Parkinson's disease and pesticides: a toxicological perspective

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Jaime Hatcher-Martin, Emory University; Kurt D. Pennell, Emory University; Gary Miller, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2008-06-01
• Publisher: Elsevier (Cell Press)
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tips.2008.03.007
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Trends in Pharmacological Sciences
• ISSN: 0165-6147
• Volume: 29
• Issue: 6
• Start Page: 322
• End Page: 329
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by the Emory Collaborative Center for Parkinson’s Disease Environmental Research (NIH U54 ES012068 to G.W.M.), the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Fund (G.W.M.) and National Institutes of Health grants NIH F31 ES014141 to J.M.H, NIH R21 ES012315 to G.W.M and NIH K25 ES014659 to K.D.P.
• Keywords: Pharmacology & Pharmacy; SUBSTANTIA-NIGRA; COMPLEX I; ALPHA-SYNUCLEIN; EXPOSURE; PHARMACOLOGY & PHARMACY; BLOOD-BRAIN-BARRIER; OXIDATIVE DAMAGE; DOPAMINE TRANSPORTER; ENVIRONMENTAL RISK-FACTORS; PARAQUAT; Science & Technology; UP-REGULATION; Life Sciences & Biomedicine
• Research Categories: Engineering, Environmental; Environmental Sciences; Biology, Neuroscience

Abstract

Environmental factors have been shown to contribute to the incidence of Parkinson's disease (PD). Pesticides, which represent one of the primary classes of environmental agents associated with PD, share the common feature of being intentionally released into the environment to control or eliminate pests. Pesticides consist of multiple classes and subclasses of insecticides, herbicides, rodenticides, fungicides, fumigants and others and exhibit a vast array of chemically diverse structures. In this review we examine the evidence regarding the ability of each of the major pesticide subclasses to increase the incidence of PD. We propose that, from a toxicological perspective, it would be beneficial to identify specific subclasses, common structural features and the propensity for widespread human exposure when considering the potential role in PD, rather than using the overly broad term of 'pesticides' to describe this diverse group of chemicals. Furthermore, these chemicals and their environmentally relevant combinations should be evaluated for their ability to promote or accelerate PD and not merely for being singular causative agents.