TY - JOUR
T1 - Occupational exposure to pesticides in female tea garden workers and adverse birth outcomes
AU - Kumar, Shashi Nandar
AU - Vaibhav, Kumar
AU - Bastia, Banajit
AU - Singh, Vishwajeet
AU - Ahluwalia, Meenakshi
AU - Agrawal, Usha
AU - Borgohain, Deepa
AU - Raisuddin, Sheikh
AU - Jain, Arun Kumar
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research (Grant Number 3/1/2/8/14‐RCH).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC
PY - 2021/3
Y1 - 2021/3
N2 - Pesticides are globally used to eliminate pests from crops and plants. The increased use of pesticides has posed a serious threat to human health. This study evaluates the effects of pesticide exposure on pregnancy outcomes in tea garden workers (TGW). The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was measured in the maternal blood, placenta, and cord blood of TGW and housewives (HWs). The placental structure and expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α were also analyzed in TGW and HW groups delivering low birth weight (LBW) and normal birth weight (NBW) babies. A significantly decreased AChE activity was observed in maternal blood and cord blood in TGW as compared with HW in the LBW group. However, it did not change significantly in the NBW group (p <.05). The adjusted regression analysis of birth outcomes (birth weight, head circumference, infant's length, and ponderal index) revealed a significant and positive association with the levels of AChE activity in maternal blood, placenta, and cord blood in TGW (p <.05). The histological analysis showed significantly higher placental syncytial knots, chorangiosis, fibrinoid deposition, necrosis, and stromal fibrosis in the LBW group of TGW. Microinfarction, increased fibrinoid deposition, and atypical villi characteristics, such as mushroom-like structures, were observed during scanning electron microscopy along with increased HIF-1α expression in placental tissues of TGW exposed to pesticides. Results suggest that occupational pesticide exposure during pregnancy may decrease AChE activity and cause in utero pathological changes accompanied by an increased HIF-1α expression, which also contributes to placental insufficiency and fetal growth restriction.
AB - Pesticides are globally used to eliminate pests from crops and plants. The increased use of pesticides has posed a serious threat to human health. This study evaluates the effects of pesticide exposure on pregnancy outcomes in tea garden workers (TGW). The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was measured in the maternal blood, placenta, and cord blood of TGW and housewives (HWs). The placental structure and expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α were also analyzed in TGW and HW groups delivering low birth weight (LBW) and normal birth weight (NBW) babies. A significantly decreased AChE activity was observed in maternal blood and cord blood in TGW as compared with HW in the LBW group. However, it did not change significantly in the NBW group (p <.05). The adjusted regression analysis of birth outcomes (birth weight, head circumference, infant's length, and ponderal index) revealed a significant and positive association with the levels of AChE activity in maternal blood, placenta, and cord blood in TGW (p <.05). The histological analysis showed significantly higher placental syncytial knots, chorangiosis, fibrinoid deposition, necrosis, and stromal fibrosis in the LBW group of TGW. Microinfarction, increased fibrinoid deposition, and atypical villi characteristics, such as mushroom-like structures, were observed during scanning electron microscopy along with increased HIF-1α expression in placental tissues of TGW exposed to pesticides. Results suggest that occupational pesticide exposure during pregnancy may decrease AChE activity and cause in utero pathological changes accompanied by an increased HIF-1α expression, which also contributes to placental insufficiency and fetal growth restriction.
KW - AChE
KW - low birth weight
KW - occupational pesticide exposure
KW - placental hypoxia
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85097864674&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85097864674&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/jbt.22677
DO - 10.1002/jbt.22677
M3 - Article
C2 - 33350548
AN - SCOPUS:85097864674
SN - 1095-6670
VL - 35
JO - Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology
JF - Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology
IS - 3
M1 - e22677
ER -