Research Finds That Pesticides Disrupt Inflammation-Linked Bacteria

Existing scientific information shows that pesticides are toxic to the microorganisms in the gut, and a new preclinical study has mapped the specific impacts that compounds in pesticides have on microbes in the human digestive system. One surprising finding emerged regarding how these pesticide compounds affect the inflammatory system in the body. 

The Ohio State University team of researchers conducted an analysis aimed at establishing the specific ways in which different active ingredients in pesticides impact the ways in which bacteria in the gut grow and how the affected bacteria alter the ways in which nutrients are processed in the human body. The “atlas” they came up with reflects the interactions between specific chemicals and microbes in humans as observed in animal models and lab tests. 

For their study, whose findings appeared in the Nature Communications journal, the team focused on 18 active compounds found in pesticides which are commonly used around the world, including DDT, permethrin, atrazine and chlorpyrifos. They also selected 17 species taken from the four major groups of bacteria found in the gut of humans with a role in triggering disease or maintaining health. They then exposed the microbes to different pesticide compounds in order to observe how the bacteria were affected. 

From the tests, the team compiled a map showing how different bacteria interacted with different chemicals. They documented which chemicals promoted the growth of specific bacteria, which chemicals inhibited the growth of specified bacteria and which bacteria absorbed the chemicals under study. The microbes that absorbed the chemicals were important because they provided insights into the long-term effects of pesticides in the body. 

The research provided specific details on how exposure to pesticides alters the bacterial composition in the human gut. This research confirmed earlier research findings indicating that the microbiome is altered by exposure to pesticides and the OSU study provided specific details into the exact changes that occur. 

The tests in the lab and on mice revealed how pesticides affect the production of lipids (waxy, fatty and oily compounds needed for various functions within the body). The team documented how the production of lipids and metabolic activities are impacted by different pesticides. 

The researchers observed some increases in the production of certain lipids which inhibit signaling in specific proteins associated with oxidative stress, and this can be good for the body. They also identified some bacteria that could reduce the toxic effects of pesticides through inflammatory response buffering. 

The researchers say their findings could provide new therapeutic targets for combating inflammation and other disease states by developing probiotic approaches to managing those threats to human health. 

Other researchers can also use the “atlas” generated by the OSU team to conduct further research aimed at finding ways to combat the growing threat of agrochemicals upon human health. 

The findings could also be insightful to R&D teams at Soligenix Inc. (NASDAQ: SNGX) engaged in developing the next-generation of therapeutics against systemic inflammatory conditions. 

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