The impact of metals on cognitive impairment in the elderly and the mediating role of oxidative stress: A cross-sectional study in Shanghai, China

作者：Ying Qing, Jianheng Zheng, Yingyi Luo, Shichun Li, Xiufen Liu, Shuyu Yang, Jun Du, Yanfei Li · 发表于：Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.117152 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity、Heavy metals in environment、Trace Elements in Health

Cognitive impairment (CI) is a prodrome of many neurodegenerative diseases with complex and unclear pathogenesis. Metal exposure has been found to be associated with CI, but existing population studies are scarce and have the limitations of single outcome and ignoring mixed exposures. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Shanghai, China, enrolling 836 seniors aged over 60 years to investigate the relationship between combined metal exposure (Lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg)) and CI in the elderly and the mediating effect of oxidative stress . It was found that there were significant differences in urinary Pb, Cd, Hg and blood Pb levels between the CI and normal groups. Urinary Pb and Cd levels were significantly negatively correlated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score, amyloid β 42 (Aβ 42 ) , and Aβ 42/40 , while urinary Cd, Hg and blood Hg were significantly positively correlated with phosphorylated tau protein (P-tau). Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression indicated that combined metal exposure had a more significant effect on CI than individual exposure. Mediation modeling revealed that plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) was involved in the effects of urinary Cd on Aβ 42/40 and P-tau, with mediation effects accounting for 20 % of the total effect. This study emphasized the combined exposure to metals, and the results can help to properly understand the association between mixed metals exposure and CI in the elderly, as well as provide populatio...