A research team led by Ms. Misaki Shirai (JSPS Research Fellow), Dr. Takato Hara, and Dr. Chika Yamamoto from the Department of Environmental Health Science, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, has revealed that cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, increases the synthesis of hyaluronan in vascular endothelial cells. Their study has also identified that this process is mediated by the induction of hyaluronan synthase 3 (HAS3) expression.
In Japan, cadmium is well known as the causative agent of Itai-itai disease, and numerous epidemiological studies have highlighted its role as a risk factor for atherosclerosis. This study provides new insights into the toxic mechanisms of cadmium, demonstrating that it accelerates the progression of atherosclerosis by increasing hyaluronan synthesis.
This research was published online in the journal Toxicology on January 20, 2025.
Key Points:
Journal
Toxicology (January 20, 2025) Vol. 511, Article 154062
Title:
Cadmium promotes hyaluronan synthesis by inducing hyaluronan synthase 3 expression in cultured vascular endothelial cells via the c-Jun N-terminal kinase–c-Jun pathway
Authors:
Misaki Shirai, Takato Hara, Toshiyuki Kaji, Chika Yamamoto* (*Corresponding Author)
DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2025.154062
Toxicology
Experimental study
Cells
Cadmium promotes hyaluronan synthesis by inducing hyaluronan synthase 3 expression in cultured vascular endothelial cells via the c-Jun N-terminal kinase–c-Jun pathway
20-Jan-2025
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.