Figure 6. This figure explains how the entry of transition metal promotes reactive oxygen species (ROS) production either by inhibiting the scavengers of ROS or employing their redox reactivity or via disruption of the electron transport chain of the mitochondria; inhibits entry of iron into a cell; inhibits HIF and PHD. The ROS, in turn, inhibits erythropoietin formation and causes red blood cell hemolysis.

This figure was drawn using the premium version of BioRender (https://biorender.com/), accessed on September 14, 2024, with agreement license number NX27B0RZ5D [70].

PHD: prolyl hydroxylase domain enzymes; HIF: hypoxia-inducible factor; Fe²⁺: ferrous ion; TM: transition metal; RBC: red blood cell.

Image credit: Rahnuma Ahmad.