Protective effect of melatonin against chronic cadmium-induced hepatotoxicity by suppressing oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in mice

Cadmium (Cd) is a widespread environmental heavy metal pollutant that has high toxicity to human health. Cd accumulates in the liver and results in oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions. Melatonin (MT), a hormone exhibiting strong antioxidative properties, has been proved to have hepatoprotective effect against both acute and chronic liver injury. However, the molecular mechanism underlying MT's hepatoprotective effect against Cd-induced liver injury remain not fully understood. In this study, the potential protective effect of MT on Cd-induced hepatic injury was investigated. Adult male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups: control, CdCl