Cadmium and Heavy Metal Toxicology in Aquatic and Mammalian Systems
This community investigates how exposure to cadmium and other heavy metals causes cellular damage, oxidative stress, and disease in animals and humans, with a specific focus on aquatic species and rodent models.
The research is dominated by studies on cadmium exposure, often using cadmium chloride as the toxicant, and its effects on oxidative stress, gene expression, and signaling pathways. Common subjects include Wistar rats, albino rats, and aquatic species such as Oreochromis niloticus and Cyprinus carpio. The work frequently examines the protective effects of various compounds against cadmium-induced damage, as well as the role of heavy metals like lead, copper, and zinc in liver, kidney, and breast cancer pathology. Risk assessment and the measurement of blood and environmental cadmium levels are also central themes, alongside investigations into endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Cadmium research accounts for 10.6% of all tracked cadmium studies, representing 17,774 papers within this community. Lead and copper also contribute significantly, with 2,794 and 3,253 papers respectively, though they represent smaller shares of their respective element research.
The community comprises 28,631 papers, primarily published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, and Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
Recent work continues to focus on the mechanistic links between cadmium exposure and specific pathologies, including liver injury, kidney stone formation, and intestinal barrier disruption. Studies also explore the synergistic effects of cadmium with microplastics and the role of programmed cell death in heavy metal-induced toxicity.