20 Jan By Interacting with Melatonin, Insecticides Could Disrupt Circadian Rhythm
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Rajendram Rajnarayanan
Rajendram Rajnarayanan PhD
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Assistant Professor
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
University of Buffalo
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Human exposure to environmental chemicals i.e., insecticides and pesticides increases the risk of various diseases by directly interacting with proteins or signaling pathways in the endocrine or neuroendocrine system. In this study, our teamscience effort integrating big-data computation with receptor pharmacology, report for the first time that carbamate insecticides found in household and agricultural products interact with human melatonin receptors.
At UB we have generated a database, we call it Chem2Risk, which contains about four million chemicals reported to have some level of toxicity. From those, after grouping the chemicals in clusters according to their similarity, we found several with potential to mimic melatonin. Wet-lab experiments confirmed that these chemicals indeed interact with melatonin receptors and have the potential to alter melatonin signaling.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: Our research shows that by interacting with melatonin system, these insecticides could disrupt circadian rhythm and put people at higher risk for diabetes and other metabolic diseases.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Response: Our results underline the importance to assess environmental chemicals for their ability to disrupt circadian activity, currently this is not being considered by federal regulators. To overcome this gap, we are currently developing a rapid bioassay that could simultaneously detect environmental toxocity and circadian disruption activity.
MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Response: This study is funded by a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health – specifically funded to identify new environmental diabetogens and obesogens.
MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.
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Last Updated on January 20, 2017 by Marie Benz MD FAAD