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Prenatal Exposure to Potentially Toxic Metals and Their Effects on Genetic Material in Offspring: a Systematic Review

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Abstract

In recent years, the background level of environmental pollutants, including metals, has increased. Pollutant exposure during the earliest stages of life may determine chronic disease susceptibility in adulthood because of genetic or epigenetic changes. The objective of this review was to identify the association between prenatal and early postnatal exposure to potentially toxic metals (PTMs) and their adverse effects on the genetic material of offspring. A systematic review was carried out following the Cochrane methodology in four databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Eligible papers were those conducted in humans and published in English between 2010/01/01 and 2021/04/30. A total of 57 articles were included, most of which evaluated prenatal exposure. Most commonly evaluated PTMs were As, Cd, and Pb. Main adverse effects on the genetic material of newborns associated with PTM prenatal exposure were alterations in telomere length, gene or protein expression, mitochondrial DNA content, metabolomics, DNA damage, and epigenetic modifications. Many of these effects were sex-specific, being predominant in boys. One article reported a synergistic interaction between As and Hg, and two articles observed antagonistic interactions between PTMs and essential metals, such as Cu, Se, and Zn. The findings in this review highlight that the problem of PTM exposure persists, affecting the most susceptible populations, such as newborns. Some of these associations were observed at low concentrations of PTMs. Most of the studies have focused on single exposures; however, three interactions between essential and nonessential metals were observed, highlighting that metal mixtures need more attention.

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Data Availability

All data taken from the articles revised are included in the review.

Abbreviations

5mC:

5-Methylcytosine

8-OHdG:

8-Hydroxy-2-deoxy-guanosine

8-oxoG:

8-Oxoguanine

BE:

Biomonitoring equivalent

CBMN:

Cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome

FOAD:

Fetal origins of adult disease

DNMTs:

DNA methyltransferases

DMR:

Differentially methylated regions

MeSH:

Medical Subject Headings

MMAT:

Mixed Methods Appraisal Tools

mtDNA:

Mitochondrial DNA

PRISMA:

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses

PTMs :

Potentially toxic metals

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

TL:

Telomere length

WHO:

World Health Organization

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Acknowledgements

Marvin Paz-Sabillón has a scholarship of Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología-México (CONACyT).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Toxicology, Cinvestav, Ave. IPN 2508, San Pedro Zacatenco, 07360, Mexico City, Mexico

    Marvin Paz-Sabillón, Luz M. Del Razo & Betzabet Quintanilla-Vega

  2. National Institute of Public Health, Ave. Universidad 655, Santa María Ahuacatitlán, 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

    Luisa Torres-Sánchez & Maricela Piña-Pozas

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  1. Marvin Paz-Sabillón
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  2. Luisa Torres-Sánchez
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  3. Maricela Piña-Pozas
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  4. Luz M. Del Razo
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  5. Betzabet Quintanilla-Vega
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Methodology was performed by MPP and MPS. Data collection and preparation of the first draft were done by MPS. All authors performed material selection, data analysis, and revision of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Betzabet Quintanilla-Vega.

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Paz-Sabillón, M., Torres-Sánchez, L., Piña-Pozas, M. et al. Prenatal Exposure to Potentially Toxic Metals and Their Effects on Genetic Material in Offspring: a Systematic Review. Biol Trace Elem Res 201, 2125–2150 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-022-03323-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-022-03323-2

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