Unveiling molecular interactions of pesticides in biomimetic membranes from human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cells

• Grant number: 22/15041-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 30, 2023
• End date: August 29, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Karina Alves de Toledo
• Grantee: Daniela Mayra dos Santos
• Supervisor: Christine Dewolf
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL-ASSIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Assis. Assis , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Concordia University, Canada
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/11344-9 - Cytotoxicity evaluation of pesticides employed in sugarcane crops in the in vitro culture of cells derived from human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2), BP.IC

Abstract

According to the United Nations Organization (UNO), Brazil stands out as the largest agricultural exporter worldwide, and to keep up this production, it has been the country that most applies pesticides in the world. Although the increase of the crop production, the use of pesticides also impacts the human health and environment. The Assis mesoregion is prominent in the production of sugarcane of São Paulo state. In this type of cultivation, chlorantraniliprole, imazapic, isoxaflutol, methyl parathion and simazine have been the most used pesticides, whose effects on human health have been so far little explored. In the current scientific initiation project (2021/11344-9) the cytotoxicity of these pesticides has been investigated in in vitro culture of human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cells. The choice for HepG2 cells is because the liver is the main organ responsible for the metabolism of xenobiotic agents, being, therefore, the target of toxicity generated by pesticides. In this BEPE project, we shall investigate how these pesticides interact with biomembrane models from HepG2 cells. For that, the interactions between each pesticide with cell membranes formed by Langmuir films of HepG2 lipid extract will be analyzed by 5-A isotherms, ellipsometry, and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM). Modifications in the physicochemical properties and morphology of the Langmuir films will be evaluated to unveil the molecular interactions with the pesticides and to correlate them with the cytotoxicity observed in the in vitro assays. This BEPE proposal is part of the scientific initiation project (2021/11344-9) entitled "Cytotoxicity evaluation of pesticides employed in sugarcane crops in the in vitro culture of cells derived from human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2)", which has been carried out at the FCL-UNESP, Assis, SP, Brazil. (AU)