Insecticide Reproductive Toxicity Profile: Organophosphate, Carbamate and Pyrethroids

Exposure to pesticides is very common world-wide, and is broadly known the acute toxic effects to humans of pesticides following a high dose exposure; however, knowledge about chronic low-dose adverse effects to specific pesticides is more limited. Reproductive functions can be affected, with birth defects, impaired fecund ability, infertility and altered growth. This paper will focus on the deleterious effects that may appear in the offspring, during early and later stages of life, after prenatal exposure to insecticides, not only on women with direct exposure but also on subjects with indirect exposure such as consumers or residents of rural communities. Prenatal exposure to pesticides could alter normal fetal development and could threaten future welfare. The main changes observed in prenatal exposure to organophosphates are alterations in the central nervous system, in the metabolic and hormonal system as endocrine disruptor and over the birth outcomes. Carbamates may cause developmental delay when the applications of carbamates during pregnancy were nearby the home. Pyrethroids are among the most frequently used pesticides and account for more than one-third of the insecticides currently marketed in the world. For this reason the prenatal exposition used to be for long periods causing clinical, biochemical and neurological changes. Pesticides Organophosphates Carbamates Pyrethroids Prenatal exposure Toxic effects Newborns Mechanism Citation: Martin-Reina J, Duarte JA, Cerrillos L, Bautista JD, Moreno I. Insecticide Reproductive Toxicity Profile: Organophosphate, Carbamate and Pyrethroids. J Toxins. 2017;4(1): 7 J Toxins 4(1): 7 (2017) Page 02 ISSN: 2328-1723 rodenticides and insecticides [6]. Furthermore, within each class, several potentially toxic subclasses exist, for example among insecticides; one can find organochlorines, organophosphorus compounds, carbamates, pyrethroids, and many other chemicals (Table 2) [7]. Insecticides are capable of killing insects by penetrating into their bodies via direct contact (dermal entry), oral, and/or respiratory entry [5]. Most of the chemical insecticide in use today are neurotoxicants, and act by poisoning the nervous system of the target organism (Table 2) [8]. The Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs) are considered as persistent organic pollutants, once released in the environment, they break down very slowly in air, water, soil and in living organisms. As OCPs bio-magnify through the food chain, consumers of food of animal origin such as fish, meat, milk and dairy products end up with high levels of exposure and due to slow biodegradation, OCPs accumulate in the body [9]. For this reason, insecticides such as organophosphates, pyrethroids, and carbamates have become attractive alternatives to OCPs because they do not persist in the environment. Organophosphate pesticides are currently the most heavily used insecticide in US agriculture whereas pyrethroids are the most common class of pesticide used in homes [10]. However, extensive use of these products has culminated in constant human exposure to pesticides via domestic use or the food chain [11]. In this review, we will provide an overview of the toxic effects of these most employed insecticides over one of the most sensible population, pregnant women and the newborn. First of all, we will discuss mechanisms by which organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids may elicit the toxic response after the prenatal exposure and the potential consequences of this exposition. Impacts of Insecticides on Reproduction