Abstract
BackgroundRecent epidemiological studies on workers describe that exposure to pesticides can induce oxidative stress by increased production of free radicals that can accumulate in the cell and damage biological macromolecules, for example, RNA, DNA, DNA repair proteins and other proteins and/or modify antioxidant defense mechanisms, as well as detoxification and scavenger enzymes. This study aimed to assess oxidative stress and DNA damage among workers exposed to pesticides.MethodsFor this purpose, 52 pesticide exposed workers and 52 organic farmers were enrolled. They were assessed: the pesticide exposure, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), total glutathione (TG), oxidized glutathione levels (GSSG), and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG), levels.ResultsCorrelation between pesticide exposure was positively associated with high TBARS and 8-oxodG levels (p < 0.001). A negative association was founded with TG and GSSG and pesticide exposure.ConclusionsThe present investigation results seem to indicate a mild augment in oxidative stress associated with pesticide exposure, followed by an adaptive response to increase the antioxidant defenses to prevent sustained oxidative adverse effects stress.
Highlights
Recent epidemiological studies on workers describe that exposure to pesticides is a risk factor for cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases [4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]
Several investigations reports that exposure to pesticides can induce oxidative stress by increased production of free radicals that can accumulate in the cell, damaging biological macromolecules, for example RNA, DNA, DNA repair proteins and other proteins [14, 15], or modifying antioxidant defense mechanisms, as well as detoxification and scavenger enzymes [16, 17]
Some investigations report that oxidative stress and DNA damage caused by pesticide exposure are involved in mechanisms linking pesticide exposure with adverse health effects [19,20,21]
Summary
Pesticides are a large number of compounds with different targets, chemical structure, and biological effects commonly used for crop protection in agriculture [1].Pesticides entering the human body through breathing, swallowing, and skin absorption [1, 2]; occupational exposure is characterized by long-term and low-level, cyclical in the seasons [2, 3].Recent epidemiological studies on workers describe that exposure to pesticides is a risk factor for cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases [4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]. Several investigations reports that exposure to pesticides can induce oxidative stress by increased production of free radicals that can accumulate in the cell, damaging biological macromolecules, for example RNA, DNA, DNA repair proteins and other proteins [14, 15], or modifying antioxidant defense mechanisms, as well as detoxification and scavenger enzymes [16, 17]. Recent epidemiological studies on workers describe that exposure to pesticides can induce oxidative stress by increased production of free radicals that can accumulate in the cell and damage biological macromolecules, for example, RNA, DNA, DNA repair proteins and other proteins and/or modify antioxidant defense mechanisms, as well as detoxification and scavenger enzymes. This study aimed to assess oxidative stress and DNA damage among workers exposed to pesticides
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