TRACE ELEMENTS IN MEDICINE (MOSCOW)
2015. 16(3): 20-28
TOPICAL PAPERS

HEAVY METALS: THE COMBINED IMPACT WITH OTHER CHEMICAL AGENTS ON THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

A.N. Inozemtsev¹, O.V. Karpukhina¹,², S.B. Bokieva³, K.Z Gumargalieva²

1 Moscow State University, Faculty of Biology, Leninskie Gory 112, Moscow, 119991, Russia
2 N.N. Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kosygin str. 4, Moscow, 117334, Russia
3 K.L. Khetagurov North-Ossetian State University, Watutin str. 4446, Vladikavkaz, 362025, Republic Nord-Osetian-Alania, Russia

DOI: 10.19112/2413-6174-2015-16-3-20-28 

ABSTRACT: This review analyzes the works on the combinatorial impact of heavy metals with other heavy metals and drugs on the CNS, published from the end of the last century. It allows us to conclude that information about the harmful effects of heavy metals has come from studies focused on exposure to single metals. Most of the publications aimed to analyze combinatorial effects on the human CNS are focused on chemical agents present in water, air, cigarette smoke, etc, where in addition to heavy metals, there are other particles. This makes it impossible to analyze results of joint influence of the heavy metals and compare it with the effects of each of them individually. There are few works on animals that could solve this problem. However, they found that different heavy metals together cause greater adverse impacts than each of them alone. Few works on the joint effects of heavy metals and drugs established that combinations of metals with piracetam and hidazepam can cause a greater neurotoxic effect than each metal alone, which makes it dangerous to use such preparations in the regions with a high environmental content of heavy metals. Ascorbic acid and immune preparation of thymus peptides taktivin counteract neurotoxic effects of heavy metals due to their impact on the antioxidant and immune systems, respectively. The conclusion is done about the relevance of the search for medicines to counteract the neurotoxic effects of heavy metals, especially in view of the increasing adverse impact caused by their mixtures.

KEYWORDS: heavy metals, central nervous system, toxicity, oxidative stress, nootropic drugs, ascorbic acid.