miRNAs: A potentially valuable tool in pesticide toxicology assessment-current experimental and epidemiological review, 2022, Valencia-Quintana et al.

[SNT Gatchaman]

miRNAs: A potentially valuable tool in pesticide toxicology assessment-current experimental and epidemiological data review
Valencia-Quintana R; Bahena-Ocampo IU; González-Castañeda G; Bonilla E; Milić M; Bonassi S; Sánchez-Alarcón J;

miRNAs are responsible for the regulation of many cellular processes such as development, cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and tumor growth. Several studies showed that they can also serve as specific, stable, and sensitive markers of chemical exposure.

In this review, current experimental and epidemiological data evidencing deregulation in miRNA expression in response to fungicides, insecticides or herbicides were analyzed. As shown by Venn’s diagrams, miR-363 and miR-9 deregulation is associated with fungicide exposure in vitro and in vivo, while let-7, miR-155, miR-181 and miR-21 were found to be commonly deregulated by at least three different insecticides. Furthermore, let-7, miR-30, miR-126, miR-181 and miR-320 were commonly deregulated by 3 different herbicides. Notably, these 5 miRNAs were also found to be deregulated by one or more insecticides, suggesting their participation in the cellular response to pesticides, regardless of their chemical structure.

All these miRNAs have been proposed as potential biomarkers for fungicide, insecticide, or herbicide exposure. These results allow us to improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of toxicity upon pesticide exposure, although further studies are needed to confirm these miRNAs as definitive (not potential) biomarkers of pesticide exposure.

Link | Paywall (Chemosphere)

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

It is intriguing that insecticides with a different chemical structure can cause de-regulation of specific miRNAs. However, structurally different insecticides have been reported to have similar molecular mechanisms of cell injury, including the generation of oxidative stress and damage to DNA, proteins, and lipids, which can trigger apoptosis.

It will also be very interesting to study the possible implication of miRNAs deregulated by pesticides at pathophysiology/diagnosis. Several pesticides have been postulated as risk factors for diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative pathologies, dysmetabolic diseases, etc., but the underlying mechanisms have yet to be fully understood. In a recent paper by Aloizou et al. (2022), the association between pesticides and Parkinson disease (PD) was reviewed. miRNAs deregulated upon pesticide exposure were overlapped with miRNAs deregulated in PD.