Methylmercury (MeHg) epidemics and studies in fish-eating populations have provided invaluable insights into the neurotoxic sequelae of MeHg exposure. MeHg is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, and its accumulation in the food chain will continue to pose health risks given anthropogenic and natural contamination. This review briefly addresses recent epidemiological data associated with exposure to MeHg in fish-eating populations, identifies mechanisms of MeHg transport into the central nervous system (CNS), and discusses various theories on cellular processes afflicted by MeHg, which most certainly include astrocytic failure to maintain the composition of the extracellular fluid.

中文翻译：

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鱼源甲基汞的神经毒性机制。

甲基汞（MeHg）流行病和以鱼类为食的人群的研究为甲基汞暴露的神经毒性后遗症提供了宝贵的见解。甲基汞是一种普遍存在的环境污染物，由于人为和自然污染，其在食物链中的积累将继续构成健康风险。这篇综述简要地介绍了与鱼类饮食人​​群接触甲基汞有关的最新流行病学数据，确定了甲基汞向中枢神经系统（CNS）转运的机制，并讨论了由甲基汞影响的细胞过程的各种理论，其中最肯定的包括星形胶质细胞失败保持细胞外液的成分。