Advances on damage and mechanisms of Cd, Pb, and Hg to blood vessels

Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium are released into the environment through industrial, agricultural, and daily life activities, and pollute the environment. In recent years, the adverse health effects of heavy metals have raised attention from worldwide researchers. The comparison of heavy metal levels in domestic and foreign populations show that the burden of heavy metals in Chinese residents is not optimistic. Increasing epidemiological studies have found that heavy metal exposure is associated with vascular injury and the risk of vascular diseases. Excessive toxic heavy metal in the environment can enter into human body through various ways such as respiratory tract, digestive tract, and skin contact, affect the structure and function of blood vessels, including atherosclerosis, vascular remodeling, endothelial dysfunction, platelet adhesion and aggregation, and thrombosis, and eventually lead to vascular diseases. From heavy metal exposure to cardiovascular injury outcomes, a variety of molecular events are involved, including oxidative stress (the most important and common mechanism), inflammatory activation, and affected hormone signal transduction, but the related mechanisms need further study. This review summarized the effects and mechanisms of three common heavy metals (cadmium, lead, and mercury) on vascular structure and function, aiming to provide a basis for prevention against their vascular toxicity.