Abstract
Oxidative stress can be induced by mercury (Hg) exposure, including through fish consumption (diet), leading to health risks. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between oxidative stress biomarkers and dietary Hg exposure levels in riverine children and adolescents at Madeira River (RO/Brazil). Population from three riverine local communities presenting different fish consumption frequencies was sampled. Hg was determined in blood (ICP-MS) and glutathione (GSH); glutathione S-transferases (GST) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined in serum (spectrophotometry). Statistical analyses were performed using parametric and non-parametric tests. Multiple linear regression models and generalized additives models were also used to estimate the relationships between oxidative stress biomarkers and blood Hg. The juvenile riverine population from Cuniã RESEX presented the highest levels of oxidative stress and Hg levels in blood (GST = 27.2 (4.93) U/L, MDA = 1.69 (0.27) µmol/L, Hg = 20.6 (18.0) µg/L). This population also presented the highest frequency of fish consumption. The positive relation between Hg and GST and MDA, adjusted for individual characteristics, suggests an oxidative effect. This study shows the importance of oxidative stress biomarkers in the evaluation of dietary Hg exposure since initial and reversible metabolic changes were observed, enriching health risk assessments.
Highlights
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the formation of reactive species and the antioxidant defense system, leading to potential cellular damage [1,2]
Significant percentage differences were observed among the three study sites for weekly fish consumption, with the highest (77%) for children and adolescents living in the Cuniã reserve, consuming fish over 3 times a week (Table 1)
The biomarkers Hg, MDA, and glutathione S-transferases (GST) were found to be significantly higher at Cuniã when compared to the other evaluated communities
Summary
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the formation of reactive (pro-oxidant) species and the antioxidant defense system, leading to potential cellular damage [1,2]. The production of reactive species is part of the human metabolism and has important biological functions; as well as the normal aging process, imbalances are associated with diseases [2,3,4,5,6]. The evaluation of oxidative stress markers, using biological exposure indicators or biomarkers, is an important approach in environmental and/or occupational exposure studies and may provide early information on preclinical metabolic changes (non-observed health effects) related to disease progression [7,8,9,10,11]. The study of oxidative stress biomarkers induced by mercury (Hg) exposure is a way to sub clinically evaluate the effects of environmental exposure to this metal and its compounds [8,12,13] and. Public Health 2019, 16, 2682; doi:10.3390/ijerph16152682 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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