Chapter 13 - Linking copper and neurotoxic activities to the CNS

Abstract

In this chapter, we will cover some of the main metabolic characteristics of copper and the impact of its effects on the nervous system. Copper is an essential micronutrient, obtained from the diet and water intake, which plays a fundamental role in the metabolic balance of several systems, ranging from the production of ATP in the mitochondrial electron transport chain to the activation of the immune system and even the control of synaptic stabilization in the nervous system, exerted by APP and prion proteins. Therefore, it is important to note that copper deficiency is just as harmful as its excess, and the imbalance in the rates of metal excretion and absorption tends to induce oxidative stress and tissue inflammation. These elements being at the center of some of the main disorders of the nervous system, such as Wilson's disease, Menkes’ disease, Alzheimer's disease, hypotonia, epilepsy, some of which will be discussed here. It is worth noting that studies already stressed to the introduction of dietary supplementation, potentially capable of returning the balance to copper homeostasis, with the consequence, the prevention or even remission of some pathologies like Alzheimer's and dementias.