg）暴露增加了从胚胎到成年期发生严重人类疾病的风险。
本综述的目的是基于表观遗传机制，强调 Hg 暴露引起的最常见人类疾病。越来越多的证据表明，Hg 暴露会导致表观遗传标记发生改变。
我们使用 PubMed、Google Scholar、Medline、Reaxys、EMBASE 和 Scopus 数据库对现有文献进行了有组织的搜索。评估了所有相关引文，包括英文的研究和综述文章。搜索词包括汞、Hg、表观遗传学、表观遗传改变、DNA 甲基化、组蛋白修饰、microRNAs (miRNAs) 和风险评估。
Hg 暴露导致人类毒性的数据在化学性质、剂量和暴露率方面存在广泛差异。通过食物或环境来源摄入 Hg 可能会对各种生理系统造成有害的健康影响，至少部分是通过表观遗传机制。
Hg 暴露可能会引发表观遗传改变，从而导致各种人类疾病，包括新生儿小脑体积减小、不良行为结果、动脉粥样硬化和心肌梗死。同样，在成年人中，职业性 Hg 暴露与自身免疫风险增加有关。已经发现，妇女宫颈中的 miRNA 是孕妇 Hg 暴露的新型应答者。Hg 诱导的肾脏组织表观遗传改变分析显示肾功能显著中断。DNA 甲基化和组蛋白翻译后修饰是 Hg 表观遗传改变的主要类型。
