Abstract: Pollution of the environment by the heavy metal cadmium poses a great threat to human health. The long-term accumulation of Cd can cause damage to various organs and systems of the body, such as liver and kidney tissues, immune system and cardiovascular system, etc. The research on toxicity mechanism of Cd mainly focuses on oxidative damage, DNA damage and cell apoptosis. Studies in recent years have suggested that the different effects of Cd on autophagy have a complex relationship with cell survival. Cd is known to induce autophagy which inhibit or facilitate cell apoptosis in different cells. It can also inhibit autophagy flux and induce apoptosis by blocking the fusion of autophagosome and lysosome. Cd affects autophagy by interfering with the lysosomes and metabolism of calcium ions in cells. This paper reviews the different autophagy effects induced by Cd in different cells, and explores its possible molecular mechanisms.

Key words: cadmium, autophagy, lysosome, calcium ion