Acetylcholinesterase as a Biomarker in Environmental and Occupational Medicine: New Insights and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a key enzyme in the nervous system. It terminates nerve impulses by catalysing the hydrolysis of neurotransmitter acetylcholine. As a specific molecular target of organophosphate and carbamate pesticides, acetylcholinesterase activity and its inhibition has been early recognized to be a human biological marker of pesticide poisoning. Measurement of AChE inhibition has been increasingly used in the last two decades as a biomarker of effect on nervous system following exposure to organophosphate and carbamate pesticides in occupational and environmental medicine. The success of this biomarker arises from the fact that it meets a number of characteristics necessary for the successful application of a biological response as biomarker in human biomonitoring: the response is easy to measure, it shows a dose-dependent behavior to pollutant exposure, it is sensitive, and it exhibits a link to health adverse effects. The aim of this work is to review and discuss the recent findings about acetylcholinesterase, including its sensitivity to other pollutants and the expression of different splice variants. These insights open new perspective for the future use of this biomarker in environmental and occupational human health monitoring.

Biochemical biomarker responses to pollution in selected sentinel organisms across the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea

“…Although organophosphate and carbamate pesticides are the two main classes of compounds ascribed for AChE inhibition (Fulton and Key 2001), it has also been shown that other chemicals can interact with AChE activity, such as metals, detergents and PAHs (Lionetto et al 2013). Thus, low AChE activities are frequently found in mussels and fish at impacted sites in various regions under different types of pollution Jebali et al 2013;Bellas et al 2014) which is in agreement with the present study.…”

Avaliação “in vitro” do efeito da infusão de Cunila microcephala Benth sobre a atividade da enzima acetilcolinesterase e biomarcadores de estresse oxidativo em eritrócitos de agricultores

“…Estes resultados corroboram com os achados de Felisbino et al (2014) que também revelaram a presença de compostos fenólicos no extrato da folha de C. microcephala. A inibição da enzima acetilcolinesterase (AChE) constitui um parâmetro fundamental para caracterização da exposição ambiental humana à agroquímicos, tendo em vista que as principais classes de pesticidas utilizadas pelos agricultores promovem alterações sobre o sistema nervoso dos mesmos (Lionetto et al, 2013). Considerando a elevação da atividade desta enzima no grupo E, é possível afirmar que a concentração de 50 g/L da infusão do poejo mostrou um efeito benéfico frente a inibição da AChE promovida pelos agroquímicos (Figura 1).…”

Alterações bioquímicas e toxicológicas de agricultores familiares da região do Alto Jacuí, Rio Grande do Sul

“…Dessa forma, a medição da sua atividade é reconhecida como um marcador biológico humano de intoxicações por agrotóxicos [17]. O presente estudo evidenciou uma redução da atividade da enzima butirilcolinesterase nos trabalhadores rurais.…”