Objective To preliminarily explore developmental neurotoxicity and possible biological mechanism of combined exposure to pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during early childhood using comparative genomics method.
Methods Relevant data on 1 337 commonly used pesticides were extracted from Toxicology Data Network. Information on confirmed genes associated with neurodevelopmental toxicity of 16 common PAHs were retrieved from the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database. The genes related to the metabolism of both the pesticides and the PAHs were identified to analyze possible biological processes and pathways correlated with the developmental neurotoxicity of the combined exposure.
Results A total of 562 genes were identified to be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs)-related exposures to both PAHs and pesticides, of them, 238 key genes were mainly involved in synaptic transmission and regulation of neurotransmitter, brain development processes, and pathways of serotonin A synapse and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction.
Conclusion Combined exposure to pesticides and PAHs could cause gene-mediated neurodevelopmental toxicity.
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