Title: Environmental exposure to organophosphate pesticides during pregnancy: early biological effects and biomarkers evaluation in non-invasively collected matrices

Biography:

Dr. Gladis Magnarelli granted Biochemistry degree (University of Córdoba,Argentina) and post-degree in Biochemistry (South University, Argentina). Since  1978 she  worked in the National Comahue University, Argentina, being professor of Biochemistry   at the Faculty of Medicine  during seventeen years. She published more than 30 articles in peer reviewed journals and authored few chapters in books.  Four students were awarded Ph.D. degree and four Master degree under his guidance and supervision. She carried out university extension tasks for the training of health agents in environmental health prevention.  At present Dr. Magnarelli is assessor of Research  Project .

Abstract

The collection of invasive samples from susceptible populations such as pregnant women and newborn, suffers from ethical and practical limitations. Besides, the accumulation of exposure data will be unsuccessful for risk assessment if not integrated by early indicators of possible health effects. Transverse studies were conducted to evaluate the impact of organophosphate pesticides  (OP) exposure in residents of  agricultural areas (RG:rural group) and the usefulness of exposition/effect biomarkers. We collected at term placental villous (PV) and umbilical cord blood (UCB) samples during both spraying (SS) and  non-spraying seasons (NSS) and from urban residents (control group). In SS, PV  showed  decrease  carboxylesterase (CaE) activity, suggesting OP reached the placenta. Syncytiotrophoblast mitochondrial cardiolipin content and Cytochrome c oxidase activity (1)  increased. Arginase  and ornithine decarboxylase, involved in tissue repair mechanisms,  were induced and inverse  associated  to CaE(2).  Changes could represent a response to OP induced injury being mitochondria bioenergetics and steroidogenic function, a toxicity target. Reduction in Progesterone level and endothelial nitric oxide synthase  expression  may account for low newborn weight in RG (1). Although PV was able to handle the prooxidant conditions that might have been generated in SS, an inverse   association between Catalase (CAT) activity and placental índex was found. (3). Placental CaE and CAT   have a potential as exposition and susceptibility biomarker, respectively. UCB erythrocyte osmotic fragility and superoxide dismutase  activity changed and the DNA damage index increase (4). Impact on the UCB  antioxidant defense capacity may contribute to increased vulnerability to oxidative insults since intrauterine life