The Impact of Environmental Contaminants on Neurodevelopment and Human Metabolism

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Metabolomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 553

Special Issue Editors


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Instituto de Pesquisa Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba 80250-060, Brazil
Interests: mercury; lead; selenium; neurodevelopment; brain; oxidative stress; bi-omarkers; antioxidant system
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Guest Editor
Instituto de Pesquisa Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba 80250-060, Brazil
Interests: pesticides; pharmaceuticals; phthalates; endocrine disruptors; environmental contaminants; neurodevelopment; metabolism; oxidative stress; biomarkers; antioxidant system

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Anthropogenic activities have been contributing to the exponential increase of pollutants released into the environment. The perinatal period represents a critical and vulnerable period for the developing brain. This way, exposure to environmental contaminants, such as metals, pesticides, phthalates, and other emerging contaminants, can affect the organism's metabolism. Developing individuals are more sensitive when challenged with xenobiotics. A particular concern is regarding the morphology and physiology of the developing brain. Alterations during neurodevelopment can compromise important functions of the individual's nervous system and cause permanent health problems, such as learning, memory, and behavioral deficits.

Studying the effects of environmental contaminants isolated or in mixtures, especially in realistic concentrations, in different models/organisms (rodents, fish, cell culture, etc.) and the effects in several pathways of organisms' development and metabolism is pivotal to understanding the effects of anthropogenic actions on human health.

In this Special Issue, papers exploring new biomarkers of exposure, new pathways affected, and biochemical and molecular alterations caused by exposure to environmental contaminants (especially pesticides and metals) are welcome.

Dr. Cláudia Sirlene de Oliveira
Dr. Izonete Cristina Guiloski
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • pesticides
  • metals
  • mercury
  • methylmercury
  • developing organism
  • oxidative stress

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

29 pages, 2365 KiB  
Review
Caloric Restriction and Sirtuins as New Players to Reshape Male Fertility
by Diana C. A. André, Pedro F. Oliveira, Marco G. Alves and Ana D. Martins
Metabolites 2025, 15(5), 303; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo15050303 - 2 May 2025
Viewed by 256
Abstract
Over the years, caloric intake has remained a subject of profound scrutiny. Within the scientific community, there has been rigorous debate to ascertain which path is most ideal for enhancing quality of life and extending the human lifespan. Caloric restriction has been shown [...] Read more.
Over the years, caloric intake has remained a subject of profound scrutiny. Within the scientific community, there has been rigorous debate to ascertain which path is most ideal for enhancing quality of life and extending the human lifespan. Caloric restriction has been shown to be a promising contributor towards longevity and delaying the onset of age-related diseases. This diet consists of a reduction in caloric intake while maintaining essential energy and nutritional requirements to achieve optimal health while avoiding malnutrition. However, the effects of this nutritional regimen on male reproductive health have not yet been comprehensively studied. Nevertheless, such a complex process will certainly be regulated by a variety of metabolic sensors, likely sirtuins. Evidence has been gathered regarding this group of enzymes, and their ability to regulate processes such as chromatin condensation, the cell cycle, insulin signaling, and glucose and lipid metabolism, among many others. Concerning testicular function and male fertility, sirtuins can modulate certain metabolic processes through their interaction with the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis and mitochondrial dynamics, among many others, which remain largely unexplored. This review explores the impact of caloric restriction on male fertility, highlighting the emerging role of sirtuins as key regulators of male reproductive health through their influence on cellular metabolism. Full article
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