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. 2021 Nov;28(43):61477-61496.
doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-15051-6. Epub 2021 Jun 26.

Subchronic exposure to a glyphosate-based herbicide causes dysplasia in the digestive tract of Wistar rats

Fernanda de Maria Serra  1 , José Luiz Santos Parizi  2   3 , Gisele Aparecida Sales de Mello Odorizzi  4 , Grace Mitiko Rosati Hori Sato  4 , Isabela Bocardi Patrão  4 , Pedro Henrique Nahas Chagas  3 , Fabíola de Azevedo Mello  1 , Gisele Alborghetti Nai  5   6   7   8   9
Affiliations

Subchronic exposure to a glyphosate-based herbicide causes dysplasia in the digestive tract of Wistar rats

Fernanda de Maria Serra et al. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Nov.

Abstract

Glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) are the most widely used herbicide for treatment of crops in the world. The digestive tract is one of the first systems exposed to pesticides, and damage to this system can affect the general health of individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of subchronic inhalation and oral exposure to GBH on the digestive tract in rats. Six groups of Wistar rats (male and female) were exposed to nebulization with three concentrations of GBH [3.71 × 10-3 grams of active ingredient per hectare (g.a.i./ha), 6.19 × 10-3 g.a.i./ha and 9.28 × 10-3 g.a.i./ha] administered orally or by inhalation for 75 days. Bone marrow cells, smears of the tongue and fragments of the tongue, oesophagus, stomach and intestine were collected for histopathological analysis. Congestion, inflammation, an increase in the number of mast cells and nucleoli-organizing regions were detected in the tongue in the groups exposed to GBH. Females had a higher number of mast cells in the tongue than males. Animals in the groups exposed to higher concentrations of GBH showed dysplasia in the oesophagus and small and large intestine regardless of sex. Gastric changes were not observed. Animals exposed to GBH showed increased micronucleus formation. Our data indicate that GBH causes oral allergies and dysplastic lesions in the oesophagus and small and large intestine and has genotoxic potential.

Keywords: Carcinoma in situ; Environment; Exposure to pesticides; Glyphosate; Occupational exposure.

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