The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
Pediatric Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA.
Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2021 Mar;42(3):340-346. doi: 10.1038/s41401-020-0396-4. Epub 2020 Apr 13.
Cadmium (Cd) is an important environmental pollutant and long-term Cd exposure is closely related to autoimmune diseases, cancer, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and hepatic dysfunction. Zinc (Zn) is an essential metal that plays key roles in protein structure, catalysis, and regulation of their function. Numerous studies have shown that Zn can reduce Cd toxicity; however, the underlying mechanisms have not been extensively explored. Preclinical studies have revealed direct competition for sarcolemmal uptake between these two metals. Multiple sarcolemmal transporters participate in Cd uptake, including Zn transporters, calcium channels, and DMT1 (divalent metal transporter 1). Zn also induces several protective mechanisms, including MT (metallothionein) induction and favorable redox homeostasis. This review summarizes current knowledge related to the role of Zn and metal transporters in reducing Cd toxicity and discusses potential future directions of related research.
镉 (Cd) 是一种重要的环境污染物，长期接触镉与自身免疫性疾病、癌症、心血管疾病 (CVD) 和肝功能障碍密切相关。锌 (Zn) 是一种必需的金属，在蛋白质结构、催化和调节其功能方面发挥着关键作用。大量研究表明，锌可以降低镉的毒性；然而，其潜在机制尚未得到广泛探索。临床前研究表明，这两种金属在细胞膜摄取过程中存在直接竞争。多种细胞膜转运蛋白参与镉的摄取，包括锌转运蛋白、钙通道和 DMT1（二价金属转运蛋白 1）。锌还诱导多种保护机制，包括 MT（金属硫蛋白）诱导和有利的氧化还原稳态。本文综述了锌和金属转运体在降低镉毒性中的作用的相关知识，并讨论了相关研究的潜在未来方向。
