Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39673661›Full record

ArticleMolecular neurobiology2025

Zinc Mitigates the Combined Neurotoxicity of Binary Metal Mixtures via Mitophagy and Mitochondrial Fusion.

Haiqing Cai, Junxiu He, Wanting Zheng, Hong Cheng, Xiaoting Ge, Yu Bao, Yue Wei, Yanfeng Zhou, Xiaolin Liang, Xing Chen and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular neurobiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Haiqing Cai *Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Junxiu He *Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Wanting ZhengDepartment of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Hong ChengDepartment of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Xiaoting GeDepartment of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Yu BaoDepartment of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Yue WeiDepartment of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Yanfeng ZhouDepartment of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Xiaolin LiangDepartment of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Xing ChenDepartment of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Chaoqun LiuDepartment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Fei WangDepartment of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Xiaobo YangDepartment of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China. yangx@gxmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9866-7724

Funding

the National Natural Science Foundation of China 82073504
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Environmental metal mixtures can cause combined neurotoxicity, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Mitochondria are crucial for energy metabolism in the nervous system, and their dysfunction leads to neurodegeneration. Zinc (Zn) is a coenzyme of many mitochondrial enzymes that controls mitochondrial function. This study investigated the role of Zn in the neurotoxicity induced by Mn + Pb and Pb + As mixtures. Zn supplementation improved the survival rate and learning ability of Caenorhabditis elegans following their exposure to mixtures of Mn + Pb and Pb + As by enhancing their mitochondrial morphology, membrane potential, and respiratory chain. Similarly, in HT22 cells, Zn mitigated the decrease in cellular activity and increase in apoptosis induced by the Mn + Pb and Pb + As mixtures by improving mitochondrial morphology and function. Mechanistically, Zn activated the PINK1 and MFN-2/OPA-1 pathways, promoting mitophagy and mitochondrial fusion. However, inhibition of mitophagy reversed the protective effect of Zn, indicating its reliance on mitophagy for neuroprotection. Our study demonstrated that Zn alleviates the combined neurotoxicity of Mn + Pb and Pb + As mixtures by enhancing mitophagy and mitochondrial fusion, suggesting that Zn supplementation is a potential treatment for metal-induced neurotoxicity.

Indexed as

LeadMitochondriaMitochondrial DynamicsMitophagyZincAnimalsApoptosisCaenorhabditis elegansCaenorhabditis elegans ProteinsCell LineMembrane Potential, MitochondrialMiceCaenorhabditis elegans ProteinsLeadZincCombined neurotoxicityMetal mixturesMitophagy and mitochondrial fusionZinc

Identifiers

PMID39673661

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.