Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Nov 21;10(4):49.
doi: 10.3390/jdb10040049.

Organophosphate Insecticide Toxicity in Neural Development, Cognition, Behaviour and Degeneration: Insights from Zebrafish

Jeremy Neylon  1 , Jarrad N Fuller  1 , Chris van der Poel  1 , Jarrod E Church  1 , Sebastian Dworkin  1
Affiliations
Review

Organophosphate Insecticide Toxicity in Neural Development, Cognition, Behaviour and Degeneration: Insights from Zebrafish

Jeremy Neylon et al. J Dev Biol. .

Abstract

Organophosphate (OP) insecticides are used to eliminate agricultural threats posed by insects, through inhibition of the neurotransmitter acetylcholinesterase (AChE). These potent neurotoxins are extremely efficacious in insect elimination, and as such, are the preferred agricultural insecticides worldwide. Despite their efficacy, however, estimates indicate that only 0.1% of organophosphates reach their desired target. Moreover, multiple studies have shown that OP exposure in both humans and animals can lead to aberrations in embryonic development, defects in childhood neurocognition, and substantial contribution to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Motor Neurone Disease. Here, we review the current state of knowledge pertaining to organophosphate exposure on both embryonic development and/or subsequent neurological consequences on behaviour, paying particular attention to data gleaned using an excellent animal model, the zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Keywords: insecticides; neurodevelopment; organophosphate; zebrafish.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The physiological action of acetylcholine (ACh; purple triangles) at the neuronal cell synapse, the breakdown of ACh through acetylcholinesterase (AChE; orange diamonds), and the phosphorylation of AChE through organophosphate insecticide (OP; red hexagons) exposure.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The primary direct and indirect routes of organophosphate (OP) exposure on target and non-target organisms in agricultural, household and aquatic environments.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The major consequences of OP exposure in humans.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The symptoms of organophosphate (OP) exposure at progressive time points; acute cholinergic syndrome (ACS) occurs within minutes of OP exposure, symptoms of intermediate syndrome (IMS) display at 1–4 days after OP exposure, and symptoms of organophosphate-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN) occur ~2–3 weeks after OP exposure.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Pamanji R., Bethu M.S., Yashwanth B., Leelavathi S., Venkateswara Rao J. Developmental toxic effects of monocrotophos, an organophosphorous pesticide, on zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. Environ. Sci. Pollut Res. Int. 2015;22:7744–7753. doi: 10.1007/s11356-015-4120-8. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Velki M., Di Paolo C., Nelles J., Seiler T.B., Hollert H. Diuron and diazinon alter the behavior of zebrafish embryos and larvae in the absence of acute toxicity. Chemosphere. 2017;180:65–76. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.04.017. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Zhang C., Shi G.M., Shen J., Hu R.F. Productivity effect and overuse of pesticide in crop production in China. J. Integr. Agr. 2015;14:1903–1910. doi: 10.1016/S2095-3119(15)61056-5. - DOI
    1. Zhang Z.Y., Yu X.Y., Wang D.L., Yan H.J., Liu X.J. Acute toxicity to zebrafish of two organophosphates and four pyrethroids and their binary mixtures. Pest Manag. Sci. 2010;66:84–89. doi: 10.1002/ps.1834. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Naughton S.X., Terry A.V., Jr. Neurotoxicity in acute and repeated organophosphate exposure. Toxicology. 2018;408:101–112. doi: 10.1016/j.tox.2018.08.011. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources