Maternal exposure to glyphosate‐based herbicide promotes changes in the muscle structure of C57BL/6 mice offspring

Abstract

Glyphosate (GBH) is a worldwide consumption pesticide and is used in the formulation of Roundup®, one of the most commercialized herbicides in the world. Maternal exposure to this herbicide can promote changes and adaptations in the offspring; however, the effects on skeletal muscle are poorly understood. In this sense, the present study sought to evaluate the effect of exposure to GBH on the characteristics of the soleus (SOL) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles. C57BL/6 pregnant female mice were divided into two groups: control (CTL) receiving water and glyphosate (GBH; n = 6) receiving 0.5% glyphosate. Male puppies were designated according to the group to which the mothers belonged, such as CTL‐F1 and GBH‐F1 and then euthanized at 150 days of age. There was a reduction in body weight and nasoanal length of animals exposed to GBH, while there was an increase in EDL weight, reduction in the proportion of fibers and number of nuclei, and an increase in the connective tissue of the SOL. The animals exposed to GBH presented higher values of body characteristics, mainly adiposity gain, while they presented a reduction in neuromuscular junctions (NMJ), and an increase in fibrosis in the SOL muscle, while there was a reduction in the number of nuclei, and an increase in the weight of the EDL muscle. These findings indicate that glyphosate can promote changes in the offspring's body growth, the deposition of adipose panicles and its effects on muscle can lead to changes in the structure and functioning of this tissue.

Maternal pre-conceptional glyphosate exposure impacts the offspring hepatic and ovarian proteome

“…A potential obesogenic impact of GLY exposure has been noted by others ( Kubsad et al , 2019 ), thus our findings potentially suggest a sexually dimorphic impact of GLY exposure on body weight, though whether the small observed body weight change is biologically meaningful is unclear. Interestingly, in utero exposure to GBH altered muscle structure and increased adiposity in male offspring ( Barbosa et al , 2022 ) in agreement with the increased body weight noted herein. This was not an endpoint evaluated in this study and could be of interest in future work.…”

“…Maternal exposure to GLY or GBH has reported impacts on cardiac parameters ( de Marins et al , 2023 ), anxiety and hyperactivity ( de Castro Vieira Carneiro et al , 2023 ), immune responsivity ( Buchenauer et al , 2022 ), hepatic function ( Rieg et al , 2022 ; Teleken et al , 2020 ), and muscle structure ( Barbosa et al , 2022 ) in offspring and although the species and route of exposure differ, the potential for maternal exposure to impair offspring viability is supported. This study investigated a maternal pre-conceptional exposure to GLY at a dose not previously determined to be of concern for development and reproduction ( Ganesan and Keating, 2020 ; Ganesan et al , 2020 ; USEPA, 1993 ).…”

Peripubertal Exposure to Glyphosate-Based Herbicides Promotes Histopathological Impairment in the Structure of the Diaphragm Muscle of C57BL/6 Mice

“…Finally, the histopathological analysis showed an increase in total muscle damage in the animals exposed to GBH, due to the increased presence of circulatory and inflammatory disorders, muscle fiber alterations, associated tissue alterations and progressive changes. Exposure to GBH is associated with changes in the development of animals, especially during critical periods of life, such as during pregnancy (24), perinatal (25) and peripubertal periods (26). Chronic and subchronic exposures to doses of 250 mg/kg/day and 500 mg/kg/day, regardless of the sex of the animals, have been reported to reduce weight gain in animals in the peripubertal period, such as those described in the present study (27,28).…”

Association between urinary glyphosate levels and hand grip strength in a representative sample of US adults: NHANES 2013–2014

“…In one study, the administration of water containing 0.5% glyphosate to pregnant C57BL/6 mice during both pregnancy and lactation periods did not reveal statistically significant differences in the morphology of muscle fibers and connective tissue ( 15 ). However, in another study focusing on the male offspring of these mice, a decrease in neuromuscular junctions, along with an increase in fibrosis, was observed in the soleus muscle ( 12 ). Additionally, one study examined the effect of chronic oral glyphosate (10 μg/kg for 30 days) on muscle strength in rats.…”

“…Experimental research has examined the influence of glyphosate and GBH on skeletal muscle. Glyphosate exposure was found to decrease energy reserves ( 9 , 10 ), alter acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity ( 11 ), change muscle morphology and functioning ( 12 ), and reduce muscle strength ( 13 ). However, results from these studies were inconsistent ( 14 , 15 ).…”