Look what we have seen: Immune cells get oxidized!
In our recent study, we delved into the intricate world of immune cells and their encounter with oxidation. Cells possess various defense mechanisms to handle substances causing oxidative stress, a condition where the balance between pro- and anti-oxidant species is disrupted. Oxidative stress is a cellular phenomenon marked by the disruption of this delicate equilibrium. To investigate this, we isolated immune cells from healthy donors and examined their response to different concentrations of glyphosate-based pesticides (GbP) and chlorpyrifos-based pesticides (CbP) over a 4.5-hour period.
📊 Measuring the Impact
Our focus was on measuring intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration as an indirect indicator of oxidative stress. This measurement provided insights into the cellular response to pesticide exposure.
The more GbP and CbP we put in culture, the more H2O2 cells produce. Notably, CbP is more pro-oxidant than the glyphosate commercial formulation we tested. And what happens when both pesticides are present in the same culture (GbP+Cb)? It looks that their effect is additive (they don't compete and they do not potentate their effects).
Many questions arise after analyzing this exciting experiment!
How does the H2O2 increse impact on immune cell functions?
Which mechanisms explain the increase in H2O2?
Is this effect stable in time or do cells finally manage to reduce H2O2 concentration?
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