Zeitschrift für Schwermetalltoxizität und -krankheiten Offener Zugang

Abstrakt

Aluminium Neurotoxicity and Neuroprotection.

Ljiljana Martac*, Jelena Podgorac, Branka Petkovic, Gordana Stojadinovic

Aluminium is considered to be the most widely distributed metal in nature and industry and is extensively used in products and processes associated with human activity. Contamination may occur by air, water, food, additives, medicaments, vaccines, cosmetics, agrochemicals, etc. Aluminium is recognized as a highly neurotoxic element in animals and humans connected with several diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, neurodegenerative motor disorders, encephalopathy, dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and autism. There are many animal models in rats developed to investigate aluminium neurotoxicity. Nevertheless, molecular mechanisms of its action are not yet resolved, and mechanisms of damage and safety concentrations are still much discussed. The brain is the most susceptible system to damages provoked by aluminium exposure, such as oxidative stress, iron dyshomeostasis, changes in neurotransmission, immunologic alteration and pro-inflammation, genotoxicity, transformation and peptide denaturation, changes in enzyme activity, membrane perturbation, apoptosis, necrosis, and dysplasia. A novel investigation of aluminium neurotoxicity includes the assessment of neuroprotection and the identification of new substances as potential drugs.