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Methylmercury Neurotoxicity: A Synopsis of In Vitro Effects

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Methylmercury and Neurotoxicity

Part of the book series: Current Topics in Neurotoxicity ((Current Topics Neurotoxicity,volume 2))

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Abstract

Following severe episodes of human poisoning, a large number of studies in experimental animals have confirmed that methylmercury (MeHg) is a potent developmental neurotoxicant. Furthermore, extensive research in vivo and in vitro has delineated the possible mechanisms underlying MeHg neurotoxicity. This chapter summarizes major findings on the effects of MeHg at the cellular level in both neuronal and glial cells in vitro. Given the multitude of information available, only major pathways of toxicity are discussed, with a focus on the ability of MeHg to cause apoptotic cell death, by mechanisms involving the perturbation of calcium homeostasis and the induction of oxidative stress.

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Acknowledgments

Work by the authors has been supported over the years by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, the European Commission, and the Italian Ministry for Research (MIUR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE, Suite 100, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA

    Lucio G. Costa MD & Gennaro Giordano PhD

  2. Department of Human Anatomy, Pharmacology and Forensic Science, University of Parma Medical School, Parma, Italy

    Lucio G. Costa MD

Authors
  1. Lucio G. Costa MD
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  2. Gennaro Giordano PhD
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Correspondence to Lucio G. Costa MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden

    Sandra Ceccatelli

  2. , Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Garland Avenue 2215-B, Nashville, 37232, Tennessee, USA

    Michael Aschner

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Costa, L.G., Giordano, G. (2012). Methylmercury Neurotoxicity: A Synopsis of In Vitro Effects. In: Ceccatelli, S., Aschner, M. (eds) Methylmercury and Neurotoxicity. Current Topics in Neurotoxicity, vol 2. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2383-6_11

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