Evidence on Neurotoxicity after Intrauterine and Childhood Exposure to Organomercurials

Lara Ferreira Azevedo, Nina Karpova, Bruno Alves Rocha, Fernando Barbosa Junior, Glenda Carolyn Gobe and Maria Fernanda Hornos Carneiro
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Lara Ferreira Azevedo: Department of Clinical Analyses, Toxicology and Food Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-903, SP, Brazil
Nina Karpova: Department of Clinical Analyses, Toxicology and Food Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-903, SP, Brazil
Bruno Alves Rocha: Department of Clinical Analyses, Toxicology and Food Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-903, SP, Brazil
Fernando Barbosa Junior: Department of Clinical Analyses, Toxicology and Food Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-903, SP, Brazil
Glenda Carolyn Gobe: Kidney Disease Research Group, School of Medicine, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, 37 Kent Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
Maria Fernanda Hornos Carneiro: Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 2, 1-19

Abstract: Although the molecular mechanisms underlying methylmercury toxicity are not entirely understood, the observed neurotoxicity in early-life is attributed to the covalent binding of methylmercury to sulfhydryl (thiol) groups of proteins and other molecules being able to affect protein post-translational modifications from numerous molecular pathways, such as glutamate signaling, heat-shock chaperones and the antioxidant glutaredoxin/glutathione system. However, for other organomercurials such as ethylmercury or thimerosal, there is not much information available. Therefore, this review critically discusses current knowledge about organomercurials neurotoxicity—both methylmercury and ethylmercury—following intrauterine and childhood exposure, as well as the prospects and future needs for research in this area. Contrasting with the amount of epidemiological evidence available for methylmercury, there are only a few in vivo studies reporting neurotoxic outcomes and mechanisms of toxicity for ethylmercury or thimerosal. There is also a lack of studies on mechanistic approaches to better investigate the pathways involved in the potential neurotoxicity caused by both organomercurials. More impactful follow-up studies, especially following intrauterine and childhood exposure to ethylmercury, are necessary. Childhood vaccination is critically important for controlling infectious diseases; however, the safety of mercury-containing thimerosal and, notably, its effectiveness as preservative in vaccines are still under debate regarding its potential dose-response effects to the central nervous system.

Keywords: methylmercury; ethylmercury; thimerosal; neurotoxicity; intrauterine exposure; childhood (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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