A Comprehensive Review on Molecular Mechanism Involved in Arsenic Trioxide Mediated Cerebral Neurodegenerative and Infectious Diseases

Abstract

Arsenic is an environmental toxicant and its toxicity is a global health problem affecting millions of people. Arsenic exposure occurs from natural geological sources leaching into aquifers, contaminating drinking water and may also occur from mining and other industrial processes. Both cancerous, noncancerous and immunological complications are possible after arsenic exposure. The many other target organs like lungs, thymus, spleen, liver, heart, kidney, and brain. Arsenic-mediated neuro, as well as immunotoxicity, is the main concern of this review. Long-term arsenic exposure can lead to various neurological dysfunctions, which may cause neurobehavioral defects and biochemical impairment in the brain, this might negatively affect one's quality of life in later stages. Arsenic also alters the levels of various neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain which produces neurotoxic effects and immunological deficiency. So, it is crucial to understand the neurotoxic mechanism of arsenic trioxide-mediated cerebro neurodegenerative and immunerelated alterations. One of the major mechanisms by which it exerts its toxic effect is through an impairment of cellular respiration by inhibition of various mitochondrial enzymes, and the uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation. This review focuses on the various toxic mechanisms responsible for arsenic-mediated neurobehavioral and immune-related changes. Therefore, this review provides a critical analysis of mitochondrial dysfunctions, oxidative stress, glutamate excitatory, inflammatory and apoptosis-related mechanistic aspects in arsenic-mediated immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and neurodegenerative changes.

Keywords: Arsenic toxicity; immunotoxicity.; inflammation; mitochondrial impairment; neurotoxic mechanism; oxidative stress.