Redox toxicology of environmental chemicals causing oxidative stress
Fuli Zheng,
Filipe Marques Gonçalves,
Yumi Abiko,
Huangyuan Li,
Yoshito Kumagai,
Michael Aschner
Affiliations
Fuli Zheng
Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350122, China; Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Forchheimer 209, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, United States; Corresponding author. Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350122, China.
Filipe Marques Gonçalves
Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Forchheimer 209, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, United States
Yumi Abiko
Environmental Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, 305-8575, Japan
Huangyuan Li
Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350122, China; Corresponding author.
Yoshito Kumagai
Environmental Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, 305-8575, Japan; Corresponding author.
Michael Aschner
Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Forchheimer 209, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, United States; Corresponding author.
Living organisms are surrounded with heavy metals such as methylmercury, manganese, cobalt, cadmium, arsenic, as well as pesticides such as deltamethrin and paraquat, or atmospheric pollutants such as quinone. Extensive studies have demonstrated a strong link between environmental pollutants and human health. Redox toxicity is proposed as one of the main mechanisms of chemical-induced pathology in humans. Acting as both a sensor of oxidative stress and a positive regulator of antioxidants, the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) has attracted recent attention. However, the role NRF2 plays in environmental pollutant-induced toxicity has not been systematically addressed. Here, we characterize NRF2 function in response to various pollutants, such as metals, pesticides and atmospheric quinones. NRF2 related signaling pathways and epigenetic regulations are also reviewed.
