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Related Concept Videos

Bioactivation and Tissue Toxicity01:25

Bioactivation and Tissue Toxicity

Bioactivation is a metabolic process that transforms less reactive substances into highly reactive metabolites, initiating tissue toxicity. This transformation can lead to various toxic effects, including carcinogenesis and teratogenesis. Reactive metabolites are classified into two main types: electrophiles and free radicals.Electrophiles are electron-deficient species and are produced primarily by the enzyme cytochrome P-450 during the metabolism of compounds containing carbon, nitrogen, or...
Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity01:25

Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity

Mutagenicity and carcinogenicity refer to the ability of drugs to cause genetic defects and induce cancer, respectively. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies agents into four groups based on their carcinogenic potential. Group 1 agents are known human carcinogens; group 2A agents are probably carcinogenic to humans; group 3 agents lack data to support their role in carcinogenesis; and group 4 includes agents for which data support that they are not likely to be...
Spontaneous and Induced Mutations01:30

Spontaneous and Induced Mutations

Spontaneous mutations arise infrequently during DNA replication due to errors in the process. A key factor behind these errors is tautomeric shifts in nitrogenous bases, where bases transition from keto to enol forms or amino to imino forms. This shift can alter base-pairing rules, leading to mutations. Additionally, reactive oxygen species (ROS) arising from aerobic metabolism can damage DNA, resulting in depurination (loss of a purine base) or depyrimidination (loss of a pyrimidine base).
Toxic Reactions: Overview01:26

Toxic Reactions: Overview

When toxic substances penetrate the human body, they disseminate to various tissues, undergoing metabolic changes. This process yields reactive metabolites that may covalently bind with specific target molecules, resulting in toxicity.
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Cellular Injury I: Introduction01:00

Cellular Injury I: Introduction

Cellular injury occurs when a cell cannot maintain homeostasis or adapt to stressors such as hypoxia, toxins, or trauma. Depending on severity and duration, injury may be reversible, allowing recovery, or irreversible, leading to cell death.General Mechanisms of Cell InjuryAlthough causes vary, most cellular injuries arise from a few key mechanisms that disrupt essential functions and often amplify one another. Cell survival depends on the extent and balance of these disturbances.ATP depletion...
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Drug Toxicity: Dose-Dependent Reactions

Drug toxicities can be stratified into pharmacological, pathological, or genotoxic based on their mechanisms. The incidence and severity of these toxicities generally increase with the drug's concentration in the body and exposure time.Pharmacological toxicity is evident when the therapeutic effects of drugs overshoot into adverse reactions in a predictable, dose-dependent manner. Central nervous system (CNS) depression from barbiturates is a classic example, with effects escalating from...

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Mechanistic Insight Into Metal-Induced Toxicity: Oxidative Stress, Genomic Instability, and Carcinogenesis.

Nazmul Islam1

  • 1Department of Textile Engineering, Daffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Journal of Applied Toxicology : JAT
|June 20, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Industrial activities have increased exposure to toxic metals like arsenic, chromium, cadmium, lead, and mercury. These metals disrupt cellular functions, leading to oxidative stress, DNA damage, and increased cancer risk.

Keywords:
carcinogenesishealth implicationsoxidative stresstoxic mechanismstoxic metals

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Toxicology
  • Molecular Toxicology
  • Human Health

Background:

  • Industrialization has led to widespread human exposure to toxic metals.
  • Arsenic, chromium, cadmium, lead, and mercury are prevalent environmental toxicants.
  • Chronic exposure to these metals poses significant health risks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the toxic mechanisms of five major toxic metals.
  • To elucidate the molecular and physiological impacts of metal exposure.
  • To highlight the role of metal toxicity in carcinogenesis and systemic diseases.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of toxicological studies.
  • Analysis of cellular and molecular mechanisms of toxicity.
  • Integration of data on bioaccumulation and physiological effects.

Main Results:

  • Toxic metals disrupt cellular signaling, growth, proliferation, survival, metabolism, and apoptosis.
  • Metals induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, impair antioxidant defenses, and cause enzyme inactivation.
  • Bioaccumulation of metals leads to multi-tissue and organ system toxicity.
  • Chromium, cadmium, and arsenic are linked to genomic instability and impaired DNA repair, contributing to cancer.

Conclusions:

  • Toxic metals exert detrimental effects through diverse molecular pathways, including oxidative stress.
  • Metal-induced cellular damage and genomic instability are key drivers of disease progression and cancer.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing strategies to mitigate metal toxicity and associated diseases.