Can Antioxidants Be Beneficial in the Treatment of Lead Poisoning?
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that lead causes oxidative stress by inducing the generation of reactive oxygen species, reducing the antioxidant defense system of cells via depleting glutathione, inhibiting sulfhydryl-dependent enzymes, interfering with some essential metals needed for antioxidant enzyme activities, and/or increasing susceptibility of cells to oxidative attack by altering the membrane integrity and fatty acid composition. Consequently, it is plausible that impaired oxidant/antioxidant balance can be partially responsible for the toxic effects of lead. Where enhanced oxidative stress contributes to lead-induced toxicity, restoration of a cell's antioxidant capacity appears to provide a partial remedy. Several studies are underway to determine the effect of antioxidant supplementation following lead exposure. Data suggest that antioxidants may play an important role in abating some hazards of lead. To explain the importance of using antioxidants in treating lead poisoning the following topics are addressed: (i) Oxidative damage caused by lead poisoning; (ii) conventional treatment of lead poisoning and its side effects; and (iii) possible protective effects of antioxidants in lead toxicity.
Recommended Citation
N. Ercal and H. Gürer-Orhan, "Can Antioxidants Be Beneficial in the Treatment of Lead Poisoning?," Free Radical Biology and Medicine, Elsevier, Nov 2000.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/S0891-5849(00)00413-5
Department(s)
Chemistry
Sponsor(s)
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
National Institutes of Health (U.S.)
Turkish Scientific Technical Research Council
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
0891-5849
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2000 Elsevier, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Nov 2000
