Mechanistic effect of heavy metals in neurological disorder and brain cancer

Industrialization era is considered as a part of important human development. Industrialization increases the extensive use of different metals from earth crust because of their materials demand. Extensive use of these materials in daily life and their improper disposal are the reasons for environmental pollution. Toxic metals are highly causative in an open environment and because of this human gets exposures frequently. These toxic metal like cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), Arsenic (As), Mercury (Hg), Thallium (Th) cross the blood brain barrier to enter into the brain and leads to development of neurodegenerative diseases. Heavy metals play an important role by inducing the reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial dysfunction, calcium ion efflux, an activation of immunogenic response, and suppression of anti-oxidants like catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione. Moreover, the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) causes the depletion in cognitive dysfunctions and impairs the memory functions with several other neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Here we have tried to illustrate the metals evoked mechanism, which impaires the function of neurons and generate the neurotoxicity and neurodegenerative diseases.