| Title |
The Epigenetic Effects of Prenatal Cadmium Exposure
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Current Environmental Health Reports, April 2015
|
| DOI | 10.1007/s40572-015-0049-9 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Nadia Vilahur, Marie Vahter, Karin Broberg |
| Abstract |
Prenatal exposure to the highly toxic and common pollutant cadmium has been associated with adverse effects on child health and development. However, the underlying biological mechanisms of cadmium toxicity remain partially unsolved. Epigenetic disruption due to early cadmium exposure has gained attention as a plausible mode of action, since epigenetic signatures respond to environmental stimuli and the fetus undergoes drastic epigenomic rearrangements during embryogenesis. In the current review, we provide a critical examination of the literature addressing prenatal cadmium exposure and epigenetic effects in human, animal, and in vitro studies. We conducted a PubMed search and obtained eight recent studies addressing this topic, focusing almost exclusively on DNA methylation. These studies provide evidence that cadmium alters epigenetic signatures in the DNA of the placenta and of the newborns, and some studies indicated marked sexual differences for cadmium-related DNA methylation changes. Associations between early cadmium exposure and DNA methylation might reflect interference with de novo DNA methyltransferases. More studies, especially those including environmentally relevant doses, are needed to confirm the toxicoepigenomic effects of prenatal cadmium exposure and how that relates to the observed health effects of cadmium in childhood and later life. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 6 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 3 | 50% |
| France | 1 | 17% |
| Unknown | 2 | 33% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 5 | 83% |
| Scientists | 1 | 17% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 110 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 1 | <1% |
| Sweden | 1 | <1% |
| Unknown | 108 | 98% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Researcher | 16 | 15% |
| Student > Bachelor | 16 | 15% |
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 14 | 13% |
| Student > Master | 14 | 13% |
| Student > Doctoral Student | 7 | 6% |
| Other | 22 | 20% |
| Unknown | 21 | 19% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Dentistry | 17 | 15% |
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 16 | 15% |
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 13 | 12% |
| Environmental Science | 8 | 7% |
| Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 8 | 7% |
| Other | 20 | 18% |
| Unknown | 28 | 25% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 3. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 06 February 2016.
All research outputs
#12,631,977
of 22,805,349 outputs
Outputs from Current Environmental Health Reports
#205
of 324 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#116,701
of 264,900 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Current Environmental Health Reports
#8
of 12 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 22,805,349 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 44th percentile – i.e., 44% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 324 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 21.6. This one is in the 36th percentile – i.e., 36% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 12 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 33rd percentile – i.e., 33% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.