Occupational pesticide exposure, impaired DNA repair, and diseases

Abstract

Pesticides are a mixture of chemical substances used to kill pests. Apart from their toxicity to pests, thy affect nontarget organisms. They also generate free radicals producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can disturb cellular pathways by inhibiting various enzymes or receptors. Pesticides also induce oxidative DNA damage, DNA adducts, and single or double strand DNA breaks. Various mechanisms of DNA repair deal with such damages and help to maintain cell integrity. Alteration in DNA repair genes modulates the individual's susceptibility towards DNA repair and various diseases. Biological monitoring provides a useful tool for the estimation of genetic risk in populations exposed to pesticides. Large numbers of evidences show that occupational exposure to pesticides in agricultural workers has been associated with an increased incidence of various diseases such as cancer, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, reproductive disorders, and birth defects. In this review, we have discussed occupational pesticide exposure, various mechanisms of DNA damage caused by pesticides, DNA repair mechanisms, biomonitoring tools, and various diseases caused by pesticide exposure.

In vitro and in vivo effects of flubendiamide and copper on cyto-genotoxicity, oxidative stress and spleen histology of rats and its modulation by resveratrol, catechin, curcumin and α-tocopherol

“…Flubendiamide does not have genotoxic effects on bone marrow cells [1][2][3][4][5][6]. But there are reports that exposure to certain xenobiotics, either individually or in combination, may result in gene mutation, chromosomal aberrations and DNA damage [7][8][9].…”

<p>Chromosomal Instability in Farmers Exposed to Pesticides: High Prevalence of Clonal and Non-Clonal Chromosomal Alterations</p>

“…1 Exposure to pesticides is concerning because many studies have associated occupational exposure to these chemicals with an increased incidence of various diseases, including cancer, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, reproductive disorders, and birth defects. 2 Exposure to pesticides can induce oxidative stress by increased production of free radicals, which accumulate in cells and can cause gene mutations and chromosomal aberrations. [3][4][5] In recent years, genotoxicity from exposure to pesticides has been extensively investigated in cell lines and animal models.…”

Occupational pesticide exposure and the risk of death in patients with Parkinson’s disease: an observational study in Southern Brazil.

“…More recently, occupational exposure to a variety of pesticides including herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides were associated with the development of PD in France [3]. In addition to preferentially damaging dopaminergic neurons, these agents share several common mechanisms of action including increasing neuronal oxidating stress, damaging mitochondrial complex I, and impairing the ubiquitin-proteasome system [4,5].…”