Eutrophication and climate change have raised obnoxious cyanobacterial blooms, which have become a global public health problem. The most dangerous cyanotoxin found in water bodies is microcystin (MC), a byproduct of cyanobacterial metabolism. Several studies suggest that in addition to the liver, the heart may be another target organ for MCs poisoning. Recent research indicates a clear link between MC exposure and cardiotoxicity, posing a risk to human cardiovascular health. The cardiovascular system, which includes all tissues, cells, blood, and vascular tissues of the heart, can be unswervingly affected by MCs, resulting in abnormal cardiovascular system structure and/or function. This review concludes that MC cardiotoxicity may be linked to protein phosphatase suppression and the contractile unit, generation of contractile force, the role of intercellular junction proteins, and the role of the angiotensin signaling pathway in cardiomyocytes.
Key words: Cyanotoxin; Microcystin-LR; Toxicity; Heart; OATP; Intercellular junction protein
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