Pesticides and insulin resistance-related metabolic diseases: Evidences and mechanisms

Assessing the Influence of Low Doses of Sucrose on Memory Deficits in Fish Exposed to Common Insecticide Based on Fipronil and Pyriproxyfen

Although pesticides have been a constant concern for decades, in the last ten years, public discussions and scientific research have emphasized their impact on human health and the environment, drawing increased attention to the problems associated with their use. The association of environmental stressors such as pesticides with a sugar-rich diet can contribute to the growing global metabolic disease epidemic through overlapping mechanisms of insulin resistance, inflammation, and metabolic dysregulation. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the behavioral effects of the exposure of Silver crucian carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) to a commercial insecticide formulation containing fipronil, pyriproxyfen, and other additives, as well as sucrose and their mixtures. The behavioral responses in the T-test showed significant abnormalities in the exploratory activity evocative of memory deficits and an increased degree of anxiety in the groups of fish treated with the insecticide formulation and the mixture of the insecticide with sucrose. Aggression, quantified in the mirror-biting test, as biting and the frequency of approaches to the mirror contact zone, was significantly decreased only in the insecticide and sucrose group. All three groups showed behavioral changes reflective of toxicity, but only the combination of the two stress factors, environmental (insecticide) and metabolic (sucrose intake), resulted in pronounced memory alterations.

Unraveling the pesticide-diabetes connection: A case-cohort study integrating Mendelian randomization analysis with a focus on physical activity's mitigating effect

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

There is no evidence on the longitudinal and causal associations between multiple pesticides and the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the Chinese rural population, and whether physical activity (PA) modified these associations remains unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the longitudinal and causal associations between pesticides mixture and T2DM, and determine whether PA modified these associations.

METHODS

A total of 925 subjects with normal glucose and 925 subjects with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) were enrolled in this case-cohort study. A total of 51 targeted pesticides were quantified at baseline. Logistic regression, quantile g-computation, and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were used to assess the individual and combined effects of pesticides on IFG and T2DM. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was employed to obtain the causal association between pesticides and T2DM.

RESULTS

After 3-year follow-up, one-unit increment in ln-isofenphos, ln-malathion, and ln-deltamethrin were associated with an increase conversion of IFG to T2DM (FDR-P<0.05). One quartile increment in organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), organophosphorus pesticides (OPs), herbicides and pyrethroids mixtures were related to a higher incidence of T2DM among IFG patients (P<0.05). The BKMR results showed a positive trend between exposure to pesticides mixture and T2DM. The MR analysis indicated a positive association between exposure to pesticides and T2DM risk (P<0.05). No any significant association was found between pesticides and IFG. In addition, compared to subjects with high levels of PA, those with low levels of PA were related to increased risk of T2DM with the increased levels of pesticides among IFG patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Individual and combined exposure to pesticides increased the incidence of T2DM among IFG patients. MR analysis further supported the causal association of pesticides exposure with T2DM risk. Our study furtherly indicated that high levels of PA attenuated the diabetogenic effect of pesticides exposure.

Multi-omics and gut microbiome: Unveiling the pathogenic mechanisms of early-life pesticide exposure

The extensive application of pesticides in agricultural production has raised significant concerns about its impact on human health. Different pesticides, including fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides, cause environmental pollution and health problems for non-target organisms. Infants and young children are so vulnerable to the harmful effects of pesticide exposure that early-life exposure to pesticides deserves focused attention. Recent research lays emphasis on understanding the mechanism between negative health impacts and early-life exposure to various pesticides. Studies have explored the impacts of exposure to these pesticides on model organisms (zebrafish, rats, and mice), as well as the mechanism of negative health effects, based on advanced methodologies like gut microbiota and multi-omics. These methodologies help comprehend the pathogenic mechanisms associated with early-life pesticide exposure. In addition to presenting health problems stemming from early-life exposure to pesticides and their pathogenic mechanisms, this review proposes expectations for future research. These proposals include focusing on identifying biomarkers that indicate early-life pesticide exposure, investigating transgenerational effects, and seeking effective treatments for diseases arising from such exposure. This review emphasizes how to understand the pathogenic mechanisms of early-life pesticide exposure through gut microbiota and multi-omics, as well as the adverse health effects of such exposure.

A combination of silymarin and garlic extract enhances thyroid hormone activation and body metabolism in orally intoxicated male rats with atrazine: Impact on hepatic iodothyronine deiodinase type 1

Atrazine is a widely applied herbicide to improve crop yield and maintain general health. It has been reported to impair thyroid function and architecture in experimental animals. Alterations in thyroid hormones disrupt normal body function and metabolism. Silymarin, a hepatoprotective flavonolignan, was found to improve thyroid function and body metabolism. Additionally, garlic displays several protective effects on body organs. Therefore, this study explored the prophylactic impact of natural compounds comprising silymarin and garlic extract on disrupted thyroid function, hepatic iodothyronine deiodinase type 1, and metabolic parameters in atrazine-intoxicated male rats. We found that daily pre- and co-treatment of atrazine-intoxicated male rats with silymarin (100 mg/kg, p.o) and/or garlic extract (10 mg/kg, p.o) significantly improved thyroid activation and hepatic functionality as evidenced by the re-establishment of T3, T3/T4, and TSH values as well as ALT and AST activities. Interestingly, individual or concurrent supplementation of the atrazine group with silymarin and garlic extract prevented the down-regulation in hepatic iodothyronine deiodinase type 1. These effects were coupled with the repletion of serum and hepatic antioxidants and the amelioration of lipid peroxidation. In addition, current natural products markedly alleviated weight gain, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance. Notably, a cocktail of silymarin and garlic extract exerted superior protection against atrazine-triggered deterioration of thyroid, hepatic, and metabolic functioning to individual treatments. Present findings pinpoint the prophylactic and synergistic influence of silymarin and garlic extract combinatorial regimen on thyroid activation and body metabolism via enhancing antioxidant potential, maintaining hepatic function, and iodothyronine deiodinase type 1.

The adverse role of endocrine disrupting chemicals in the reproductive system

Reproductive system diseases pose prominent threats to human physical and mental well-being. Besides being influenced by genetic material regulation and changes in lifestyle, the occurrence of these diseases is closely connected to exposure to harmful substances in the environment. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), characterized by hormone-like effects, have a wide range of influences on the reproductive system. EDCs are ubiquitous in the natural environment and are present in a wide range of industrial and everyday products. Currently, thousands of chemicals have been reported to exhibit endocrine effects, and this number is likely to increase as the testing for potential EDCs has not been consistently required, and obtaining data has been limited, partly due to the long latency of many diseases. The ability to avoid exposure to EDCs, especially those of artificially synthesized origin, is increasingly challenging. While EDCs can be divided into persistent and non-persistent depending on their degree of degradation, due to the recent uptick in research studies in this area, we have chosen to focus on the research pertaining to the detrimental effects on reproductive health of exposure to several EDCs that are widely encountered in daily life over the past six years, specifically bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates (PAEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), parabens, pesticides, heavy metals, and so on. By focusing on the impact of EDCs on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, which leads to the occurrence and development of reproductive system diseases, this review aims to provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of EDCs' damage to human health and to encourage further in-depth research to clarify the potentially harmful effects of EDC exposure through various other mechanisms. Ultimately, it offers a scientific basis to enhance EDCs risk management, an endeavor of significant scientific and societal importance for safeguarding reproductive health.