ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

The Role of Trace Elements in Health and Diseases

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2024) | Viewed by 4008

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstańców Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
Interests: neurodegeneration; tissue regeneration; neuroprotection; toxicity; natural products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The significant importance of trace elements (TE) for human health is mediated primarily by their role as catalysts in enzyme systems. That feature determines their role in regulating multiple vital functions including growth, metabolism, and immune responses. Due to their significance in proper development, trace elements are of constant interest to researchers. Numerous epidemiological studies have demonstrated the role of trace elements, and interactions between them, in the etiology, pathophysiology and prevention of certain conditions, such as infectious diseases, diabetes, and other systemic diseases, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, or even cancer. Here, the essentiality, non-essentiality, and toxicity of TE, depending on the element’s concentration and form, must be considered.

Epidemiologic data report the high prevalence of deficiency and overload of TE. The line between essentiality and toxicity level of some elements is thin. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the metabolism of trace elements in health and disease might provide a more specific approach to treating certain diseases, providing measurable benefits in the healthcare system.

This Special Issue of IJMS includes the topics presented below: 

  • Molecular mechanisms of trace elements in health and disease;
  • Interactions between trace elements in health and disease;
  • Trace elements and inflammatory processes;
  • Trace elements in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases;
  • Trace elements and endocrine disorders;
  • Trace elements and cancer.

Dr. Patrycja Kupnicka
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • trace elements (TE)
  • TE and inflammation
  • TE and neurodegeneration
  • TE interactions
  • TE toxicity
  • TE deficiency

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

20 pages, 5317 KiB  
Article
AMPA and NMDA Receptors in Hippocampus of Rats with Fluoride-Induced Cognitive Decline
by Olga Vladimirovna Nadei and Natalia Ivanovna Agalakova
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(21), 11796; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252111796 - 2 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1285
Abstract
This experimental study was performed to evaluate the alterations in the expression of a few subunits composing glutamate AMPA (a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) and NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors in the hippocampal cells of Wistar rats in response to long-term fluoride (F-) exposure. The animals [...] Read more.
This experimental study was performed to evaluate the alterations in the expression of a few subunits composing glutamate AMPA (a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) and NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors in the hippocampal cells of Wistar rats in response to long-term fluoride (F-) exposure. The animals were given water with background 0.4 (control), 5, 20, and 50 ppm F- (as NaF) for 12 months. The cognitive capacities of rats were examined by novel object recognition (NOR), Y-maze test, and Morris water maze tests. RT-qPCR and Western blotting techniques were used to evaluate the expression of different AMPA and NMDA subunits at transcriptional and translational levels, respectively. Long-term F- poisoning disturbed the formation of hippocampus-dependent working spatial and long-term non-spatial memory. The expression of Gria1, Gria2, and Gria3 genes encoding different subunits of AMPA receptors were comparable in hippocampi of control and F--exposed animals, although the levels of both Grin2a and Grin2b mRNA increased. Long-term F- intake enhanced the ratio of phospho-GluA1/total-GluA1 proteins in subcellular fraction enriched with cytosolic proteins, while decreased content of GluA2 but elevated level of GluA3 were observed in subcellular fraction enriched with membrane proteins. Such changes were accompanied by increased phosphorylation of GluN2A and GluN2B subunits, higher ratios of GluN2A/GluN1 and GluN2B/GluN1 proteins in the cytosol, and GluN2A/GluN2B ratio in membranes. These changes indicate the predominance of Ca2+-permeable AMPARs in membranes and a shift between different NMDARs subunits in hippocampal cells of F--exposed rats, which is typical for neurodegeneration and can at least partially underly the observed disturbances in cognitive capacities of animals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Trace Elements in Health and Diseases)
Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 861 KiB  
Article
Zinc and Ferritin Levels and Their Associations with Functional Disorders and/or Thyroid Autoimmunity: A Population-Based Case–Control Study
by Hernando Vargas-Uricoechea, Karen Urrego-Noguera, Hernando Vargas-Sierra and María Pinzón-Fernández
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(18), 10217; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms251810217 - 23 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1701
Abstract
Population zinc and iron status appear to be associated with an increased risk of thyroid function abnormalities and thyroid autoimmunity (AITD). In the present study, we aimed to determine whether zinc and/or iron levels (assessed by ferritin levels) were associated with the presence [...] Read more.
Population zinc and iron status appear to be associated with an increased risk of thyroid function abnormalities and thyroid autoimmunity (AITD). In the present study, we aimed to determine whether zinc and/or iron levels (assessed by ferritin levels) were associated with the presence of AITD and with alterations in thyroid function. A population-based case–control study (n = 1048) was conducted (cases: n = 524; controls: n = 524). Participants were measured for blood concentrations of zinc and ferritin, TSH, FT4, FT3, and thyroid autoantibodies. No significant differences were found in relation to ferritin levels between cases and controls. Among cases, the prevalence of low zinc levels in those with hypothyroidism (both subclinical and overt) was 49.1% [odds ratio (OR) of low zinc levels: 5.926; 95% CI: 3.756–9.351]. The prevalence of low zinc levels in participants with hyperthyroidism (both subclinical and overt) was 37.5% [OR of low zinc levels: 3.683; 95% CI: 1.628–8.33]. The zinc value that best discriminated the highest frequency of AITD was 70.4 µg/dL [sensitivity: 0.947, 1–specificity: 0.655, specificity: 0.345]. The highest frequency of AITD was calculated based on a zinc value <70 µg/dL (relative to a normal value), with this frequency being significantly higher in cases than in controls [OR: 9.3; 95% CI: 6.1–14.3 (p = 0.001)]. In conclusion, the results of our study suggest that zinc deficiency is associated with an increased frequency of functional thyroid disorders and thyroid autoimmunity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Trace Elements in Health and Diseases)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop