Cytotoxicity evaluation of pesticides employed in sugarcane crops in the in vitro culture of cells derived from human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2)

• Grant number: 21/11344-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2022
• End date: December 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Sabrina Aléssio Camacho
• Grantee: Daniela Mayra dos Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL-ASSIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Assis. Assis , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/22214-6 - Towards a convergence of technologies: from sensing and biosensing to information visualization and machine learning for data analysis in clinical diagnosis, AP.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 22/15041-3 - Unveiling molecular interactions of pesticides in biomimetic membranes from human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cells, BE.EP.IC

Abstract

The large scale of agricultural production in Brazil has been reflected in the highest consumption of pesticides in the world. Although they contribute to increased food production, these substances generate impacts on the environment and human health. The Mesoregion of Assis stands out in the production of sugarcane in São Paulo state. In this type of farming the pesticides chlorantraniliprole, imazapique, isoxaflutol, methyl parathion, and simazine are extensively used, whose effects on human health have been poorly explored until then. In this project, we intend to investigate the cytotoxicity of these pesticides in cells derived from human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2), since the liver is the main organ responsible for metabolizing the xenobiotic agents, being, therefore, the target of toxicity induced by the pesticides. Human carcinoma liver cells are preferentially used due to their easy handling and high reproducibility when compared to primary cells. Cytotoxicity tests will be performed by incubating different concentrations (10-5 mol/L and concentrations regulated by the law) of each pesticide, diluted in DMEM F12 culture medium, in the in vitro culture of HepG2 cells. In addition to the effect of different concentrations, the influence of different incubation times (24 and 96 h) will also be evaluated on the cell culture, in order to investigate the toxicity induced along the exposure period. Furthermore, bright field and confocal fluorescence microscopies will be performed to investigate possible cellular modifications triggered by the toxicity of these pesticides. (AU)